Recipe Collection: Broccoli-Cheese Rice

Back in the day, I used to love that boxed broccoli- cheese rice mix.  I would make it and eat it as a meal.  Of course, I don’t buy it anymore.  But I still love the concept.

Why not make it at home?

This can be a really fast lunch if you make it ahead of time.  Pair it with some baked chicken and a salad and you’re good to go.  Even if you don’t make it ahead, it’s still not bad — most of the time is “ignoring” anyway.  And it’s pretty yummy.  I actually made it with the chicken then ended up ignoring the chicken in favor of the rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1 c. brown rice (soaked, if desired)
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1/2 c. broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c. cream or half-and-half

Directions:

This is simple, but it takes awhile because the rice takes time to cook — it’s just a lot of wait time!  Expect this to take a good 45 minutes due to the rice cooking.  If you choose to use white basmati rice instead, it would cut the cooking time by about half.  I typically use brown.

In a medium frying pan, saute the onions over medium-high heat until soft.

Add the rice, and lightly saute for 2 – 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Add the chicken stock, stir, and cover.  Add sea salt to taste, or about 1/2 tsp. (you can add more later if needed).  This will cook with occasional stirring for about 30 – 40 minutes, until the rice is almost done.  It should look “puffy” and the grains should be splitting open.

When the rice is almost cooked, stir in the chopped broccoli florets.

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