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This stovetop cheesy broccoli rice with ham is everything you need for a busy weeknight: easy, comforting, and crazy delicious. Plus it’s ready in one pot in just 30 minutes.. The leftovers? If there are any, they reheat like a dream.
Our Cheesy Broccoli Rice gets a little protein boost from leftover ham!
Karly’s Notes
Weeknight dinners can feel like a race against the clock, so we’re all about the low stress, low mess recipes.
We’ve been slowly perfecting this one pot 30 minute Cheesy Broccoli Rice (with ham, because now it’s a full meal). This is a simple riff on our cheesy zucchini rice, which has been a fan favorite for years now.
This one is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with hearty flavors, but it’s also an easy way to sneak in some green. A bit like a summer version of our broccoli rice casserole – no oven needed.
Plus, it’s the perfect recipe for using up that leftover ham from Sunday dinner or Easter brunch. No wasted food here, just comfort in a bowl.
(No leftover ham? The little bag of diced ham works perfect in this one.)
The best part? This one-pot wonder means minimal cleanup, so you can spend more time relaxing (or, you know, catching up on your favorite show).
If you love rice like my family does, give my chicken and rice casserole, Cajun sausage and rice, or bacon fried rice a try too!
3 Reasons You’ll Love This One Pot Wonder:
Effortless: Minimal prep (especially if you buy a bag of pre-chopped broccoli and ham!) and only one pot to wash!
Cheesy, Creamy Goodness: Comfort food at its finest, with the addition of broccoli so you feel good about it.
Customizable: Great for using up leftovers or whatever veggies or protein are lurking in the fridge.
What Readers are Saying!
“I made this dish using brown rice and vegetable broth.
It was super delicious! A great way to use leftover ham!” – Amanda D.
Ingredient Notes:
Rice – You’ll want long grain white rice. Do not use Minute or instant rice in this recipe.
Chicken Broth – Rather than cooking the rice in water, we’re using chicken broth. It’ll infuse the rice with flavor.
Ham – This recipe is great for using up leftover ham! Or if you don’t have any and are in a hurry, you can always use the pre-diced kind from the store.
Broccoli – Chop it up fairly small so that it’s distributed nicely throughout the dish.
Cheese – We’re using cheddar, but follow your heart and use what you love.
Tips and Variations:
Switch It Up: Swap the ham for cooked chicken or turkey if that’s what’s in your fridge. Our slow cooker ground beef would even be good in there.
Veggie Boost: Add peas, spinach, or mushrooms for extra nutrients. A can of mixed veggies would also work!
Spice Lovers: Sprinkle in a little cayenne or crushed red pepper for a kick. Cajun spices would be tasty too.
How to Make Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Ham:
Toast the rice in a bit of butter and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pot and quickly add the broccoli and ham. Place the lid back on and cook for more minutes and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
Fluff it all up with a fork, add the butter, cheese, and garlic powder and then cover for another 5 minutes.
Give the cheesy broccoli rice a stir and add some milk if you’d like to loosen up the mixture a bit. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Helpful Tip:
I’ve only used fresh broccoli in this recipe. It will steam well with the rice. Frozen broccoli should work, though we haven’t tested it.
Stovetop Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Ham
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long-grain white rice not Minute rice
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 16 ounces broccoli florets
- 2 cups cooked diced ham
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- splash of milk as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
- Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.
- Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, chop the broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces.
- After 10 minutes, add the broccoli and ham to the pot with the rice and cover again. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let set for 10 minutes without removing the lid.
- Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and add the butter, cheddar, and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes more.
- Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste and a splash of milk if you’d like to thin out the mixture a little bit, if needed.
Melanie says
Huge hit with the whole family. My husband and twin 4 year olds asked me if I could make it the next night again because they loved it so much
Karly says
Wow, love to hear that! Thanks, Melanie!
Nicole G says
This was a hit with my family! I used quinoa instead of rice but other than that I followed the recipe as is and it was delicious. This is a recipe I will make again. Thanks for sharing.
Karly says
Hi Nicole! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I bet it was great with the quinoa!
Deb says
Made this tonight….it was great. I added a small diced onion when browning up the rice. Will definitely make this again!
Marsha says
This so good, I’ll make it again today…double batch with same amount of ham & more rice(basmati). Really yummy.
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sarah Wollin says
Thanks for the yummy recipe! I really wished it had a time estimate and serving size. I made it for company, and ended up spending a lot more time in the kitchen – after they arrived – than I had planned.
Katie says
This is a favorite in our house!! I make it often! For health reason I recently had to go low carb. I still made this dish tonight and instead of rice I made cauliflower rice. Still equally as good! No need to give up my favorite recipe 🙂
Karly says
A great low carb option! 🙂
Hydee says
This was so delicious! My 1 year old and 3 year old loved it too. I did add diced onions the last couple of minutes that the rice was toasting, because we love onions. Thanks for the great recipe.
Elaine says
Sound delicious and easy! I see you offer 20 leftover recipes. I once got 8 meals out of a a nice shank ham. Why call it leftover? Speaking of turkey–for Easter we ate stuffed turkey breast. Delicious.
Jessica says
How many servings does this serve? Looks delicious!
Karly says
@Jessica,
Depending on how big your eaters are, you should get 4-6 servings out of this.
Evelyn Martin says
Found this recipe while I was trying to find something that DIDN’T use a condensed soup… I substituted brown rice, and I used half cauliflower and half broccoli, and it got rave reviews from my husband and 6, 4 and 2 year old, even from a guest that said she normally doesn’t like “healthy” stuff!! Thanks so much- I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes!
Karly says
@Evelyn Martin,
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda D says
I made this dish using brown rice and vegetable broth.
It was super delishous ! A great way to use leftover ham 🙂
Mamamia says
I made this for my family last night and the kids liked it! It was so easy and I love that it all cooks in one pan. Plus, I was able to leave the oven off in this July heat. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Karly says
Glad to hear you all liked it! 🙂
Danielle says
Delish!! I just made this as a side dish for dinner tonight (minus the ham because I didn’t have any!). It is fabulous and the best part is it’s all natural, no MSG, canned ingredients, etc! This will definitely be going into the “rotation”!! Thanks for sharing!