Baked Rice Weather - by Michelle Albanes-Davis
Hey lovelies, we’re keeping the casserole train going over here for the next couple weeks. I think one pot meals and casseroles can come across as gimmicky or lazy sometimes, but I’ll never do that to you. I aim to create easy but craveable recipes that you’ll actually use. I love fancy recipes and elaborate menus as much as the next person, but we all need ideas for dinner first. The drudgery of life only gets easier when we help each other out. And I think this one will help for sure: baked fried rice. This recipe is a classic dump, stir, and stick it in the oven kind of meal. Unlike your standard fried rice, you don’t need to have cooked rice on hand. You just throw the uncooked rice right in the pan with the veggies and broth, cover, then bake. Easy as hell.
You can play around with the veggies based on what you’ve got and what your family will eat. Even a pre chopped, frozen veggie mix would work great here. All you need for success is long grain white rice and a 9 x13 inch pan. If you switch up the rice, you’ll have to switch up the liquid measurements and cook time and I haven’t tested all of that so make those subs at your own peril. Same goes for the pan size. You want to stick with a standard 9 x 13 inch because that’s how you are going to ensure you get perfectly cooked rice all the way through. I sprinkled some lightly seasoned, crumbled tofu on top before I baked it, but I’ll warn you- it’s not the prettiest. It kinda looks like your rice is being haunted by the ghost of ground beef. It’s delicious and blends into the rice once it’s all cooked but if you have kids who’d refuse to eat something they saw as ugly earlier in the kitchen- like my wife- you can just leave it out.
Throw in some edamame instead or bake some tofu for something more aesthetically pleasing from the jump. Your call. Either way, this recipe is a winner and waiting for you to add your favorite spices and veggies to make it your own. Possible add-in ideas: watercress, broccoli, chili crisp, five spice powder, chopped water chestnuts, snow peas, grilled corn. I’d love to hear where you guys take it!
Baked “Fried” Rice
makes enough for 4 people
total cooking time: 1 hour
active cooking and prep time: 15 minutes
2 cups long grain rice, rinsed
2 tablespoon avocado or other high heat oil
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