Plant-Based Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
Turn broccoli, rice, cheddar cheese, and vegan chicken into a hearty and comforting casserole for dinner. Serve with a zesty green salad and warm dinner rolls for the ultimate cozy meal!
Ingredients
- 1½ cup white Jasmine rice
- 3 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 1¼ cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 16 oz vegan chicken I used Daring (non-breaded)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Topping
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Prep
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then prep your veggies. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and separate the broccoli into small florets. Then remove the thyme leaves from the stems and measure out 1 tbsp. Set everything aside separately.Then place the rice, broccoli, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese in a 9x13in baking dish and set that aside too.
Cook the "Chicken"
- Warm a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and then add the olive oil, chopped onions and vegan chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is warm all the way through. Use your spatula to break the chicken into small bite sized pieces.Then add the chicken and onions to the casserole dish.
Heat Up the Broth
- While the chicken cooks, place a saucepan on the stove and add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, turmeric, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, fresh thyme, nutritional yeast, and Dijon mustard. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Then pour the hot broth into casserole dish and mix well to distribute.
Cover and Bake
- It’s very important to cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil before baking. I’ve tried to skip this step in the past and it was a disaster! If you don't cover the dish, the rice won't cook properly and the casserole will be watery. So cover tightly and then bake for 30 minutes. While that bakes, combine the panko bread crumbs, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.After 30 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Finish with the panko breadcrumbs on top. Bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.
Serve
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve on its own or alongside a zesty green salad and some warm dinner rolls (or garlic bread!) for a cozy homestyle meal. Enjoy!