Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice is an easy-to-make low carb side dish. Made with riced cauliflower, broccoli, and plenty of cheddar cheese, this rich and creamy recipe is also naturally gluten free.
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Back in my vegetarian days, I used to buy prepackaged broccoli cheddar rice and eat just that as a meal. It probably wasn’t the best choice, but it was so darn good! So, I decided to come up with my own lower carb, lower calorie version.
Cauliflower rice serves as the base for this recipe. To get a similar consistency to the boxed cheddar broccoli rice, I also rice the broccoli. This helps make it so that both vegetables cook more evenly.
The sauce is a basic cheese sauce that can be used for a variety of recipes, but is really what gives this side dish recipe so much flavor.
If you are looking for more ways to enjoy cauliflower rice, you may also enjoy this recipe for Creamy Coconut Cauliflower Rice.
Why This Recipe Works
This is an easy side dish recipe that can be served alongside most meats and seafood, or enjoyed on its own. You can also try stirring in chicken, crumbled bacon, sausage, or diced ham for more heartiness.
It’s a low carb, gluten free recipe that is also suitable for those following a keto diet.
This is a great recipe to sneak in more vegetables. With plenty of cheese, even the kids won’t complain about eating their vegetables.
How to Make Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
Rice the cauliflower and broccoli, and shred the cheese.
You can reference this post on How to Rice Cauliflower, if needed.
Some grocery stores carry riced cauliflower in the produce section now, as well.
Use fresh cauliflower and broccoli for the best results. If you choose to use frozen, you may have to cook it longer to get all of the extra moisture out.
It is strongly recommended to shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese. Cheese from a block melts better and doesn’t contain any added starches.
Create!
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Once hot, add the riced cauliflower and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring often, until just tender – about 8-9 minutes. Transfer the rice mixture to a bowl, wipe the pan clean, and return it to medium heat on the stove top.
Add the butter.
Once melted, whisk in the heavy whipping cream and mustard powder. Cook until hot and bubbly.
Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted and fully blended with the butter and cream mixture.
Stir the cauliflower and broccoli into the cheesy sauce and continue to cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until everything is well combine and heated through.
Present!
Serve straight out of the skillet or transfer to a serving dish.
Garnish with extra cheese, if desired.
Tips & Techniques
- You can reference this post on How to Rice Cauliflower, if needed.
- Shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese. Cheese from a block melts better and doesn’t contain any added starches.
- Use fresh cauliflower and broccoli rather than frozen for the best results.
- Add in some cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, sausage, or diced ham for added protein, flavor, and heartiness.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-5 days.
FAQ’s
Can You Substitute The Heavy Cream With Half-And-Half Or Milk?
Yes, you can use milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Be aware that the cheese sauce may be on the thinner side should you choose not to use heavy cream.
Is Cauliflower Rice Good For You?
Cauliflower rice is a better choice than traditional rice because it’s much lower in calories and carbohydrates. It’s also rich in antioxidants.
More Cauliflower Rice Recipes
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Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups cauliflower (rice, see notes)
- 2 cups broccoli (riced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the cauliflower and broccoli rices and season with the salt and pepper.4 cups cauliflower, 2 cups broccoli, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Cook, stirring often, until just tender - about 8-9 minutes.
- Transfer the rice mixture to a bowl, wipe the pan clean, and return it to medium heat on the stove top.
- Add the butter. Once melted, whisk in the heavy whipping cream and mustard powder until well blended. Continue to cook another minute or two or until hot and bubbly.4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- Whisk in the cheddar cheese until melted and well blended.8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
- Stir back in the cauliflower and broccoli and coat evenly in the cheese sauce.
- Continue to cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until everything is well combine and heated through.
Notes
Tips & Techniques
- You can reference this post on How to Rice Cauliflower, if needed.
- Shred the cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded bagged cheese. Cheese from a block melts better and doesn’t contain any added starches.
- Use fresh cauliflower and broccoli rather than frozen for the best results.
- Add in some cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, sausage, or diced ham for added protein, flavor, and heartiness!
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-5 days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on April 1. 2019. It was updated with new images, step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques and FAQ’s in January 2023.
Jenny H. says
I wish I had read the nutritional info before making this. It is 520 calories per serving and 12 grams of carb. Not very LOW carb! It was delicious, but too high in carbs to be low carb. No wonder I’m feeling so full after dinner tonight :-/
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Jenny. The nutritional information is for 1/4th of recipe. So, if you ate that much, then the *estimate* is 520 calories and 12 TOTAL carbs, or 8 NET CARBS (after you subtract fiber). If you ate 1/6 or 1/8, then it would vary, of course.
This is absolutely considered low carb and the majority of the carbs come from the vegetables. Again, it’s an estimate that is pulled from a nutritional database and is not brand specific. To get the exact nutritional information, you’d have to use a nutritional calculator and plug in the brands you use and exact amounts.
Cindy says
I agree.. totally low carb for me, I count Net carbs and 8 is low enough 👍🏼 Trying this tonight.
Lauren Vavala says
Thanks Cindy! I think some people forget that low carb is not always keto. And, if you used actual rice, the carb count would be MUCH higher. I hope you love the recipe!!
– Lauren
Susn says
Ocean I freeze this?
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Susn. You can freeze this, but cheese tends to change in texture once reheated..it may be more grainy, but the flavor will stay good.
J slabaugh says
This was absolutely delicious,will be making this again and again!
Lauren Vavala says
Thank you! Glad to hear that you enjoyed it!!
FloridaMomof3 says
This was great and VERY Filling!
Honestly, hubby wasn’t impressed but he is a tough one LOL
Thanks! 🙂
Lauren says
Thank you! Super cheesy stuff isn’t my fiance’s favorite either – I just say, more for me! Haha!
Rachel says
What is the serving size of this?
Lauren says
Hi Rachel – I wish there was a way to make this a little more clear/obvious/accurate to readers AND to myself because we get asked this once in awhile usually in regards to nutritional information. Because recipes are made out of my home and not in a test kitchen with a more precise way of figuring these things out, I based the nutritional information off of 1/4th of the recipe as written. So, divide the final dish into 4 equal parts for 4 servings. I hope this helps a little – Lauren
Sonia says
What is the serving size in grs? Thanks
Lauren says
I’m sorry Sonia, I can’t really answer that for you. Nutritional information is calculated automatically based upon the ingredient name and amount for each that I enter. It’s then divided by the total number of servings. It’s just an estimate since I work out of my own kitchen and not a professional test kitchen/lab.
Neli Howard says
WOW!! Such an incredible side dish!! My family would LOVE this! thanks!
Natalie says
I love caulirice! Looks so delicious and healthy!
Beth says
This is going to be a huge hit in my home! We could eat this as a meal – need to try this ASAP!
Adriana says
Perfect recipe idea! The cheese makes it kid-friendly. My grandson is picky with veggies but he loves cheese, so this would be the way to serve him vegetables to his meal.
Mikayla says
What a yummy side dish! Love the alternative to carb heavy white rice. And it’s so simple!