Ham Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Try this Ham Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Ham Broccoli and Rice Casserole recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 10 oz chopped broccoli fresh or frozen (about 4 cups)
- 4 cups cooked long-grain white or brown rice
- 6 oz cooked ham (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (or any bread crumbs)
- Carbohydrate 11.1387419291993 g
- Cholesterol 28.0644531407838 mg
- Fat 10.2495925434842 g
- Fiber 0.931928677691914 g
- Protein 3.97705906315138 g
- Saturated Fat 6.2476081322617 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -10 (160g)
- Sodium 98.7867272092908 mg
- Sugar 10.2068132515073 g
- Trans Fat 0.943666813020744 g
- Calories 148 calories
Step-by-step
- If you are using frozen broccoli, thaw and drain off water first.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add flour and whisk into a smooth paste. Cook paste for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to simmer and continue to whisk for another two minutes or until the mixture thickens.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cheese, salt and pepper until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ham, broccoli, rice and cheese until well combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Transfer to a greased casserole dish.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter and mix well with the panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over casserole evenly and bake for 20-30 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and topping is browned. Enjoy!
Standard ingredient lists omit the chemical vulnerability of dairy-based cheese sauces when subjected to direct oven heat. Direct heat causes proteins in dairy to tighten rapidly, releasing moisture and creating a grainy, separated texture rather than a smooth binder. Preventing this textural failure requires controlling starch gelatinization and fat dispersion before the dish ever enters the oven.
Creating a stable béchamel begins with cooking four tablespoons of flour in four tablespoons of melted butter for exactly two minutes. Raw flour imparts a pasty starch flavor, while prolonged browning degrades thickening capacity; a two-minute cook toasts the starch just enough to eliminate raw flavors while preserving maximum thickening power. Whisking three cups of milk slowly into this roux prevents lumps by hydrating starch granules gradually. Bringing the liquid to a simmer activates the flour starches fully, thickening the sauce before the cheese is added off the heat.
Melting shredded cheddar cheese into a cooling sauce rather than a boiling one prevents the emulsion from breaking and the cheese proteins from turning rubbery. Combining this smooth cheese sauce with four cups of cooked rice, six ounces of cooked ham, and ten ounces of thawed broccoli ensures even moisture distribution across every component. Mixing one tablespoon of melted butter with half a cup of panko bread crumbs provides the dry fat necessary to brown the topping effectively.
Judging doneness relies entirely on visual and auditory indicators rather than internal temperature probes. Baking the dish at standard casserole temperatures for 20 to 30 minutes yields two distinct cues: the edges must bubble actively, and the panko topping must transform into a uniform golden brown. Removing the dish promptly at this visual threshold prevents the dairy sauce from breaking down into an oily separation.
Long-grain white rice functions differently than brown rice regarding moisture absorption during baking. Swapping white rice for brown rice requires pre-cooking the grain fully, because brown rice bran inhibits fluid uptake during the brief baking window.
