I’m always looking for meals that my entire family can enjoy so that I don’t have to make separate meals for the kids! So when I came across this recipe online I was excited to try it out mainly for my 2 1/2 yr old son. He has never been a huge fan of pasta, unless I cook the small tiny star shaped ones into his soup. Neither does he like to eat plain rice. He does however, love broccoli so I was hoping he would enjoy this casserole which contains dairy, veggies, and a grain.
Not only did my son enjoy the dish, but my husband loved it as well! And it’s a perfect healthier substitute for that macaroni and cheese craving he gets! The recipe pretty much followed how I would make a traditional mac n cheese dish, substituting the pasta for brown rice. The only changes I made to the original recipe were to add less butter, omit the dijon mustard, and add more brown rice.
My son did not notice the taste of the brown rice because of the way it was cooked into the sauce. It was a delicious dish that we all enjoyed as a family.
For the recipe, head on over to Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice website – Broccoli Brown Rice Cheese Casserole (contains dairy, gluten-free option). I used 3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (more than the recipe recommends). I also used only 2 1/2 tbsp salted butter for this dish. To make this dish gluten-free, simply use rice flour instead of regular white flour.
[subscribe_box]
Tina P.
I made this today because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand…even the Dijon! I cut the recipe in half and it turned out great. Delicious and healthy! My toddler loved it…which is especially good because she doesnt really like broccoli alone. Glad you are doing a toddler main dishes section!!
Gastronomers - Amman & Anjali
Glad you (and your toddler) loved it as much as we did! It’s a nice alternative to mac n cheese and gets the kids to eat broccoli and grains. Hope to put more toddler meals up soon!
Devi
We enjoyed this for lunch yesterday. Thanks for a great kid friendly complete meal!
anjali
Glad you enjoyed it! I originally intended to make it for my toddler, but it turned out my husband and I enjoyed it just as much!