Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice is made in 1 pan, in 20 minutes, with 5 ingredients. An easy, family-friendly dinner doesn't get easier than this!
With the Christmas coming up and ham – GLORIOUS HAM! – being served at the holiday dinner table, I thought this was the perfect time to share the ham and broccoli-cheddar version of my popular Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice recipe.
Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice is a dish you can make with holiday leftovers but will continue to add to your weekly menu all year round using ham steak because it’s so simple and delicious. My family licks their plates clean!
Ingredients Needed
Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice tastes like one of those delicious yet salt and preservative-packed rice side packets that everyone secretly loves, except it’s made with 5 simple ingredients:
- Chicken stock or broth
- Long grain white rice
- Broccoli florets
- Diced ham
- Shredded cheddar cheese.
Creamy, perfectly cheesy, and reheats like a dream. Who’s ready to get after it?!
How to Make Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice
Start by adding long grain white rice to a saucepan with chicken stock or broth. Bring to a simmer then place a lid on top, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 6 minutes.
Add broccoli that’s been chopped into small florets then replace the lid and cook for another 9-10 minutes, or until the rice and broccoli are both cooked through.
Next sprinkle in freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (skip pre-grated cheese – freshly grated melts so much better!) then stir until smooth.
Finally add ham steak that’s been diced into bite-sized pieces then stir until warmed through.
That’s all she wrote! Let the rice sit and thicken for a few minutes before scooping onto plates and devouring. I hope you love this easy, cheesy, 1 pot meal – enjoy!
More Easy Cheesy Recipes
- Cheeseburger Bombs
- Creamy Ham Peas and Pasta
- Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice
- Cheesy Vegetable, Turkey Sausage and Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Burrito Skillet
- Cheese Enchiladas with Red Sauce
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 6 oz broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 8 oz ham steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 6 oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
- Add chicken broth and rice to a medium-sized saucepan then turn heat to high to bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to low then place a lid on top and simmer for 6 minutes (rice should barely be simmering so make sure the heat is not too high.)
- Add broccoli (no need to stir) then place the lid back on top, turn heat up to keep broth at a gentle simmer, and then cook for an additional 9-10 more minutes or until the rice and broccoli are cooked through. Turn off heat then sprinkle in cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in ham until warmed through, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
OMG this was fabulous!! Will definitely be making this again & again.
Made this tonight using Quinoa. It was awesome. Quick, easy. Hubby gave it a 4.5/5. He is a diabetic so white rice is out. I did add a shallot I needed to use up. Thank you for all the great recipes ?
This is one of our favorites (along with the salsa verde rice dinner) but I put the ham in to heat through before I add the cheese as I learned from you to take the pan off the fire before you add cheese and the dish would tend to get too cool.
Love it! I’ve made it the original way, but this time after I started cooking, I realized I didn’t have broccoli. So I threw in frozen spinach and it was excellent! Thanks for another winner!
Could you use Cauliflower rice?
I’m sure you could but you’d need much less liquid as the cauliflower rice won’t absorb as much as regular rice.
Just made this. So easy & so delicious!!! The flavor using chicken broth instead of a milk base for the sauce is amazing!!! Will be making this again.
I wonder if you could substitute cauliflower rice to make it low carb? Sounds delicious!
Hi! Wondering if frozen broccoli would work with this recipe? Love these simple recipes (Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice is made almost once a week in this house–we love it so!)!
I used frozen broccoli with no issues just make sure to cook it till broccoli is soft. Mine took 9 minutes
Thanks, Bridget!
I have organic long grain brown rice, can that be used? Why is rice so confusing ??♀️
There would be a requirement for more broth to get the rice to be partially cooked BEFORE adding the other ingredients. I also enjoy brown rice.
Made this today and the whole family loved it! My all-of-a-sudden picky 18 month old couldn’t stop eating. Thank you for a great recipe!
This was great! I used a smoked turkey leg (which tastes remarkably like ham), a full pound of meat, can’t imagine less, honestly and cubes of farmer cheese. My elderly father especially loved this … maybe cuz he was born in Iowa?! :-)
What a delicious recipe! You’re mixing there all my favorite ingredients, cheese, ham and broccoli, so I already know I’m going to love this =)
I made this last night with leftover ham. I doubled the recipe due to a very hungry husband and we only had enough leftovers for one lunch each! The kids don’t like “mixed food” (ugh) but my husband said “I would eat this 7 days a week”. This is a winner! Thank you!