This is so great, I could eat it by itself as a meal.
- Carbohydrate 39.6808316666667 g
- Cholesterol 15.4225 mg
- Fat 7.640215 g
- Fiber 1.58316662758589 g
- Protein 5.50859166666667 g
- Saturated Fat 3.636362 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (227g)
- Sodium 408.626666666667 mg
- Sugar 38.0976650390808 g
- Trans Fat 1.06344866666667 g
- Calories 249 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large pot bring water to a boil and add head of broccoli (enough water to cover), boil till very tender, then drain.
- In a different pan, sauté onions in butter until soft.
- Combine broccoli, rice, sautéed onions, cream of celery, cream of mushroom, Velveeta, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
- Mix until everything is combined and melted- you can add a little chicken broth or milk if mixture is too thick (baking can dry it out).
- Put broccoli, rice and cheese mixture into 9x13 baking dish and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350° until cheese is melted and slightly browned (about 30 min.)
Golden pools of melted cheddar crown a bubbling landscape of tender grains and soft brassica florets, radiating warmth from beneath a lightly crisped crust. Baking this dense mixture in a standard 9x13-inch glass or ceramic dish ensures sufficient surface area for optimal heat distribution, reaching an internal readiness when the cheese turns amber at 350 degrees Fahrenheit after roughly thirty minutes in the oven. Processed cheese products like Velveeta contain emulsifying salts, notably sodium citrate, which prevent the fats from separating during baking and guarantee a smooth, uniform sauce rather than a broken, greasy pool. Standard cheddar lacks these specific emulsifiers, meaning a purely aged-cheddar sauce can easily become stringy or grainy under direct heat, though layering it strictly on top mitigates that structural breakdown. Leftovers actually improve after twenty-four hours in the refrigerator, as the cooked white rice continues to absorb ambient moisture from the canned soups and vegetables, tightening the overall crumb structure. Stored in an airtight container below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, this dish maintains its integrity for up to four days. Reheating portions requires a splash of milk or broth added directly to the slice before micro-waving or covering with foil in a 325-degree oven, restoring hydration lost during initial refrigeration without turning the broccoli waterlogged.
