Seasoned Rice Recipes

[LuvOrlando]

I have never found a good recipe, every time I try a recipe to season rice it turns out bland and boring. This is a problem because I normally pair rice with a less flavorful chicken dish. It would be so nice if I could find a way to make it home instead of going out for Uncle Ben's or Parmesan Couscous, both are processed and I'd like to be able to avoid it if I could

 

[laurafergie]

I have never found a good recipe, every time I try a recipe to season rice it turns out bland and boring. This is a problem because I normally pair rice with a less flavorful chicken dish. It would be so nice if I could find a way to make it home instead of going out for Uncle Ben's or Parmesan Couscous, both are processed and I'd like to be able to avoid it if I could

I have been making this for years. It's good because you can dress up easily. It double well, freezes well (because of the butter) and makes a lot. I usually double and and use for other things like fried rice.

The one thing about rice is not to skimp on the salt, that's where the blandness comes in.

Baked Rice Pilaf

Preheat oven 350

Medium Onion diced
3-4 Ribs Celery diced
2-3 Carrots diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced fine
about a teaspoon of dried Thyme (Change the dried herb to match what you are cooking-Italian would be Oregano and Basil Maybe)
Salt
Generous fresh pepper

1 stick of butter

Saute butter, veggies and herbs until onions are lightly translucent.

Prepare Oven Baking Dish with baking spray (I use an old corning ware one, I think it is a 3 qt)

Bring 3 Cups Chicken stock to a boil (Or water and bouillon works too)

Add 1 1/2 C White or Jasmine Rice to the prepared dish
Add Veggies, mix and coat rice with the butter
Add boiling stock and lightly stir.

Cover and bake for about 45-55 minutes.

Fluff up and serve.

To dress up add some fresh parsley, fresh green onion, pine nuts, dried cranberries, or lemon zest....You get the idea. Whatever will bridge what you are already cooking. For example, if you are making Grilled Chicken Teriyaki - I would add at the end some fresh grated ginger, fresh green onions and some chopped cilantro.

 

[wenrob]

I use a can of chicken (beef or veggie depending on what I'm making) broth and a table spoon or two of butter in mine. I like to make pilaf too but I'm the only one in the family that likes it so not often. Have you tried making risotto? My teen makes this and you can do all sorts of things. Usually she uses parm and scallions but also has made it with sour cream, garlic and lemon.

 

[LovesTimone]

I use Chicken, Beef or Vegetable stock or broth to cook in, This will give it a richer flavor. I prefer the low sodium so that I can add in my own salt. You can use canned or make your own.

Don't skimp on the salt, rice is one of those items that needs salt.

Adding some condensed soup to the rice, like cream of chicken, or cream of broccoli or broccoli and cheese.

Make a veggie rice with leftover veggie from another night, add to the rice, and if a lot of veggies you might need to add extra water, or add in the soup.

 

[scrapshappen]

I also do the broth and butter thing when we are having rice as a side dish.

I also recently started making my own Spanish or Lemon Greek Rice when the occasion calls for it. My family loves both of these recipes I found on pinterest:

Greek: http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com/2013/07/greek-chicken-souvlaki-with-lemon-rice.html (I've made the souvlaki that is on this blog too and it's really good with the rice).

Spanish: http://mytastebuddies.blogspot.com/2009/02/restaurant-spanish-rice.html

The secret to both of these is browning the rice before you add the liquid. I have also found with both of these recipes that they are better if made with long grain rice and even better if made a few hours before you serve it.

 

[MataHari22]

Some easy things I often have on hand that I use to perk up rice are:

Pesto (I make it all summer, fresh, and at the end of the summer, I take the last basil from the garden, and I either make pesto, or just an herb purée and I freeze it in ice cube trays, and then pop them out and put them into a zip lock Baggie and store in the freezer.) You can take a cube or two and pop that in your stock when you make rice for a flavorful rice.

