Cheesy Rice Bake

~Because I did not grow up with it in my household, I have a passing fascination with casseroles. There is something very appealing with the idea of a one pot meal. Particularly if part of the cooking process involves freeing the cook from the stove. Unfortunately, all the recipes I came across called for condensed soup, frozen vegetables, and minute rice. While I realize that casseroles came about during the 1950s-60s of the age of “convenience food”, we know better now and can do much better. 

The first thing I wanted to do was find another binding agent to replace the condensed soup. Taking the idea from mac & cheese, I made a bechamel and then slowly added more and more shredded cheese until it became a creamy cheese sauce. Now we have the perfect binding agent, without extra sodium and preservatives. 

With two little ones, I often have to find creative ways of using leftovers. Anyone knows, you can't just make 1 or 2 servings of rice. Often times, I make more just so I have extra to create another dish the next day, like fried rice. The added benefit to using leftover rice (or even frozen pre-cooked rice) is that it's not nearly as moist as fresh cooked rice. This means it will soak in all those wonderful flavors of chicken broth and Cheddar cheese, while still retaining firmness.

You can use any sort of rice, but my kids enjoy the texture of mixed rice. This is a comforting dish, as it was intended. Cheesy creaminess coating the delicate bite of the mixed rice. Broccoli florets stand up to the baking time without being overcooked. Carrots lend a nice splash of color and slight crunch. Fresh corn kernels also add a touch of end-of-summer sweetness. 

Special Equipment:

12” baking dish

small sauce pan

large sauté pan

Ingredients:

3 cups leftover cooked mixed rice (black/red/brown/wild)

2 cups broccoli florets

¼ cup diced carrots

½ cup fresh corn kernels
½ small onion minced

1 cup diced rotisserie chicken

1 ½ cup chicken broth

16oz shredded sharp Cheddar

fresh ground pepper

4 ½ tbsp unsalted sweet butter

2 tbsp flour

¾ cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pan, set temperature on medium heat. Slowly melt only 4 tbsp of butter and whisk in flour. Once blended, let the flour cook for 1min, and whisk in milk.
3. Whisk in a handful of cheese. Once that portion has melted, add another handful. Repeat until only half of original portion of cheese remain. Cover the pan to keep the cheese sauce warm and set aside.
4. In a large sauté pan, set temperature on medium heat. Add the remaining ½ tbsp of butter and onions. Cook about 2min until translucent.
5. Add carrots and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 3min.
6. Stir in rice and then stir in cheese sauce.
7. Once it is all well blended, stir in chicken, broccoli, and corn. Cover for 1min.
8. Stir in half of the remaining cheese. Once cheese is thoroughly blended, add a few twists of fresh ground pepper.
9. Pour rice mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20min or until cheese has melted.
10. Serve immediately.