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 Broken
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 rice and 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
- ⅓ cup onion chopped
- ⅓ cup celery chopped
- ¼ 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
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My mother passed away last month and I’ve been thinking of all the comfort foods I grew up on. She made this for the family in the 70’s. She also added chopped chicken breast and topped it off with crushed potato chips; sooooo yummy! I’m definitely pulling out the cornflower blue corningware dish to make it in.
Thank you so much for your note. It made my morning brighter.
I’m hoping all of those memories of your Mother’s cooking will ease the pain of your loss. I’m so sorry.
I have also added chopped chicken breast to this recipe to make it a main course casserole. Thanks for that reminder, I should put a note in the recipe about doing that.
And aren’t you glad you saved those corning ware dishes? The blue cornflower was from my mom’s. When she passed, you bet I brought those home with me. I have many others from the 70’s that were gifted as wedding presents. I really should use them more.
Again, thanks for your note. I love hearing from my readers.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I lived off of it in the 90’s when I ventured out on my own. Down the road I lost the recipe. Then this year2020 my best friend made so.e and told me how over the phone. I didnt write it down. He passed away 2weeks ago and I have been wanting this as a memory. That’s what most foods we love are. Memories of time with loved ones. Thank you
Hi Amber
Thanks so much for taking the time to drop a note about the Broccoli Casserole.
I’m so very sorry about the loss of your friend but very glad that you found the recipe.
And I couldn’t agree more about those memories being connected with food and friends. That’s where good times happen, around the table and around a meal that’s been prepared with love and shared.
Hugs.
I use Cream of Celery soup which, after trying Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken, is my family’s favorite. I have made this every get together we go to and there is never anything left.
Hello-
Could I use a crock pot for this recipe instead of the oven? With Easter approaching, I need all the oven space I can find. Thanks!
Can you bake this in microwave? My oven went out and with us being shut down cant go look for a stove
Thank you for publishing this recipe I also seem to have misplaced my copy from the 70’s and have been wanting to make this. When I used to make it I would add sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shutes, and mushrooms w/ cr. of chicken soup my family loved it I always had to double the recipe and if I took it to a potluck I would always take copies of the recipe and never came home with any leftovers or recipe cards.
Love the idea of water chestnuts. A little crunch never hurts a recipe like this.
Since my family are such meat lovers, I steamed two chicken breasts and cubed it and added to the casserole ingredients. My family loves this. Our daughters finished the leftovers for lunch the next day.
I forgot to add that i used cream of chicken soup instead of the cream of mushroom soup. Our family isn’t fond of mushrooms.
Hi Shirley! I love your idea of adding chicken! Next time I make it, you bet I’ll make it that way.
Hello? I am doubling this recipe & instead of using Cheez Whiz I am using Velveeta. Do you think that will work out ok?
I don’t know why velveeta wouldn’t work. It’s so similar in texture. Let me know how it turns out.
Good Morning Lea:
I went ahead & doubled the recipe. I mixed up everything in a bowl & then I cut up 1/2 – 3/4 of a big package of Velveeta. I then mixed the cubed Velveeta in with the other ingredients. I spread everything into a 9×13 pan & cooked per instructions. I decided to cook it about 5 minutes longer to brown a little more on top. Took it to family Thanksgiving & everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Maecey
Omg Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. This is the recipe I’ve been looking for. My grandmother who passed a few years ago used to make this for her and I because we’re the only ones who like broccoli. Your article had me and my mom laughing. Love the way it’s written and learned things I would have never known. Thank you so much I can’t wait to make this on Thanksgiving thurs. Wishing you a Wonderful day.
How big of a casserole pan do you usually use?
Hi Alma – a 2 quart.
If Ineed to double this recipe do I just double “all” the ingredients?
Hi Jipsi. Yes, just double the ingredients and use a larger baking dish. You may need to increase the cooking time a few minutes. Just check to make sure it’s hot and bubbly.
