Do you have leftover boiled rice? Then you could use it to prepare these delicious baked rice cakes. They are easy to make, versatile, and delicious both hot and at room temperature. I’ll tell you… they started as a simple recovery idea, but with the addition of a soft cheese fondue (which I only thought of later) they soon turned into a perfect dish to serve even as an appetizer. However, if you want to keep them simpler and suitable for everyday meals, you can serve them without fondue, accompanied by a fresh salad or some confit tomatoes. This way, they will be a homemade and waste-free recipe, perfect for recycling rice creatively.
Other ideas with boiled rice that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for 4 Baked Rice Cakes
As I mentioned in the presentation of this recipe, you don’t necessarily have to accompany these cakes with the fontina fondue. They are also excellent paired with a simple green salad or any vegetable side dish.
- 7 oz boiled rice
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 tbsp pesto alla Genovese
- 1 oz grated Grana Padano (or Parmigiano)
- 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 2.5 oz fontina
- salt
- black pepper
- oil or butter (for greasing the molds)
- grated cheese and breadcrumbs (for the molds and for sprinkling the tops of the cakes)
- 0.35 oz butter
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 3.5 fl oz fresh liquid cream
- 2.8 oz fontina
- nutmeg
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan small
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Muffin Mold
- 1 Brush
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Small Pot
Preparation of Baked Rice Cakes
For the preparation of these baked rice cakes, you need boiled rice that is now cold. The best would be rice cooked the day before and stored in the refrigerator. This is because freshly boiled rice contains a lot of moisture and tends to be soft and sticky. On the contrary, well-cooled rice allows for cakes that are more consistent on the outside and soft inside, cakes that do not crumble, maintain their shape during cooking, and are not too wet. However, if you have freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray and let it cool first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator for about half an hour.
Heat a small pan well and toast a tablespoon of pine nuts for a few moments; then remove them immediately from the pan to prevent burning and set them aside.
Put the boiled and now cold rice in a bowl, add the egg, grated cheese, Genovese pesto, a pinch of salt, a generous grind of black pepper, and breadcrumbs and mix carefully.
Then, add 50 g of previously chopped fontina and the toasted pine nuts and mix again. You will need to obtain a soft but compact mixture. If it turns out too soft, add a bit more breadcrumbs.
Brush four muffin molds with butter or oil and sprinkle them with breadcrumbs.
Distribute the mixture inside the four molds, keeping a couple of spoonfuls aside. Then insert the remaining fontina (20 g) cut into 4 cubes in the center of each cake.
Cover with the rice mixture using the one set aside and level the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Finally, sprinkle with a little grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake the rice cakes in a preheated static oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about ten minutes before removing them from the molds. This will allow the cakes to compact and detach more easily from the sides.
Once this resting time has passed, turn the baked rice cakes upside down on a serving plate or cutting board. If you decide to serve them with the fondue, continue reading the recipe.
In a small pot, melt the butter over low heat. Then add the cornstarch and mix immediately and vigorously until you get a smooth cream.
At this point, pour in the cream in a thin stream and continue to stir to prevent lumps from forming. For a lighter version, you can substitute the cream with milk.
When the cream begins to thicken, add the coarsely chopped fontina and stir until it is completely melted and a velvety cream is obtained. It will only take a few minutes to prepare.
Scent the fontina fondue with black pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Enjoy! Paola
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