This creamy, cheesy vegetarian rice casserole is a real one-pan wonder, combining hearty long-grain white rice, tender riced cauliflower, a rich sauce, and shredded cheese. Blanketed under a golden topping of bubbly cheddar cheese, it’s the ultimate comfort casserole that you can enjoy as a side dish or vegetarian main meal!
This versatile vegetarian casserole rice is the perfect addition to an elegant holiday feast, like this Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, but is also hearty and easy enough to whip up as a midweek vegetarian family dinner. What I really love about this rice casserole is the minimal cleanup – every single element, from whisking the sauce to folding in the rice and cauliflower, comes together directly in the baking dish before it heads to the oven.
Much like this Artichoke Rice Salad and Panda Express Fried Rice, this vegetarian rice casserole proves that humble rice can be transformed into a delicious and nourishing dish, absorbing bold flavors while adding satisfying texture and substance.
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🧀 Ingredients:
This vegetarian casserole rice recipe contains a number of basic ingredients, and all of them are easy to find at your local grocery store. Let’s talk about the most important ingredients.
- Rice – This recipe calls for uncooked long-grain white rice as the key ingredient. It absorbs the rich sauce and softens as it bakes which helps to create the casserole’s structure.
- Broth – Adds rich savory flavor to the rice as the primary cooking liquid. You can use chicken stock or broth, vegetable broth, or water mixed with bouillon. I use bouillon frequently because it stores easily in the pantry and adds bolder flavor.
- Milk/cream – Feel free to use milk, cream, or a combination of the two. Both provide richness and a saucy consistency that helps to bind the casserole ingredients together. For an extra saucy casserole, combine ½ cup of heavy cream with 1 cup of milk.
- Melted butter – Adds richness to the dish and a smooth, velvety texture. Unsalted butter gives you better control over the level of sodium in this vegetarian rice casserole, but you can use salted instead.
- Cornstarch – Mixed in with the melted butter, broth, and milk/cream to act as a thickening agent for the sauce.
- Seasonings – A combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (optional), salt, and pepper. I’ve also included cracked black pepper for garnishing this vegetarian rice casserole.
- Frozen riced cauliflower – The somewhat unnoticeable flavor of cauliflower with its tender texture makes it a clever addition to this casserole as a way to get in your dose of veggies! You can also use fresh cauliflower – chop as finely as you’d like.
- Shredded cheese – Melted into the casserole mixture for an irresistible sharp, tangy flavor while the remaining shredded cheese bakes into a golden, bubbly crust on top. Feel free to use a variety of cheeses; cheddar and sharp cheddar always give a nice contrast to the creamy vegetables and rice.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
While optional, a sprinkle of cracked black pepper and freshly chopped parsley is a great way to complete this casserole.
Substitutions and Variations
- Type of rice: A medium-grain white rice or short-grain white rice will work well in this vegetarian rice casserole, creating an even creamier and slightly more tender texture due to their higher starch content. I don’t recommend using brown rice as it requires a much longer cooking time and more cooking liquid. If you do want to use a brown rice, consider cooking it first and then mixing it in; in that case, you will want to reduce or eliminate the water when mixing the casserole ingredients.
- Vegan rice casserole: Use vegetable broth, and plant-based butter, milk/cream, and your favorite melting vegan cheddar shreds or nutritional yeast.
- Broccoli cheddar rice casserole: Swap the riced cauliflower for an equal amount of frozen chopped broccoli florets for that classic broccoli-cheddar flavor pairing and a more rustic vegetable texture.
- Kick of heat: Replace the paprika with chili powder or cayenne pepper if you’d like a kick of heat. You could also add in some drained diced green chiles or seeded and finely chopped jalapeño.
- Boost of vegetarian protein: Add a can of drained chickpeas, white beans, or thawed frozen edamame to the rice mixture before baking for a more complete, protein-packed meal.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Step 1: Whisk together butter, cornstarch, milk/cream, broth, and seasonings directly in the casserole dish.
Step 2: Stir in uncooked rice, chopped or riced cauliflower, and 2 cups of shredded cheese. Spread evenly in the dish.
Step 3: Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 4: Uncover, stir well, then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until rice is tender, casserole is bubbling, and the cheese is melted.
Pro Tip: Covering the casserole dish with foil for the first 45 minutes will trap steam to cook the rice evenly and prevent the casserole from drying out. Don’t skip this!
Step 5: Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Finish with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired.
SERVE: Serve this vegetarian rice casserole as a main vegetarian meal or a hearty side dish alongside a slice of oat sourdough bread, salad, or grilled Huli Huli chicken.
Recipe Tips for Rice Casserole (Vegetarian)
- Always shred your cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking starches. You’ll get better flavor and melt!
- I’ve found that stirring the casserole after the initial 45 minutes helps redistribute the rice and cauliflower for even cooking before adding the final cheese topping.
- Allow the baked casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes so that it can set properly, making it much easier to scoop and serve.
- Avoid any lumps in the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch properly in the cold milk or cream before adding the other liquids.
- Reduce clean-up and whisk the creamy broth sauce directly in the casserole dish instead of a separate mixing bowl!
- Don’t cook the rice separately or you will end up with an overly mushy rice casserole.
Fun Fact
In case you didn’t know, February 3rd marks the celebration of National Casserole Day! It’s the perfect excuse to celebrate your favorite humble casserole recipe, just like this vegetarian rice casserole, although it’s perfect year round too! – What National Day Is It
Recipe FAQs
Yes! All of the ingredients used in this casserole recipe are naturally gluten-free. That said, always check the labels on ingredients, especially broth or bouillon to ensure that they are certified gluten-free.
No, that’s not necessary, although you can use freshly chopped cauliflower instead. Any excess moisture from the frozen cauliflower will get absorbed by the rice while baking – it won’t make the casserole watery.
It can be either! It’s a great side dish to roasted chicken, stuffed pork chops, grilled New York steak, and other meaty mains while it can also feature as a main vegetarian meal alongside Chinese buffet green beans, air fryer brussels sprouts, or veggie-based soups, to name just a few.
More Cheesy Casserole Ideas
If you tried this Vegetarian Rice Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Vegetarian Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
- 2 cups broth chicken or veggie, or water + bouillon
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream or half & half
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups frozen riced cauliflower straight from freezer OR 2 cups chopped fresh cauliflower
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- Fresh cracked black pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together butter, cornstarch, milk/cream, broth, and seasonings.
- Stir in uncooked rice, cauliflower rice, and 2 cups cheese. Spread evenly in dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes.
- Uncover, stir well, then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese evenly over the top.
- Return to oven uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until rice is tender, casserole is bubbling, and cheese is melted.
- Rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Finish with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, if desired.
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Notes
- Always shred your cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking starches. You’ll get better flavor and melt! Try a variety of cheeses in this recipe.
- I’ve found that stirring the casserole after the initial 45 minutes helps redistribute the rice and cauliflower for even cooking before adding the final cheese topping.
- Allow the baked casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes so that it can set properly, making it much easier to scoop and serve.
- Avoid any lumps in the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch properly in the cold milk or cream before adding the other liquids.
- Reduce clean-up and whisk the creamy broth sauce directly in the casserole dish instead of a separate mixing bowl!
- You do not need to pre-cook the rice unless you are using brown rice or wild rice that takes longer to cook – in that case, pre-cook the rice and reduce or eliminate the water when mixing together the remaining ingredients.
Nutrition
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