One-Pan Cheesy Rice with Broccoli
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Looking for an easy 20 minute meal or side dish your whole family will love? This One-Pan Cheesy Rice and Broccoli is a great source of nutrition while also requiring minimal clean-up and dishes.
Hello from “cheesy rice” land – aka what my toddler likes to call my latest iteration of “what types of veggies can I sneak into the exclusively carbs + cheese diet my child seems to survive on”.
Really this is a pretty basic meal for one-pan broccoli and cheese mixed with rice. A type of stir-fry if you will!
I’ll be honest, there’s nothing fancy about this recipe (the pictures kind of prove it!). It uses simple ingredients but is packed full of flavor and is toddler approved (a win in my book!). If cheesy broccoli is what it takes to get my kid to eat vegetables then sign me up.
Why Make This Recipe?
Besides being absolutely adorable to hear my toddler say “cheesy rice” I love this dish for so many reasons:
- One-Pot – yes you can cook this entire recipe in one pot or pan. Easy clean-up with minimal dishes!
- Kid-approved – I’m learning that two year olds survive off cheesy carbs and air. This broccoli and cheese with rice dish fits the bill!
- Meal-Prep friendly – prep in advance for an easy meal throughout the week. You can also freeze this recipe for future enjoyment!
- Good source of veggies and calcium – besides the cheesy broccoli, there’s also carrots and the cheese is a great source of calcium. Not to mention fiber too!
Ingredients in Cheesy Rice:
- Butter – for cooking veggies.
- Carrots – shredded or finely chopped.
- Broccoli – cut into small broccoli florets. You can use fresh or frozen broccoli.
- Rice – I typically use long grain white basmati rice for this recipe but see below for some different suggestions.
- Garlic powder + Onion powder – aromatics for flavoring.
- Salt + Pepper – feel free to reduce salt amount if watching sodium levels
- Chicken broth – I also sometimes use bone broth to increase the nutrition without affecting the taste.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – see alternative cheese options below.
How to Make Cheesy Rice
STEP 1: COOK VEGGIES
On your stove top melt butter over medium heat in a large pan with a top or Dutch oven. Add in carrots and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.
STEP 2: COOK RICE + SIMMER
Stir in rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and chicken broth and bring to a boil. As soon as it’s boiling lower to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
STEP 3: STIR IN CHEESE
Remove top and stir in cheese.
Easy Swaps + Substitutions
Add protein – one of the best ways to add protein is to cook some scrambled eggs and stir right into the cheesy rice. Alternatively if you have some leftover chicken you can stir that right in at the end of cooking or even a plant-based option like chickpeas.
Use brown rice – I oftentimes reach for white rice in this recipe because I’m more likely to get my picky toddler to eat it. However you can substitute whatever long grain or short grain cooked rice you already have on hand. You will just need to adjust cooking time.
Swap the cheese – I generally reach for sharp cheddar cheese just because that’s my preference but you can use whatever cheese you prefer. Shredded parmesan cheese or even crumbled feta all work.
Change the veggies – I like using cheesy broccoli and carrots in this recipe but cauliflower, corn or whatever vegetables you prefer will all work great.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave.
Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe dish for up to 3 months. Thaw on countertop for several hours or overnight in fridge. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave.
More One-Pan Meals
One-Pan Cheesy Rice with Broccoli
Looking for an easy 25 minute meal or side dish your whole family will love? This One-Pan Cheesy Rice and Broccoli is a great source of nutrition while also requiring minimal clean-up and dishes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup carrots, shredded or finely chopped
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- On your stove top melt butter over medium heat in a large pan with a top or Dutch oven. Add in carrots and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- As soon as it’s boiling lower to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
- Remove top and stir in cheese.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave.
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