Pesto Rice Bake
This no-boil casserole features homemade or storebought pesto, rice, and cheese for a comforting and nutritious vegetarian dinner.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 430kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth I use vegetable bouillon
- 1 cup medium grain rice long grain also works
- 6 ounces pesto homemade or storebought
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 medium shallot diced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning see note #1
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ounces neufchatel cream cheese, cut into cubes (light cream cheese) optional
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- fresh basil and red pepper flakes, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil in a kettle or pot. Meanwhile, rinse the rice well under cool running water. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- To a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking dish add the rinsed rice, pesto, drained chickpeas, chopped mushrooms, diced shallot, parsley, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Carefully pour in the vegetable broth, stirring to combine again. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, an upside-down baking sheet, or a lid.
- Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, or until the rice is mostly cooked through. Remove from the oven and stir. If the rice is still not done, return it to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.Otherwise, stir in the cream cheese. Top with shredded cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the rice is fully cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve garnished with fresh basil and red pepper flakes, to taste.
Video
Notes
- Lemon pepper seasoning: This is optional. I use a salt-free lemon pepper seasoning, so if yours contains salt make sure to adjust the added kosher salt to taste. Another option is to add the zest of a lemon at the same time the cheese is added.
- Extra veggies: Add thawed frozen vegetables or a few handfuls of spinach at the same time as the cream cheese.
- Extra protein: Sliced Italian sausages or tofu ricotta go well here. Add at the same time as the rice.
- Vegan option: Replace shredded mozzarella with your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese, choose dairy-free pesto or make homemade pesto using vegan Parmesan, and replace cream cheese with a non-dairy option or omit it entirely.
- Storage: Let the pesto rice bake cool before slicing and transferring to a closed container. Keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: I have not tried freezing this casserole but based on other casseroles I've cooked, it should work well. Cover the casserole in plastic wrap and foil or plastic wrap and a lid before freezing. If reheating in the oven, add an extra 10-15 minutes of cook time. The casserole can also thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat individual slices quickly in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to dry out too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 894mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 943IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 1mg
