Baked Cheesy Rice
This cheesy rice is a dump & bake recipe, which means that the rice cooks entirely in the oven. This low-effort side dish is comforting and so easy to make.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 358kcal
Equipment
- 8x8-inch baking dish
- box grater
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups water or vegetable broth see note #1
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice see note #2
- 1 medium shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon table salt *adjust to taste if using salted Cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish that can handle boiling temperatures. Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a kettle or on the stovetop.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice well in a fine mesh sieve until running clear. Set aside. Use the small holes on a box grater to grate the shallot and garlic into a paste. If you don't have a box grater, just finely dice them instead.
- Add the rice, grated shallot and garlic, butter, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to the baking dish. Slowly pour in the broth. Stir well.
- Cover tightly with an oven-safe lid, foil, or an upside-down baking dish. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir. The rice should be done. If it isn't, add an extra splash of water if the rice appears dry, cover the dish, and return to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir 3 tablespoons sour cream into the rice. Add more for a richer dish. Stir in half of the cheddar cheese. Add the remaining cheese on top.
- Return to the oven to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted. This should take just 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Water or broth: Works with water or any variety of broth. I like to use Better than Bouillon vegetable base (I use 3 teaspoons) because I can boil the water separately in my electric kettle and then combine the base and water in the baking dish.
- Rice: Works with long-grain, medium-grain, or short-grain white rice. Should also work with an equal amount of quinoa. I have not tested with brown rice, but note that it typically requires 50% more liquid (4 cups total) and more time (start with 35 minutes, add more as needed.)
- Cheese: Feel free to use all kinds of cheese here. For a richer dish, try Parmesan or Gruyere in place of cheddar.
- Storage: Best within 3-4 days. Cheesy rice thickens up a lot as it refrigerates because it continues to absorb liquid as it cools, so note that although leftovers taste delicious they may be a little firmer.
- Reheating: Reheats well in the microwave in 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of vegetable broth if the rice appears dry.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 429mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 806IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 1mg
