One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole
This post was sponsored by USA Pulses & Pulse Canada. All opinions expressed here are mine alone.
One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole is a hearty, vegetarian casserole that’s great as a main dish or holiday side!
I’m kind of relieved that baseball season is over you guys. I felt like my life revolved around it for the past month because the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series. I couldn’t miss a game, and some of them were so long! I warned you last week that I may need to recover after Game 7 and boy did I.
I call it recovery but it was more like me hiding under a rock since the Dodgers lost. I do live in San Francisco Giants country after all, and believe me when I say that I take some hard core ribbing from Giants fans.
It’s quite the rivalry and I feel the same way about the Giants…I root for every team that they’re playing against. It’s all in good fun of course, but when your team loses the world series the wounds are fresh and teasing feels like salt being poured right into it!
The drama of it all.
Needless to say I’m ready to focus 100% on all things holiday-related, especially in the food department. That’s where this One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole comes in.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with USA Pulses recently, and when they asked me to come up with a unique way to incorporate chickpeas into a holiday inspired dish I jumped at the chance.
If you’re not familiar with the term pulses, they are chickpeas, lentils, split peas, and beans. I love incorporating them into my meals for their great taste, versatility and especially their nutritional benefits.
Pulses are iron rich, high in fiber and potassium, and are an excellent source of plant-based protein.
I grew up eating a lot of rice (and casseroles) and always loved them. One of my favorites was a cheesy broccoli rice casserole, so I decided to do an even easier spin on that.
I adapted this recipe from my Mexican Rice Skillet, which has gotten rave reviews. This recipe is vegetarian, but it’s every bit as hearty!
The chickpeas make this One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole so hearty and my family really enjoyed it.
There are so many reasons why I love this dish besides the fact that it tastes amazing. I love that it includes a minimal amount of ingredients, most of which you’ll already have on hand.
You can use any variety of rice for starters. I used quick cooking brown rice, but you can use white rice or regular brown rice. Anything goes!
Regardless of which type of rice you use, add the broccoli during the last 3-8 minutes of cooking time, depending on how you like your broccoli done. If you like it crisp tender, cook for 3-5 minutes. If you like it softer, cook for about 8 minutes.
I used a combination of skim milk and vegetable stock in this recipe. The milk gives it some creaminess and the stock gives it some nice flavor. If you’re making this for the holidays you can use whole milk to make it extra creamy and luxurious.
This meal is completely customizable to suit your tastes, and it’s beyond easy!
This One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole is a vegetarian casserole is pure comfort food. It’s cheesy, satisfying, and perfect for holidays or busy weeknights. Oh…and it makes a fabulous lunch if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers. 🙂
More great recipes using pulses:
- Red lentil chili by Minimalist Baker
- Three bean salad
- White bean turkey chili
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup quick cooking brown rice* do not use Instant rice as it is not the same as quick cooking rice. See note 1.
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2.5 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup grated cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds more.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the rice to the pan and toast for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk, broth and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the rice has about 5-8 minutes left of cooking time.1 cup quick cooking brown rice*, 2 cups milk, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Remove the lid and stir in the broccoli and chickpeas. Cover and continue to cook for about 5 minutes more.2.5 cups broccoli florets, 2 cups chickpeas
- When the rice is done, remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese and add more salt if necessary. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and let stand until melted. Serve and enjoy!1 cup grated cheese
Notes
- White rice may be substituted for the quick cooking brown rice. My rule of thumb is adding 1/2 cup more liquid than the cooking instructions on the rice package in order to account for the addition of the broccoli and chickpeas. Regular brown rice may be used, but be sure to adjust the cooking time and the amount of liquid according to the package instructions of the rice you use.
- For crisp-tender broccoli, cook 3-5 minutes. For softer broccoli, cook for about 8 minutes. You can also microwave it separately and toss it in at the end!
- Change things up by adding your favorite herbs and spices to the dish!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
70 Comments on “One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole”
This could probably be a good base or starting point for something else, but on its own it was just too bland for my family. It is basically rice, chick peas and broccoli. I read through the other comments and noticed several people mentioned they added other things to it. I wish I had read that before I made it instead of after. Oh well, maybe next time.
I appreciate the feedback Melissa.
Is Minute Brown Rice (ready in 10 min) quick cooking rice or is that considered instant rice? I’m having trouble finding rice that says quick cook. Want to make for dinner tonight, thanks!
I believe minute rice is instant rice. You should look for a rice that specifically says “quick cooking”. Enjoy!
Just perfect! Added some salt in the end and just loved the dish💚. Is it possible to freeze the dish?
I’m so glad you liked it Kirsi!