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.
Yummy recipe! My non-vegan dad even liked it. Will definitely be making this again. 🙂
This recipe is great! We used real chicken because it’s what we still had in our freezer, but expect our tofu bites to hold up the same when we make this again. It was still mildly coconuty as well, but neither my bf or I minded a bit because of how its sweetness complements the other flavors. Love it! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
Can sub a head of cauliflower for the broccoli?
Yes, you could do that.
I made this tonight with Field Roast brand Italian “sausage” and Daiya pepperjack shreds. So good!!! My non-vegan boyfriend thinks it’s delicious too. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re so welcome! Glad it was good!
We had this recently for dinner and it was really tasty! My husband and teenager commented how much they enjoyed it. Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re welcome!
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!!!!!
That’s so great!
I have extra cheese sauce after making your delicious Cheesy Broccoli Twice Baked Potatoes. I was thinking it would be tasty in a broccoli rice casserole. Do you think I could substitute it for the can of coconut milk perhaps in this recipe? I love so many of your recipes and make them often!
Yes I think that should work quite well, sounds great to me! Thank you so much, I’m glad you are enjoyed the recipes. 🙂
How much longer of a cook time for brown rice instead of white rice?
The instructions for this are in the Notes section of the recipe card. It will take about 40 minutes, and use a bit more broth/water, 4-5 cups.
Looks delicious! Simple, easy to make. I will try it.
I needed to go heavier on the seasoning , but it was a wonderful bowl of comfort food!!
I made this today with:
Lightlife Smart Chicken tenders
Daiya cheddar cheese
3 cups frozen broccoli
The frozen broccoli didn’t need any more cooking time and it’s really delicious! Even my veggie-hating toddler ate it.
That’s so great to hear!!
Just made this recipe with chickpeas. It is fantastic!
Thanks so much!! I’m so glad it came out fantastic!
Hi! Im wondering if you could use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice?
You might be able to, but I haven’t tried it. Of course it will taste a lot different!
I been vegan for 6 years. This dish was so good and tasty, being the only vegan in my family; they enjoyed this dish just as much as I did.
I will definitely make this dish again and again.
That’s so wonderful to hear!!
Thank you for the great recipe. My 3 yo loved it. Dinner was great! Easy to follow and quick to make.
I’m so glad to hear that! So glad it was good!
This is SOOO GOOD! We substituted chickpeas instead of mock chicken. My toddler loved it as well!
I’m so glad you all loved it!!
Any suggestions on a sub for coconut milk my daughters allergic to coconut..?
You can use another non-dairy milk such as almond, cashew, even soy would work, it just won’t be quite as creamy or rich but still perfectly good!
This was such a good meal. I really enjoyed it. I am the only vegan in my family and they are this entire dish.
I will definitely make this again.
Wow, that’s so great to hear!! Thanks for the comment!
I only have light coconut milk and coconut cream. Do you think the coconut cream would work?
I also only have brown rice. When I sub for white and cook for 40 minutes, would I still stir every 5 minutes?
I made chicken parm with your vegan chicken last night and am using the other half of the chicken for this dish!
Thank you!
Either would work, but coconut cream will make it richer, so I would prefer that one for the best flavor. 🙂 With brown rice, I would still stir every 5-10 minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. That is awesome, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Made this last night and it was excellent! Love that it’s one pot. Super tasty comfort food.
So glad to hear it was excellent!
So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait until I try your other recipes!!!
I used deliciou chicken. I made it into nuggets yesterday, and there were a few left over that I chopped up and used!
I’m so glad it was good!!
Another quick supper! Yeah. I used morning star “chik”. Not venturing out of town for the tofurky right now. Tastes great.
So glad to hear that!
With all your awesome recipes people are beginning to think I’m a really good vegan cook!!! Boy do I have them fooled! Super easy to make and delicious as all of the many recipes I’ve tried of yours. Made it exactly as written using dayia cheese and panko breadcrumbs.
Thanks so much for the great comment! So glad you liked it!
If I wanted to make this in a 9X13 pan would I double the recipe?
Thank you!
You could, yes! If you don’t double it you could still use a 9×13 but it will be quite shallow. Enjoy!
Hi Nora,
it is such a shame that your beautiful photos don’t appear when you hit PRINT RECIPE.
I’ve been making your recipes for a while now and thought I might go ahead and tell you.
Don’t mean no negativity. Keep up the good work! Love your food!
Can we make this in the slow cooker?
It would probably work, yes, though I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how long it will take. A few hours, perhaps?