Turkey Rice Casserole (Lightened Up + No Soup!)
This lightened up turkey casserole gives you that baked, bubbly comfort you want, but with simple ingredients and no canned soup in sight. Ground turkey (or leftover turkey works, too), broccoli, rice, and a quick homemade cheddar sauce come together in under an hour. Great for weeknights, meal prep, or any night when you want something warm and easy!
This Easy Casserole is a Comforting Ground Turkey Recipe for Dinner Tonight!
I created this cheesy turkey & rice bake because I wanted an old-school comfort vibe without the canned soup situation. It’s still super easy to throw together, yet sooooooo much fresher tasting.
For this all-in-one dinner casserole you have tender rice, hearty turkey (ground turkey or leftover both work), broccoli that’s not sad and soggy but bright and vibrant, all tucked into a creamy cheddar sauce that wraps everything up into one perfect comforting package.
This is one of those “everyone eats it without complaining” dinners, and yes, I’m fully counting the fact that my kid will eat broccoli with this one! All you need for this one is a skillet for browning, a quick homemade sauce, and bagged broccoli florets for zero fuss (which you know is my kind of comfort cooking).
I’ve made it with frozen broccoli, too, and it holds up just fine. Just be sure to squeeze out that extra water and you’ll be good to go! And if you like this lightened up comfort vibe, you’ll want to check out my chicken artichoke bake (SO GOOD) and my simple chicken & stuffing casserole, too.
Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Bake this Ground Turkey Broccoli & Rice Casserole!
Testing Tips for the Perfect Turkey Casserole
- When I tested this with frozen broccoli, I found defrosting and squeezing out the water kept the sauce creamy instead of watery.
- I recommend chopping your broccoli into small florets so they cook through and every bite gets a bit of everything. So even if you’re using bagged, take a second to chop into slightly finer pieces.
- If you’ve got leftover turkey it works so well in this recipe. Just skip the browning and stir it right in!
Turkey Casserole (Lightened Up + No Soup!)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound 85% lean ground turkey (or 2 cups cooked, diced turkey, such as leftover roasted turkey)
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 heaping cups small broccoli florets, roughly chopped (see notes)
- 1¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked long grain white rice (see notes)
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the Turkey: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the ground turkey and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (If using cooked diced turkey, skip this step.)
- Sauté the Onion: In the same skillet (no need to wash it first), add the butter, onion, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until very soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make the Sauce: Turn the heat to low, then sprinkle the flour over the onion, stirring to coat. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, then slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Once the sauce is slightly thickened, stir in the broccoli and simmer for 2-3 minutes, just until it turns bright green and starts to soften. It will continue to cook a bit more in the oven, so be careful not to overcook in this step. Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted and smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
- Assemble: Add the cooked turkey and cooked rice to the prepared baking dish. Pour over the sauce and broccoli, mixing to evenly coat. Sprinkle the top evenly with ¾ cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until bubbly and golden on top. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Rice: For the rice, use leftover cooked or pre-cooked frozen rice. Or cook 1 cup dry long grain white rice according to package directions.
- Turkey: If using cooked turkey, you will not need the olive oil for this recipe.
- Broccoli: I like using bagged broccoli florets for convenience, but be sure to give them a rough chop so they cook in the time allotted and disperse more evenly through the casserole. I did test this recipe with frozen broccoli florets, and while I preferred fresh for texture, frozen definitely works and is a great convenience option. If using frozen I recommend defrosting first and then gently squeezing out any extra liquid so it doesn’t water down the final dish.
- Resting Time: Giving the casserole time to rest will allow the rice to absorb any extra liquid and the cheese sauce time to set a bit, so even though it’s hard to wait, I definitely recommend it!