Sun dried tomatoes packed in EVOO. Sauté of garlic and the sun dried tomatoes and toast the rice in there, and then add the chicken stock or water.

Olives or an olive tapenade.

Saffron. It's expensive, yes, but I love it. I grew up with my great grandfather and then my father, making paella in a paella pan my great grandfather brought home while in Spain.

Left over spaghetti sauce. Sometimes, you have only a tiny bit of sauce leftover in a jar or left after dinner. I use it as part of the liquid for my rice. I will make Spanish rice with it.

Indian Style Rice. (Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon....)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/indian-style-basmati-rice/

 

[aliceindisneyland]

...

Don't skimp on the salt, rice is one of those items that needs salt....

I agree. If you are looking to replicate a boxed rice mix, buy it one more time, and take the time to taste the broth after adding the seasoning packet. Make sure your homemade broth tastes as salty as the boxed mix broth did.

A home cook would never willingly add that amount of salt, but it is indeed what makes that boxed rice so tasty!

 

[The Princess]

This is a recipe my mom makes:



1 cup rice 3/4 of a stick of butter
in a frying pan melt the butter add the rice to coat once you have done that
put it into a casserole dish then add
1 can of camp bells soup beef consume ( i think that is just a beef broth??)
1 can of camp bells soup french onion soup

cook 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes


Enjoy!

 

[buckirj1]

cook rice in broth, add dried fruit bits and almonds to cooked rice, mix in sliced green onions.

 

[Nztara]

We call this "brown rice." It's not the healthy version; it's the color. Lol
1 cup of rice
1 can beef broth
1 can beef consume (they are different)
Combine in a covered baking dish. Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.



Charleston Red rice is a meal in itself. There are soooo many variations of it, by here is one:
http://www.food.com/recipe/charleston-red-rice-238319

 

[Dakota731]

1 cup of rice
1 can beef broth
1 can beef consume (they are different)
Combine in a covered baking dish. Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

This is our family's favorite as well except we add a can of mushrooms - so easy and delicious!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Thanks so much for taking the time to list your recipes! I'm going to try them all

 

[cgattis]

This is our family's favorite as well except we add a can of mushrooms - so easy and delicious!

DH's aunt made this for Thanksgiving one year, and my MIL (her sister) said "why'd you make that? Nobody likes rice..." The bowl was scraped clean, and has been at every gathering since, including breakfasts! That stuff is awesome!! (And needless to say, MIL doesn't have a lot of Asian friends...LOL)

 

[LuvOrlando]

I was settling in to pick one for tomorrows Dinner when I realized I dont know if you guys mean cooked or uncooked instant rice- or - cooked or uncooked the slow cook kind for some of these. Thank you

 

[scrapshappen]

I was settling in to pick one for tomorrows Dinner when I realized I dont know if you guys mean cooked or uncooked instant rice- or - cooked or uncooked the slow cook kind for some of these. Thank you

I'm pretty sure for all of these you start with uncooked long grain rice. Most will work with minute rice too, you just have to adjust the cooking time. But I think you will find you will like the rice better if you use the rice that takes longer to make.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Much appreciated, I figured it was probably long grain but wasn't sure, every once in a while a recipe surprises me

 

[Nztara]

My recipe was long grain rice. I have a friend who uses just the can of beef consume with minute rice in her microwave rice cooker. It's pretty good, too.

 

[barkley]

we do it a couple of different ways.

if we are using the rice cooker we have followed the regular recipe and then added (prior to cooking) different seasonings depending on what we're having with it-always making sure to add at least a little bit of salt to bring out the flavor. we've also done it in the cooker replacing beef or chicken stock for the water.

if we want something that stands out a bit more we take a Spanish rice recipe (the type where you lightly brown the rice in a bit of oil in a frying pan before adding the liquids), and replaced the salsa ingredient with other liquids. we do this largely with simmer sauces from the grocery store-my family really likes it when I get the Indian sauces (curry, masala) at trader Joes for this purpose.