Cheesy baked rice casserole is a dish that my kids go crazy for. I don’t always make it on purpose, as it’s often born from leftover rice, especially plain, but even with tomato. Just add a bit of ragù, I’ve used vegetable ragù, but the classic one works just fine, peas, and also little mushrooms, and some stringy cheese that makes it irresistible. We can also prepare it the day before; in fact, I believe the flavors meld into something extraordinary that should be savored with every bite. A rich dish to serve when it’s cold outside, cheesy baked rice casserole will win over your guests and your palates. Let’s see together how to prepare the cheesy baked rice casserole.
Looking for more rice recipes? Here are some tasty ideas!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for preparing cheesy baked rice casserole
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
- 9 oz ragù (vegetable or classic)
- 1 scamorza
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- 3 1/2 oz Frozen peas
- 2 tbsp chopped celery, carrot, onion
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups milk
- 3 1/2 oz butter
- 1 3/4 oz all-purpose flour
- to taste salt
- to taste nutmeg
Tools
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- Casserole
- Lasagna Pan
Preparation of cheesy baked rice casserole
Prepare the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and toast it for a few minutes. Add the milk, salt, and nutmeg, and keep stirring while cooking until the béchamel thickens.
Bring salted water to a boil and add the rice. In a pan, sauté the chopped celery, carrot, and onion. Add the peas, salt, and pepper, and cook them by gradually adding some vegetable broth. Drain the rice al dente. In the meantime, dice the scamorza.
Combine the rice with the peas, béchamel, and ragù. Add the diced scamorza and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Top with grated cheese, a bit of chopped basil, and a drizzle of oil. Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F, and brown for 20 minutes. Serve the cheesy baked rice casserole hot.
Storage
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What can I use instead of scamorza?
You can use any stringy cheese you like.
What can I use instead of peas?
Mushrooms, either sautéed or trifolati, are a great alternative.
