Worshipping at the altar of church carpet casserole

What comes to mind when you hear the word “casserole”? Convenience? Mystery? Potluck? Comfort? For me, casseroles conjure all these things. 

As a child, I approached any casserole that wasn’t made by my mom with skepticism. Corningware concoctions by unknown cooks almost never made it onto my plastic potluck plate. But some family-favorite casseroles still have a place on my table. None is more gratifying and full of memories than the meal we dubbed “church carpet casserole.” The name requires some explanation. 

The dish is most commonly called “cheesy broccoli rice casserole.” My mom first tried it at a potluck and promptly poached the recipe from a friend. The main ingredients flecked the casserole with white, green and orange, a marvelous mosaic of yum. It bore a striking resemblance to the carpet of our local church, circa 1970. 

The dish’s tie to church is also appropriate for those of us who were raised attending congregation potlucks, which featured an endless array of casserole contributions. Casseroles always make me think of communities coming together around food. 

My version of church carpet casserole sacrifices a bit of convenience for the sake of quality. As I put my own stamp on the dishes I grew up with, I regularly leave out one nearly universal ingredient: cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom soup. These were essential pantry items of old, but their ingredient labels show more vegetable oil than nearly anything else. My church carpet casserole ditches this old-school component in favor of more authentic layers of flavor. 

Casseroles rarely land in the health food category, but this version is loaded with quality veg. In addition to plenty of broccoli, it contains a good amount of aromatic onions and celery. The rice is a comforting carb, and is spiked with a savory dose of sharp cheddar. You can get extra wholesome points for using homemade chicken broth, but it’s unlikely anyone will know the difference if you opt for store-bought. You can also sub in vegetable broth. 

The chapel of our youth has since been renovated at least twice, and I regret that I never asked for a small carpet sample to preserve. But while its namesake is long gone, I hope church carpet casserole can continue to bless your mouths and bellies, wherever you congregate.

Church Carpet Casserole Recipe
Serves 4-6 

3/4 cup dry long-grain white rice
1 small yellow onion (10-12 oz.)
16 oz. broccoli crowns
2 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup sour cream
8 oz. freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth 
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
freshly cracked black pepper
optional topping: crushed potato chips

Cook 3/4 cup of rice according to the package instructions. This should yield more than 2 cups of cooked rice. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, which will help it distribute more evenly in the casserole later. 

Prep your broccoli by cutting 1/2-inch pieces of floret off the crowns. Once all the florets are trimmed, carefully dice the stems into pieces no more than 1/4-inch square. This will take some time, but it’s worth it. The stems carry great broccoli flavor and will be cooked down along with the aromatics. Keep the stem pieces separate from the florets. 

Now dice the onion and celery into small pieces. In a large Dutch oven or similar pot, sauté the onion, celery and broccoli stems (not the florets) with 3 tbsp of butter over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want them to soften, but not brown. Finely grate or mince the fresh garlic and add it to the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the flour and cook for another two minutes. 

Add the chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Once you see bubbles, turn off the heat. Grate the eight ounces of sharp cheddar and separate into two equal portions. Add half the cheese (4 ounces) to the pot along with the sour cream and stir to incorporate. Add the broccoli florets, salt, cracked black pepper and cooked rice, and stir to incorporate. 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use butter or cooking spray to lightly coat a 9×9 casserole dish. (This should be the right size to hold the contents as long as the dish’s walls are high enough. If your contents go all the way to the top of the dish, place it on a baking tray in case it bubbles over.) Add half of the contents to the casserole dish, followed by half the remaining grated cheddar cheese (about two ounces). Spread the remaining casserole contents over the cheese layer and then sprinkle the remaining cheese (the last two ounces) over the very top. Cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and allow the casserole to cook another 15 minutes. You can broil the top to get a touch of browning, but be careful not to burn it. Let the casserole rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Crush some salty potato chips as an optional topping.