Monday, June 11, 2012

Creamy Rice and Veggie Casserole


When I say we eat a 25 pound of rice about every 3 months, I am not lying.  My family loves rice.  We have brown, white, flat, short, long, black, red, Japanese, Basmati and Jasmine.  The only one we don't use or own is INSTANT.  LOL

We just don't like the flavor of instant.  I own a rice cooker and if I plan my meals right I have no problem getting the rice done on time.

We eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and on occasion, as a snack too.

I joke with my kids that when they go to college they will get three things: a rice cooker, a blender and a Nu Wave oven.

There are over 40,000 different varieties of rice.  If you would like to learn more about rice, this is a great place to start.  HERE.

My daughter loves to make rice and one thing we need to work on is portions…LOL  When she makes a batch it is always the largest that can be made with our rice cooker.  We usually eat it all in a few days, but I personally like fresh rice better and not the rice that has been sitting in the fridge for a day or two.

What if you do have rice that is a day or two old?  I hate to waste food.  It makes me crazy when so many people in the world have so little.

In walks Creamy Rice and Veggie Casserole.  This not only uses your left over rice, but you can use your left over vegetables and cheese (if you like).

I will tell you what I used in my recipe.  If you change any of the veggies or cheese, just keep in mind that the flavor will be changed a bit too.  If you use those things you love then that should not bother you.  Be sure to let me know if you added your own twist to the dish.  It would work great to add some chicken to the casserole and make it a one dish "rock the house" meal.

This is a simple meal.  That has the taste of a gourmet dish.  ENJOY!


Recipe:  Creamy Rice and Veggie Casserole

4 cups of prepared white rice  (if you use brown rice it will have a nutty flavor)
2 cups of vegetables (I used: leeks, carrots, onions and red bell pepper)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of milk
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 brick of cream cheese, soft
3/4  cup of cheddar cheese or 1 jar of Old English Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare your rice or use your left over rice from a previous meal.

Thinly slice and dice your veggies to make 2 cups.  Saute the veggies in a saute pan with the olive oil.

In a medium size pot, add butter and melt.  Sprinkle flour over butter and whisk for 2 minutes.  Add your milk and cook until thick, stir often.  Remove from heat and add cream cheese and cheddar. Stir until the cheese is well combined.

If you would like to add meat to this dish, go ahead and prepare your meat.  Add this to the mixture.

In a large bowl, combine sauce, rice and veggies.  Stir well and pour into a baking dish.  I used an 8X12 baking dish, so if you use a 9X13 reduce cooking time by a few minutes.

Bake for 30 minutes.


















6 comments:

  1. this looks delicious. I love rice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. YUM! We eat lots of rice in our house and there is only 2 of us... My husband, I think could eat it for every meal...but he doesn't eat it plain... that is a no no.... And I learnt that I really didn't ever know how to make rice... My rice now cooks for just about an hour and the edges are crunchy... the crunchier the better for my husband. I always have a bowl of rice in the fridge. And to reheat it alot of time I will put it bake in the pot and add a small amount of water and cook it longer... A fresh pot of rice..

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will have to make this as well it looks so good :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Arlene Tone August 21, 2012 10:05 PM

    If I have left over rice we have it as a desert. I mix milk or cream with my rice before it gets cold and refrigerate and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. I have sugar & cinnamon
    available in a shaker bottle on the table also.

    ReplyDelete
  5. When/how does the cream cheese go? At the same time as the cheddar cheese?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, sorry for the confusion. I have changed the instruction to reflect "both" of the them be added at the same time. Thank you for asking and I hope you enjoy the casserole. We find it "comfort" food in our home.

      Delete

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