I’ve been trying to find this exact recipe for years! Although I usually make everything from scratch and try to use as few processed ingredients as possible I’ve had a hankering for this casserole. I was born in 1953 and like you, made it in the early decades of my marriage after receiving the recipe from a church friend. Interestingly, I just found her handwritten copy which exactly matches yours! I prefer the chicken soup over the mushroom. Just sayin’! Thank you for posting this, it really is memory lane delicious!
Can you make this ahead if time.? Bake on the day you need it!
would think this casserole could be make ahead – the only thing I’d worry about is that rice getting mushy.
The instant rice is a freeze dried version that only needs a little moisture to come back to life.
So if it sits too long, and then bakes? Not sure. I’ve never made it ahead of time.
Please let me know if you make it and it works fine.
Good Morning, I wanted to thank you you posting the Old Broccoli Cheez Whiz Rice Casserole recipe . I could not find my handwritten copy from my grandmother that I used for years but been awhile with the my kids growing up and wanting more healthy ( as they say) options . Their wives try hard but my 40 year old son ask me the other day to make my good ole broccoli casserole like I used to. Mothers always want to please their boys so here I am!
I loved this recipe growing up and I’m making for Thanksgiving this year! Thanks so much – Cindy
Hi Cindy!
You are so sweet for sending this note. Thank you.
I’m sorry you can’t find your Grandmother’s handwritten copy, those are truly precious keepsakes. But, I’m so happy you found the recipe on my site. And yay for your son’s request. 🙂
And speaking of those old “cream of soup” recipes, I posted a Chicken Tetrazzini recipe that included the title “no canned soup”. Thinking it would be a more popular choice these days than the old recipes.
And wouldn’t you know it, this Broccoli Cheez Whiz recipe is FAR more popular than the tetrazzini. Seems like originals are always the best.
Again thanks for your note.
Doesn’t say in the recipe, but, I assume the rice should be cooked before mixing everything together and baking. Am I wrong?
Hi Lynda and thanks for your note.
The instant rice doesn’t need to be cooked before adding it to the casserole ingredients. Minute rice cooks in a flash and the liquid in the casserole is enough to hydrate and soften it.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Make it a delicious day.
This is the recipe I have been looking for. It is wonderful. Thank you
Fabulous Linda! Enjoy. And thanks so much for the note.
Have you frozen this with the cheeze whiz in it? Just curious. Thanks for the great recipe and article.
Hi Angie. Thanks so much for your note. I honestly don’t know if Cheez Whiz freezes well. I have a feeling it would.
Hi 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.
Hi 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.
Love this recipe but wonder if it could be cooked in an instant pot
I’m sure it could. This sounds like a new project for me. And if you have luck, please let me know.
My mom used to make this all the time, but for some reason, it’s fallen out of our normal rotation. I thought of it last night and made a special trip to the store for the ingredients. I took it to our family Thanksgiving meal today, and it was so good. It was a big hit with everyone. I won’t tell my mom, but it was better than hers ever was. Thank you for a trip down memory lane and for a great recipe that will make its way back into our normal rotation!
Hi Lea Ann,
I have been making this recipe for years. I remember long ago making it with spicy (Mexican) Cheese Whiz. That made it really yummy. Haven’t seen that Whiz in a long time.
I’m looking for the recipe with minute rice Broccoli with cheese whiz and the cream of chicken onion were made in a crockpot . This recipe is good. I had the recipe years ago but I’ve lost. You sauté the onion in butter before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
Oh dear! This recipe is so retro 1970s that it must taste delicious even though the ingredients are so bad 🙂 PS- I was never allowed to eat processed foods as a child unless it was served at a friend’s house and even then I kept quiet about the “forbidden” tasty foods I ate there so I could keep going back! Everything was made from scratch in my home which was great but I developed a taste for a few foods I wasn’t supposed to eat. To this day one of my guilty pleasures is a toasted English muffin with Cheez Whiz spread on top. And fried Spam sandwiches!
It is very retro 70’s. 🙂 My mom was all on board with the processed food idea. I think it was because she grew up with the great depression and the thought of a grocery aisle filled with abundance of food was a comforting factor. And I’m liking that Cheez Whiz idea. And my husband would gladly eat a fried spam sandwich you! Thanks for stopping in and the comment.