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This creamy Vegan Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is hearty, comforting, and super filling. Itโ€™s chock full of perfectly seasoned mushrooms, vegan โ€˜chickenโ€™, and bright green broccoli florets. Itโ€™s beyond creamy thanks to the black pepper dairy-free cream sauce that coats and flavors all the rice. Plus, itโ€™s all topped off with โ€˜butteryโ€™, crunchy crackers!

a black plate with vegan rice casserole with mushrooms and silver fork.
vegan rice casserole with mushrooms and broccoli

๐Ÿ“ Why Youโ€™ll Love This Vegan Rice Casserole:

  • Taste: Savory, hearty and comforting. This recipe is full of veggies (fresh broccoli and earthy mushrooms) plus protein to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied.
  • Texture: So creamy from the dairy-free bรฉchamel that coats the rice and crunchy from the cracker topping.
  • Serving Size: This recipe definitely makes enough food for the whole family. This keeps well in the fridge for leftovers the next day.
  • Customizability: Donโ€™t like broccoli? Leave it out! This recipe can be customized to your liking.
  • Why We Love This Recipe: I feel like casseroles with rice are extremely nostalgic for many people. And itโ€™s easy to see why! Theyโ€™re warm, comforting, easy to makeโ€ฆ plus, they can feed a lot of people. This Creamy Vegan Chicken and Rice Casserole is reminiscent of a casserole I grew up eating. Its so hearty, delicious, and filling. Whatโ€™s not to love?

Ingredients:

ingredients like flour, vegan butter, crackers and mushrooms on a white surface.
ingredients youโ€™ll need

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

To make this easy vegan chicken and mushroom rice casserole, you only need about 11 ingredients! Youโ€™ll want to gather the following before you begin cooking:

  • Cooked Rice: You can make up a pot of fresh rice or use leftover rice. Feel free to swap in brown rice or wild rice if youโ€™d like.
  • Plant Milk: Like unsweetened almond milk or soy milk.
  • Vegan Butter: This adds some richness. I love uses Country Crock Plant Butter in savory recipes. You can also use olive oil instead.
  • All Purpose Flour: This is for the roux (the base which helps thicken the cream sauce).
  • Onion: This adds lots of flavor.
  • Fresh Garlic: I love the flavor fresh minced garlic brings to this dish. If in a pinch, you can use garlic powder or other dried seasonings.
  • Vegan Chicken Strips: I use store-bought vegan chicken by Gardein or Morningstar. If youโ€™d like to make this casserole more whole-foods plant based, you can sub in white beans. You could also use vegan sausage or homemade vegan ground beef.
  • Cremini Mushrooms: Feel free to sub in your favorite type of mushroom in this recipe.
  • Veggie Bouillon or Vegetable Broth: I love the flavor bouillon cubes add to this dish. I highly recommend using this instead of boxed veggie broth.
  • Broccoli: This is optional. You could swap it out for frozen peas or another green veggie of choice.
vegan broccoli rice casserole on a black plate.
vegan broccoli rice casserole

how to make a super creamy dairy free casserole

This easy casserole uses rice, mushrooms, vegan chickens, broccoli (if youโ€™d like), and a creamy black pepper bรฉchamel sauce. A bรฉchamel sauce is typically made by whisking together a roux and milk.

Luckily, itโ€™s very easy to make vegan and adds an amazing amount of creaminess to the casserole without adding any unwanted flavors like coconut.

Helpful Equipment

  • Rice Cooker: to prep the white or brown rice ahead of time or while the sauce is cooking
  • Baking Dish: to bake the vegan casserole with rice
  • Large Pot: to make the cream sauce

Step-By-Step Instructions

Make the vegan black pepper bรฉchamel cream sauce:

STEP 1: Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over low heat. Then, sprinkle in the all purpose flour, whisking at the same time to prevent any clumps from forming.

STEP 2: Next, add 2 cups of the plant-based milk and heat on low to medium heat (do not let it boil) for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Add in the salt, pepper, and the vegan non-chicken bouillon cube. 

STEP 3: Then, once slightly thickened, pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of plant milk and whisk on low for another 5 minutes until the cream sauce is thicker. 

the veggies

STEP 4: In a large pan, cook the diced onion and garlic until translucent. This should take about 5 minutes.

STEP 5: Add the sliced mushrooms, vegan chicken, and broccoli florets. Cook for 10 minutes. 

STEP 6: Then, add the mushrooms, onion, and chicken mixture into the pot with the cream sauce. Add in the cooked white rice or brown rice. Stir until the mixture is well combined and the sauce is covering all the rice.

STEP 7: Transfer the mixture to a 9ร—13โ€ baking dish. Crumble crackers and vegan parmesan cheese for a cheesy flavor on top of the casserole.

TIP: The mixture may look a bit wet prior to baking it, but thatโ€™s totally okay! The extra creaminess is so when you bake the casserole to brown the top, it doesnโ€™t dry out inside.

STEP 8: Bake for 23-25 minutes at 400F. The crackers should be golden brown on top.

Serving

Feel free to top the casserole prior to baking with crumbled crackers or breadcrumbs.

This adds some nice texture to contrast the creaminess of the casserole!

This Creamy Vegan Chicken and Rice Casserole makes about 6 large servings, perfect for a crowd or a large family. I love this casserole as a main dish, but it would also make the perfect side dish during the holidays.

Storage

Itโ€™s also great to make at the beginning of the week as part of meal prep!

You can store this casserole covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.

a close up image of the vegan rice casserole with mushrooms and broccoli.

