Broccoli cheddar rice
Make a one-pot dinner for one with rice, frozen broccoli, milk, and cheddar. Uses the same rice and cheese as other starter meals.
30 minutes total · 1 serving · dinner
Prep: 3 minutes. Cooking: 22 minutes. Waiting: 5 minutes, included in total time.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Long-grain white rice (60 g) — Measure dry rice before cooking.
- 3/4 cup Tap water (180 ml)
- 1 cup Frozen broccoli florets (100 g) — Approximate; use small frozen florets, measured before cooking.
- 6 tbsp Shredded cheddar (42 g) — Shredded cheese; 6 tbsp is ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. Measure loosely.
- 2 tbsp Milk (30 ml)
- 1/8 tsp Table salt (0.6 g)
Equipment and available appliances
- Stove or cooktop
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- 1 × Small saucepan with lid
- 1 × Heat-safe spatula or cooking spoon
- 1 × Measuring cups and spoons
Method
- Put the rice, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low.
- After 10 minutes, add the frozen broccoli on top, replace the lid, and cook for another 7–10 minutes, until the rice and broccoli are tender. Follow a longer cooking time if the vegetable package requires one.
- If the pan becomes dry before the rice is tender, add a small splash of water and continue cooking. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and cheese until creamy. Return to low heat briefly if needed to melt the cheese.
Helpful notes
- Choose small frozen florets so they cook evenly.
- A freezer is needed to store the rest of the broccoli bag.
Before you start
Original starter recipe; not yet kitchen-tested. Follow safe food handling and check product labels for allergens. The amounts and times shown here describe one original batch. The planner estimates sequential batches for larger portions of heated meals so the suggested cookware remains suitable.
- Wash hands and produce before preparing food. Refrigerate perishable ingredients and leftovers promptly.
Keep the milk and cheese refrigerated. Keep the broccoli frozen until needed and return the unused part of the bag to the freezer promptly. Refrigerate leftover cooked rice promptly in a shallow covered container. Follow each package’s storage guidance.
Food-handling guidance and sources
- Wash hands, produce, utensils, and work surfaces. Clean can lids before opening. Keep refrigerated foods at 40°F / 4°C or colder and frozen foods at 0°F / −18°C. Refrigerate perishables and leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Divide larger leftovers into shallow containers. Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C. FDA: Safe food handling
Dietary tags describe the listed basic ingredients. Check every product label for allergens, cross-contact, and animal-derived additives; tags are not an allergy guarantee.
Grocery price references
Default prices are dated U.S. retailer reference prices checked October 10, 2026, with source links provided. Some retrieved pages may be cached. These are not live or local checkout quotes, and the examples do not form a single-store basket. Prices, promotions, stock, package sizes, tax, delivery, and other fees may differ. Edit prices to match your store; your edits remain separate from the linked references.
- Long-grain white rice — Walmart reference: Great Value Long Grain Enriched Rice, 32 oz. 32 oz / 2 lb bag — $1.77; checked 2026-10-10.
- Frozen broccoli florets — Walmart reference: Great Value Frozen Broccoli Florets, 12 oz Steamable Bag. 12 oz bag — $1.16; checked 2026-10-10.
- Shredded cheddar — Walmart reference: Great Value Mild Cheddar Finely Shredded Cheese, 8 oz. 8 oz bag — $1.97; checked 2026-10-10.
- Milk — Walmart reference: Great Value Whole Vitamin D Milk, Half Gallon. 64 fl oz / half gallon — $2.05; checked 2026-10-10.
- Table salt — Walmart reference: Great Value Iodized Salt, 26 oz. 26 oz / 737 g carton — $0.94; checked 2026-10-10. The listing supplies 737 g for the 26 oz package, so the printed metric amount is retained.