This Cheesy Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole is the ultimate comfort food! It combines vegan chicken (or chickpeas) with rice, broccoli, and dairy-free cheese in one skillet and is ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
Looking for more easy-to-make vegan casseroles? The whole family will love my Vegan Enchilada Casserole, Vegan Baked Mac and Chees, and Vegan Tater Tot Casserole!
Kid-approved vegan casserole
My favorite thing about this casserole recipe is how easy and fast it is to make. Even on the busiest nights, I can whip this family friendly meal up in no time. Everything cooks together in the same skillet in about 30 minutes, saving you a ton of time on prep and cleanup!
I turn to this quick and easy vegan casserole recipe when the kids and I are craving the goodness of broccoli and cheese but need something quicker than my Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup or Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Twice Baked Potatoes. We rarely leave leftovers behind, making it safe to claim this recipe as kid-friendly and picky eater-approved!
Make your own cheese sauce (or not)
If you want to skip the store bought vegan cheese, make your own! My Favorite Cashew Cheese Sauce would be incredible in this recipe. For nut free, make my Nut Free Vegan Cheese Sauce.
My readers have also been loving this weeknight dish for years. Here’s what they’re saying:
“I just made this last night for my fussy vegan kids. One hates broccoli and the other hates mock meat. Both asked for seconds and cleaned their plates!!!! Cant wait to try more of your recipies, you are a life saver!!!!!” – Chen
“Yummy recipe! My non-vegan dad even liked it. Will definitely be making this again. 🙂” – Bella
“Seriously the best chicken rice casserole ever. Our toddler loved it. Definitely going to make this again and again.” – Anna
Why you’ll love this vegan broccoli rice casserole
- An easy one-skillet recipe – Everything from the vegan chicken to the rice to the broccoli is cooked in one skillet on the stove.
- Kid-approved – Believe it or not, kids don’t mind eating broccoli when it’s baked in this casserole. They’re too busy enjoying the cheesy, meaty bites!
- You’d never know it’s vegan – Despite being completely dairy and meat-free, this hearty vegan casserole is super indulgent and meaty! Even the pickiest eaters will love it.
Frequently asked questions
Make this cheesy casserole the star of your next easy family dinner! It’s a hearty and filling main dish you can pair with simple sides, like my Kale Caesar Salad, Vegan Garlic Bread, and Air Fryer Asparagus. The kids won’t be able to resist these Eggless Brownies or this Apple and Blueberry Crumble for dessert, either!
Alternatively, make the casserole for weekday lunches you’ll actually look forward to. The individual portions last for a few days in the fridge or even longer in the freezer.
I like using my Seitan Chicken (cut into small pieces) best, but I don’t often have the time to make it. You could also use a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, soy curls (soaked in vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth ahead of time), or store-bought vegan chicken (I like the Daring brand, but readers have also had good results using Tofurky, Gardein, LiteLife, and Sweet Earth brands).
Absolutely! For a true baked casserole, cook the “chicken” and garlic as normal and dump them into a lightly greased glass casserole dish along with the rice, vegetable broth, vegan cream, and broccoli florets. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes.
Stir 1 cup of the vegan cheese into the casserole and sprinkle the rest on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rice and broccoli are tender.
Yes, you can make the casserole ahead of time. Wait for it to cool to room temperature before transferring the whole batch or single servings to airtight containers. Keep them in the fridge for 2 or 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
After the leftover casserole has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for about 1 month. Allow the leftovers to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in a 350ºF oven the next day.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Vegan Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces vegan chicken chopped, see Notes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth + more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups vegan cream see Notes
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups vegan shredded cheddar cheese or homemade cheese sauce
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the vegan chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the rice, vegetable broth and vegan cream. Stir and bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, add the broccoli and stir it in. If the mixture doesn't have any liquid left, add about 1 cup more of broth (or even water). Cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Uncover and add 1 cup of the cheese and stir it in, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cover and simmer until the cheese on top has melted and the broccoli is tender.
- Taste, and if needed add a bit of salt. I don't find it needs any added with the broth and salt from the cheese. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Vegan Chicken – You can use my homemade seitan Vegan Chicken (you will only need about 1/2 the recipe), store bought vegan chicken (I love Daring brand!) or a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas.
- To sub brown rice for white: It will take a lot longer to cook the rice, about 40 minutes. Add more vegetable broth or water as needed, you will probably need 4-5 cups of broth.
- For the cream – I like Ripple’s Half and Half for cream. You can also use full fat coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk or homemade cashew cream.
- Cheese – I used Follow Your Heart cheddar. If you want to make your own vegan cheese sauce, I love my Favorite Cashew Cheese Sauce or Nut Free Vegan Cheese.
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Leftovers – Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the fridge for 4 days. It can also be frozen.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published in March 2020 and has been updated in 2024 with new photos and an easier recipe.
Is the broccoli fresh or frozen? Thank you!
You can use fresh or frozen, I used fresh.
Another AMAZING recipe, Nora! Made it tonight for the first time. Took one bite and came here to give this 10 stars! I used soy curls soaked in chicken broth (vegan). I made your cheese sauce in my Nutri Bullet and am just blown away by how delicious this dish is. The rice is perfectly cooked (I did add about a cup more broth) and the broccoli is crisp not mushy. Your times are perfect. Thanks so much for this! Yum, yum, yum!!
You are welcome, Ann! I’m thrilled you love the casserole! I spend lots of time perfecting my recipes, and it’s always so encouraging to know they are being enjoyed! Thank you for your stellar review and feedback. I appreciate you, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
This was so good. A perfect comfort food dish that still provides lots of nutrition.
I made the savory cashew cream which is delicious all on its own.
I’ll be revisiting this one regularly.
I’m thrilled you loved the recipe, Matthew! Thanks for taking time to share your great review and feedback! Happy cooking!
This is such a great recipe! It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and is kid friendly. Every one of your recipes I’ve tried has been fantastic and loved by my family (including our toddler and non-vegan members). Thank you for making dinner time a bit easier for me 😉
I made this last night for dinner. I thought it needed a little more flavor, so I added some Italian seasoning. That did the trick. I also used Soy Curls for the vegan chicken, the first time I’ve used them. They weren’t bad, but I might try the vegan seitan next time or Gardein chicken. All in all, a really good dish! Nora comes through once again! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight, it was really delicious and came together beautifully. I’ve been vegan for about a year and love trying new recipes. My hubby is not vegan and tends to complain about my dinners but he ate all of this and said it was really good. 😊
Hi Theresa. I’m so excited the recipe was a hit! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!