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.
Cheez Whiz, 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.
What is Cheez Whiz?
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 seemed a little sweeter than it used to. 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 as 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 Casserole Recipe Ideas:
And if you’re looking for more side dish recipe ideas, don’t miss my Side Dish Category. Lots of supporting actor ideas. Including this very popular recipe for Best Pasta Salad Ever, made with frozen cheese tortellini.
Broccoli, Minute Rice, Cheez Whiz Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1/3 cup celery chopped
- 1/4 cup oleo oleo is an old name for margarine. Butter will work for this recipe.
- 1 cup minute rice uncooked
- 10.5 ounces Cream of Mushroom Soup or Cream of Chicken, canned
- 1 cup water or milk or chicken broth
- 8 ounce Cheez Whiz
- 10 ounce box frozen broccoli Use broccoli florets, or broccoli pieces. A 12 ounce bag of broccoli works fine for this recipe.
- Pam non-stick spray
Instructions
- 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 2-quart casserole pan which has been coated with Pam. Bake uncovered for 30 – 40 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Old Fashioned Broccoli Cheez Whiz Minute Rice Casserole …It’s what’s for Dinner
I love this one! I want to make it for a family gathering, but I don’t have cheese whiz. Can I use Velvetta instead?
Absolutely. Velveeta will work well here.
This is the exact recipe I got when I was a newlywed over 50 years ago and it has remained in my holiday recipe menus over the years, I have tried other similar ones through the years, but none us as good as this one. My recipe card is barely readable by now so thanks for sharing this again. And yes, Cheeze Whiz is always hard to find these days!
Good Morning Diane
And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note about this casserole. I’m so glad you found this recipe.
I’ve never tried other versions of this recipe, so good to know this one is superior. This recipe is the one my mom made over and over in the 60’s , so I’m confident it’s the original.
Make it a delicious day.
My wife had been making this for me for 31 years and recently passed away last May. This is one of the only recipes that she never wrote down. It was one of her special recipes and she always kept it in her head. I’m so happy I found what appears to be the exact recipe and I’m making it right now.
Good Morning Mark and thanks so much for your note.
So glad you were able to find this recipe. My mom kept so many recipes in her head and there are several that I wish I had.
So many memories revolve around sharing food with loved ones. I hope the recipe turned out to be just aw you remembered.
Thank you for this recipe! I use to make this recipe 50 years ago! Made it last night and it was absolutely delicious! Homemade from scratch is the best.
Thank you very much for reviving this recipe. I used to make it years ago when my kids were small. I’ve found and tried similar recipes but none so good. I will be searching the grocery aisle for Cheez Whiz this week!
Hi Betty Jane and thanks so much for your note.
Cheez Whiz and Velveeta can be hard to find. They’re usually on an end cap and not necessarily near the cheese. It’s always a treasure hunt.
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.
Add rotisserie chicken to casserole for a complete meal.
This is exactly the recipe ive been looking for. I grew up on this and have been looking for the same recipe. Only difference is we used cream chicken soup. Will definately be saving this and making tomarrow. Thank u for sharing.
Could you substitute cauliflower rice?
Hi Cheryl and thanks for your question about cauliflower rice.
I’m sorry to say I have to reply that I have no idea. I love cauliflower but have never once cooked with cauliflower rice.
However, I’d love to try it. It should cook as quickly as Minute rice. You’ve inspired me to give it a try.