Baked Rice and Cheese Casseroles

More people are eating in more often now. That means that busy families are rediscovering the culinary virtues of the casserole! Baked rice and cheese casseroles are particularly easy, economical, and versatile. They also are a particularly yummy comfort food. Here, I am going to give you the basic structure of a baked rice and cheese casserole, using cooked rice. Yes, I’ll also point you to some nice recipes. But once you know the fundamental mixture of ingredients, you’ll be able to add just about anything to your dish. That way it gets easy to make delicious use of leftovers, stretch your food budget, and keep mealtime fresh.

Baked Rice and Cheese Casserole Recipes

If you’re like me, you love reading recipes and trying new ones when you can. However, you also like knowing the basics of a dish and then being able to wing it from there. I love that! So, here is what you need for a basic casserole using cooked rice: 3-4 cups cooked rice; 1 cup of milk; 2 eggs; and 2 cups of shredded cheese, plus extra for the top. Let’s look at the rice and the cheese before we talk about add-ins.

3-4 cups cooked rice

Since this casserole uses cooked rice, the type of rice you use doesn’t have too much of an effect on the rest of the basic recipe. Brown rice, for example, can use more liquid and take much longer to cook than white rice. Since that step is already done here, nothing needs to be adjusted.

Using pre-cooked rice also makes it possible to use a rice blend. Maybe you enjoy brown rice, but find the flavor or texture overwhelming in large portions. Or you have a cup of curried basmati rice—or even Rice-r-Roni—left over from another meal. Whatever cooked rice you have, you can blend together to make this casserole.

The only considerations are whether you find the rice tastes good together and goes well with cheese. Personally, I’ve never had rice that didn’t blend well with other rices or cheese. Quite the opposite! I discovered by accident one day that curried rice and Spanish rice (rice with tomatoes and chiles) can be fantastic. And one cup of brown or wild rice can add a delicious nuttiness and texture to all kinds of white rice.

2 cups shredded cheese

Many recipes for this dish call for shredded cheddar. The sky, however, is the limit. Swiss cheese makes a delicious and savory casserole, particularly with ham, corned beef or even diced pepperoni slices. Other cheesy possibilities include Gouda, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella. Here, again, blends are perfectly delightful. My favorite is to put one cheese in the casserole and a different one on top.

The main thing to keep in mind on this ingredient is that you will be putting two cups of cheese into this casserole. If the cheese has a very strong flavor, that’s a whole lot of very strong flavor! If you love smoked gouda, for example, you may want to experiment with blending it with a milder cheese such as mozzarella. If you are dying to try feta or gorgonzola in your casserole, by all means do it—but, again, moderating it with a little Jack may be just the context those strong flavors need.

Now for the additional ingredients

There you have it: the baked rice and cheese casserole as a blank canvas upon which you may now complete your culinary masterpiece. Seriously. All you do is this: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add spices, seasonings and any other flavorings. Add cheese and rice. Add any additional ingredients such as cooked veggies, meats and seafood. Pour into a buttered 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through). Allow to set for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Casserole spices and seasonings

The egg and milk mixture forms a custard base that helps turn the melted cheese into a sort of sauce. Any flavor you want can be incorporated into this custard base. I suggest, in my kitchen at least, there isn’t a dish known to humankind that cannot be made better by a dash of salt, freshly ground pepper and garlic powder. And, as far as I am concerned, the more the garlic, the more the merrier. From there, it’s romp through the spice drawer or herb garden time. I am not kidding you, it’s very difficult to go wrong here, so long as you like the flavor you are adding and, in your book, it goes well with cheese.

Casserole vegetables

You may use sautéed fresh vegetables, drained canned vegetables (such as the many types of legumes—think black beans or garbanzos—or even diced or stewed tomatoes or tomatoes with chiles), or frozen.

The primary consideration in adding vegetables is making sure not to add too much additional liquid to the dish. I love the flavor the juice from canned tomatoes imparts, so I just add about one-half cup additional cooked rice to the mixture to compensate. Frozen veggies should be thawed and cooked before adding.

Some veggies, such as broccoli and chopped spinach, just seem made for cheesy dishes. Garden peas, carrots and celery; chopped red, green and yellow peppers; summer squash and zuchinni; asparagus and all kinds of mushrooms—these also can star in melted cheese comfort food.

Meats

This casserole is great for using up leftover meats. Any pre-cooked meat (such as that turkey you bagged after the holidays) will work. Two pork chops, cut into small pieces, can go a long way here. Only have one leftover pork chop? That works, too. Or take a page out of Asian cooking and combine meats. One pork chop, some chopped leftover rotisserie chicken, sliced beef BBQ rib (though, honestly, we never have those leftover at my house)—pretty soon you are creating your own delicious medleys.

One day in a pinch, I cut up some sandwich ham into bite-sized pieces and sautéed it in a little garlic in olive oil and butter. I used this almost like bacon bits, spooning a small amount on top of spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. (Um, yes, we like olive oil.) Add some freshly grated Romano on top, It was great! I think these crisp ham bits would be a great way to flavor a rice casserole as well.

Cooked and sliced Italian sausage, bratwurst or kielbasa works wonderfully, too. In fact, any kind of prepared meat, such as pepperoni, Genoa salami, Canadian bacon, or deli-roasted turkey, can be chopped and added to the rice and cheese mixture. I often put chopped roast turkey and Swiss in scrambled eggs. It is delicious.

If you’re a seafood fan, or just want to eat more fish, this casserole is a beautiful way to make shrimp, crabmeat or salmon fill out a meal without breaking the bank. I suggest choosing one of the milder, white cheeses to highlight the seafood flavors. Oh, and pump up the garlic a little, too. And ‘shrooms for me, please!

Baked rice and cheese casserole recipes

Now, as promised, I’ll link you to some actual recipes for a couple of different baked rice and cheese casseroles. But I hope, by learning the basic mixture for a baked rice and cheese casserole, you’ll soon be whipping up your own family versions of this classic easy, economical and tasty comfort food. Enjoy!

*** More food ideas from B.A. Rogers: Muffuletto: Variations on the Italian Olive Salad Sandwich and Olive Oil Cake by Giada de Laurentis with Almond and Citrus.

Recipes:

Easy Rice Bake Casserole,” Food Network.

“Baked Rice Cheese and Vegetables,” CD Kitchen.

“Rice and Cheese Casserole,” Southern Food.