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 notes
- 2 cups skim 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.
- 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.
- Remove the lid and stir in the broccoli and chickpeas. Cover and continue to cook for about 5 minutes more.
- 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!
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!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
64 Comments on “One Pot Cheesy Broccoli Chickpea Rice Casserole”
You mean to write “rice” not “quick cooking rice.” Ours turned out to be a soupy mess.
I’m sorry that this didn’t work out for you. I’ve gotten positive feedback from everyone in the past, so I’m not sure what happened?
I made this recipe and it was delicious! Reminded me very much of a rice pilaf dish that I have made, only this has garbanzo beans and cheese which makes it extra tasty!
I’m glad you enjoyed this Barbara, and thanks for the feedback!
I thought garbanzo and chickpeas were the same thing. I’m new to this so overlook me if I appear completely ignorant. 😉
Hi Kat! Yes, chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.
Hi – this sounds amazing- how would you adjust the cooking if you have premade rice on hand?
thanks
Hi Jennifer! This dish would be completely different with pre-made rice unless the rice was cooked with milk as it is here. You could warm it up and toss with broccoli and chickpeas and top with cheese but it wouldn’t be the same.
Tried it last night, my husband said it’s different but very good, it’s on the list to do it again, thanks.
The chickpeas can be unexpected, but they are quite wonderful in this dish! Thank you so much for your feedback Nicole and I’m glad you enjoyed this!
I am ALL about the one pot meals these days and they’ve gotta be cozy comfort food!! This rice casserole is SO up my alley! Love all that cheesy broccoli chickpea goodness!
One pot meals are the absolute best! Thanks so much Sarah!
Such a lovely combination of flavors and textures – dish me up a big bowl, please?!!
Thanks so much and a big bowl is coming right up!
Would cannellini beans be a good sub for chickpeas?
Yes — they would be a great substitution!
Looks so fresh and delicious! Love that it is one pot! Pinning! Congrats to your team, Marcie!
Thanks so much Mira!
This casserole completely reminds me of the types of meals my Mom would make growing up, sans chickpeas. I personally love them, but I don’t think she ever served them!! This is the perfect meatless Monday meal – I’ll be trying it soon!! Pinned 🙂
Sounds like we grew up on a lot of the same food! haha Thanks Katherine! 🙂
I don’t follow baseball but I heard it was one of the most dramatic World Series ever so I can see why you were so overcome by the whole thing. I’m glad you’re feeling better about it now! 🙂
The broccoli cheddar combo will forever be my weakness. I love that you added chickpeas for extra protein too. Such a delicious dish!
It was dramatic all right! I’m so glad things are back to normal now. 🙂 Thanks so much Sarah!
Yum! This looks amazing Marcie! I fluctuate when it comes to broccoli. Sometimes I love it, other days I loathe it. I haven’t had it in awhile so this would be a good time to make this dish! I love the addition of chickpeas. I’m cooking forward to making this 🙂
The best part about this if you’re not feeling broccoli use another type of veggie! Thanks so much Christina!
I’m not a baseball fan, but I’m glad your team did well!! And, for your sake, I’m glad the season is over now! 😉 This cassserole looks absolutely delicious, Marcie!!!! I’m a huge fan of broccoli anything, but make it cheesy and add some chickpeas?! SOLD!!!!!! I am definitely adding this to the menu this week! Pinning! Cheers!
Thank you Cheyanne…you’re lucky you don’t like baseball! haha I hope you love this dish as much as I do and thanks so much for the pin my friend! 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious, Marcie! I’m partial to both one pot dishes and cheesy broccoli casseroles so this is perfect for my family. Adding chickpeas for protein is such a great idea!
Thanks so much Kristine! There’s nothing not to love about this meal! 🙂
That’s how I (or I should say my husband) felt last year when the Cubs won it…everyone was crazy around here and I breathed a sigh of relief when the final game was over (and we won!). I’m so impressed with this dish, Marcie! I love the addition of chickpeas, so creative! And of course, you can’t go wrong with cheese and broccoli, either. This would be a show-stopper for the holidays!
My family is all a bunch of Dodger fans and our world just revolved around the games. It was fun but enough was enough! haha Thanks so much Gayle — thie chickpeas were absolutely delicious in this casserole!
You had me at one pot and kept me with cheesy :). This sounds totally delicious! And a great alternative to the roast my family serves on Christmas, which I never eat. I’m so sorry about your Dodgers! I know your pain. I’m still reeling from the Ducks’ loss in the national championship game a couple years ago. . .
Thanks Kelsie! I’m so sorry about the Ducks…hopefully they’ll get back there soon and win it all. Being a sports fan can be so painful at times. 🙂