Helpful Tips for the Best Vegan Rice Casserole

โถ Use an Unsweetened Dairy Free Milk: For the best flavor use a plain, unsweetened milk. Oat milk, soy milk and almond milk will all work.

โท Top with Salty Crackers and Vegan Cheese: These add lots of crunch and a great texture that complements the creamy rice.

โธ Bake the Casserole Until Golden Brown: Make sure to bake the casserole until itโ€™s crispy on top. If needed, you can broil it for a few minutes at the end of baking to crisp up the cracker topping.

vegan rice casserole faq

What kind of vegan chicken should I use?

For this recipe, I like to use Gardeinโ€™s un-breaded โ€œchicken stripsโ€, like the ones that come in theirย Teriyaki Chikโ€™n. If using this product, you can place the sauce packet that comes with it back in the freezer for other future recipes.

If you canโ€™t find un-breaded vegan chicken, you could also use diced-up Gardein vegan chicken nuggets or Morningstar vegan chicken nuggets.

What kind of milk should I use in this dairy-free chicken and rice casserole?

A non-dairy milk that is unsweetened and neutral in flavor works best in this veggie rice casserole. I preferย plain unsweetened almond milk. You could also use plain unsweetened soy milk. I donโ€™t recommend using coconut milk or other kinds of dairy-free milk with strong flavors.

What can I add to this vegan casserole?

Casseroles are great for adding in pretty much any ingredients you love. This is a mushroom rice casserole with diced vegan chickens and a little bit of broccoli as well. You could add vegan cheddar cheese or nutritional yeast if youโ€™d like. Or you could omit the mushrooms. The possibilities are endless so feel free to exchange the same or similar quantities of one ingredient for another.

a close up of the vegan rice casserole with mushrooms.
vegan rice casserole with mushrooms

More Hearty Vegan Comfort Food:

Did you make this vegan broccoli rice casserole recipe?
Iโ€™d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below! 

Creamy Vegan Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

4.93 from 14 votes
This vegan rice casserole is so creamy and hearty. It makes a perfect filling fall or winter dinner.
6 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
6 servings

Ingredients

Vegan Black Pepper Bechamel Sauce

  • 6 tbsp salted vegan butter, like Country Crock Plant Butter
  • 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 ยฝ cups plant-based milk, like unsweetened almond or soy
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ยฝ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 vegan non-chicken bouillon cube, like Edward & Sons

Vegan Rice Casserole

  • 1-2 tsp vegan butter or olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 10 oz baby cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-2 cups broccoli, chopped (optional)
  • 10 oz un-breaded vegan chicken strips, like Gardein or Morningstar, thawed chopped into 1-inch slices
  • 5 cups cooked white rice
  • 1-2 cups crushed crackers for topping
  • ยผ cup grated vegan parmesan, optional, like Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge
  • Chopped parsley, optional, for topping
  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot, melt the vegan butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking at the same time to prevent any clumps from forming.
    6 tbsp salted vegan butter, 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • Reduce the heat to low. Slowly add 2 cups of the plant-based milk while whisking. Heat on low (do not let it boil) for 5 minutes, stirring every minute. Add in the salt, pepper, and non-chicken bouillon cube.ย The mixture should begin to thicken.
    3 ยฝ cups plant-based milk, 1 tsp salt, ยฝ tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1 vegan non-chicken bouillon cube
  • Next, add the remaining 1 ยฝ cups of plant milk and whisk on low for another 5 minutes until slightly thicker.ย Remove from the heat and set aside.
    3 ยฝ cups plant-based milk
  • Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF. Lightly grease a 9ร—13" casserole dish.
  • In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add vegan butter or oil and cook the diced onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent burning.
    1-2 tsp vegan butter or olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
  • Add the sliced mushrooms, vegan chicken, and broccoli, if using, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.ย 
    10 oz baby cremini mushrooms, 1-2 cups broccoli, 10 oz un-breaded vegan chicken strips
  • Add the cooked vegetable mixture into the pot with the cream sauce (or a large mixing bowl). Fold in the cooked rice.
    5 cups cooked white rice
  • Stir until the mixture is well combined and the sauce is covering all the rice.
  • Transfer the mixture to a 9ร—13โ€ casserole dish. Crumble crackers on the top.ย Sprinkle on the grated vegan parmesan (optional).
    1-2 cups crushed crackers for topping, ยผ cup grated vegan parmesan
  • Bake for 23-25 minutes at 400ยฐF. The crackers should be golden brown on top. Garish with parsley and add salt or pepper to taste.
    Chopped parsley, Salt & black pepper

Recipe notes

  • Vegan chicken can be substituted for 1 can of white beans that have been drained and rinsed.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 186mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Mains
Cuisine American

ยฉ Thank You Berry Much. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated, copying or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

a black plate with vegan rice casserole with mushrooms and silver fork.

Did You Make This?

Leave a star rating and a comment below to let others know how it turned out for you!

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vegan rice casserole pin.
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Recipe Rating





4.93 from 14 votes (12 ratings without comment)

3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious!! This was a big hit!! Thank you!!

  2. I halved the recipe since it is just my husband and I. To make it more plant based I used half a can of navy beans in place of vegan chicken. Also used Einkorn flour in place of APF. Left crackers off. I did keep the full amount of the veggies. Was quite delicious. Will make again.โ˜บ

  3. 5 stars
    I made this last night for my husband and a guest who loves rice. They had seconds and thirds. My husband said it was the perfect hearty meal after a mountain bike ride. Comfort food for sure!

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