Let’s bring back that old Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole …. Rice, Broccoli, Cheez Whiz, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Onion and Celery make this Classic Old Fashioned Side Dish. A pot luck or holiday dinner wouldn’t be complete without it.
It’s As Old As Me
Did you know they still make Cheez Whiz? It may be one of those things you’ve not had since you were a kid. Can you believe it made it’s debut on grocery shelves in 1953??? As part of the processed food revolution, it brought us a whole new level of convenience, along with a slew of recipe developers who made sure we had hundreds of ways to use this unnatural wonder. When I was growing up it’s favorite targets were hot dogs, sandwiches and taco chips. And purchasing the pressurized can version, one was able to make pretty little orange squiggles on crackers… or shoot it right into your mouth.
Research
I’ve spent some time reading about Cheez Whiz and the “weird science” involved in creating processed cheese. The articles read like science fiction. But with that said, in my convenience aisle bliss, I bet I made this casserole at least once a week when I was first married in the 70’s. Made with Minute Rice, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Cheez Whiz, it was one of the darling recipes of the convenience food industry. And it was delicious. (Affiliate links have been added for your convenience)
No Reason To Try and Fix Something That’s Not Broke
I thought about taking the time to make it without processed food, but decided to take a walk down memory lane and prepare it in all of it’s original glory. It’s not as good as I remember. Seemed a little sweeter. I’m afraid to look at the labels but I wonder if corn syrup is now involved? And don’t get me started on corn syrup, that opens up a whole new glow in the dark can of worms.
Who Invented Cheez Whiz?
Interesting: Edwin Traisman, died at the age of 91. He was a food scientist who, as director of research at Kraft, led the invention of Cheez Whiz. He went on to own five McDonald’s franchises during the 1950s to 1960s. His wife said that he broke ground by being the first to hire women, even though it violated company rules at the time. He risked his franchises in order to give equal employment opportunities to women. He also helped to invent a process of freeze-drying which enabled McDonald’s to serve fresh, crispy, high quality Idaho potatoes year-round.
In the 1970s, he returned to his first passion, research, and became a manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute. When hemorrhagic E.coli foodborne illness became a serious health problem across this country, he initiated research to learn how to kill the pathogen and help keep food safe. He and his team were the first to discover that cooking meats to certain temperatures killed the bacteria.
In Conclusion
This old fashioned minute rice broccoli cheese casserole recipe is just as delicious and I remember it. And I also remember adding cubes of chicken breast to this every once in a while to make it a meal. I remember one time my mom got a wild hair and added diced water chestnuts. A nice addition of crunch. This recipe is perfect for a comfort food side dish. A perfect combo of textures and cheesy flavor.
Don’t forget to drag out your vintage Corning Casserole dish for this one.
Recipe for Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole
I hope you give this classic broccoli cheese casserole recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes.
And if you have a favorite holiday casserole recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Old Fashioned Recipe Ideas:
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1/3 cup celery chopped
- 1/4 cup oleo butter
- 1 cup minute rice uncooked
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup or Cream of Chicken
- 1 cup water or milk
- 1 8 ounce jar Cheez Whiz
- 1 10 ounce box frozen broccoli
- Pam non-stick spray
Let the package of frozen broccoli partially thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a fry pan, saute the onion and celery in the oleo (butter or margarine) until soft. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together. Turn into a casserole pan which has been coated with Pam. Bake uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes.
I’m sharing this with Meal Plan Monday. Check it out.
If you liked this Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole, you might be interested in:
Crock Pot Creamed Corn
Old Fashioned Broccoli Cheez Whiz Minute Rice Casserole …It’s what’s for Dinner
Sue Chambers says
January 2, 2019 at 9:26 amHi Lea Ann we had the broccoli cheese casserole Christmas 2018, have never had it before. We used pre cooked brown rice & even though it was a processed concoction it was great. My cousin is a fire captain in Tulsa, Ok., They make it at the station but with regular rice, & a real cheese sauce. I’ve reworked a recipe like that & can’t wait to see how it comes out. It’s always amazing to me the favorite foods people have in different states around the country.
Lea Ann Brown says
January 8, 2019 at 5:48 amHi Sue, thanks for the comment. I love your idea about using the precooked brown rice. Of course that would work and make this a tad bit healthier. I always love watching those firemen filling their carts at the grocery store – always interested in what they’re cooking up. I have a feeling they’re great cooks. Thanks for stopping in.
Angie Tacker says
August 1, 2019 at 9:06 amHave you frozen this with the cheeze whiz in it? Just curious. Thanks for the great recipe and article.
Lea Ann Brown says
August 3, 2019 at 1:01 pmHi Angie. Thanks so much for your note. I honestly don’t know if Cheez Whiz freezes well. I have a feeling it would.