Preheat oven to 350F, and grease an 8x8 baking dish.

First, prepare the cheesy sauce. In a small pot, combine the cubed carrot and potatoes, and cover with water. Add in the ½ bouillon cube.

Heat over high until boiling, then lower to a simmer and cook until vegetables are soft and easily pierced with a fork (about 20 min).

When vegetables are cooked through, transfer to a blender and add in all the rest of the sauce ingredients, including the cashew milk, olive oil, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and all the spices.

Blend until smooth and creamy, and set aside.

Now, cook the rice. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the rice and bouillon cube. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is mostly cooked but still has a little bite. Mine took about 15 minutes. Remember it will finish cooking in the oven! Drain rice when cooked through, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Finally, cook the broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a bit of salt, and toss in the broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender but not mushy.

Now, combine the cooked rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with the panko breadcrumbs.

Cook broccoli cheese casserole for 30 minutes, then finish by broiling for a couple of minutes so the top is golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!