Super Simple Tasty Oven Cooked Rice
This super simple yet deliciously tasty oven cooked rice recipe is a doddle to make. It’s even toddler friendly so suitable for the whole family to enjoy. And the best part is that you can use whatever ingredients you have in the fridge. My recipe below features tomato, basil, chicken and mozzarella. But as a pescatarian I know it’s just as delicious with freshly grilled fish. Or you can make it with tofu and spinach for a nourishing vegetarian dish.
Further Reading: A Quality Quiche Recipe – Step by Step Photo Instructions
About this Oven Cooked Rice Recipe
The ingredient amounts in this recipe happily feed two adults and two children. If you’re cooking for more just follow the instructions for cooking your rice – you’ll find them on the packet. Usually it’s half a cup of rice to one cup of water for the absorption method. And it’s usually a half cup of rice per person. But it is entirely up to you how much you like to eat. And whether the dish is going to be used as a side dish or a main dish.
To cook this dish I use a big cast iron Le Creuset dish with a lid, but of course any large ovenproof dish, preferably one with a lid, will do. Just remember it does need to be big enough to hold all your ingredients, and rice will triple in size when cooked. When it comes to the stock you can use chicken or vegetable stock. I usually cook this dish without meat and so go for vegetable stock – and I always add two stock cubes for added flavour.
Tomato & Basil Oven Cooked Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups / approx 300g of Basmati Rice
- 2 tablespoons of Butter
- 1 clove of Garlic – crushed
- A small Onion – chopped
- 1 pinch of Salt
- A pinch of Black Pepper
- 4 cups / approx 1l of Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 2 cooked Chicken Breasts (precook how you like – roast or poach)
- 1 Mozzarella ball
- 20g of Fresh Basil
- 200g of Cherry Tomatoes
- 50g of Parmesan *optional
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 220º
- Add the butter to your ovenproof dish and place in the oven.
- When the butter is melted stir in the onions, garlic, rice and stock.
- Place in the middle of the oven, covered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime wash and chop the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Wash and tear the basil leaves.
- Chop the mozzarella into small cubes and grate some parmesan if you are adding it to the dish.
- Shred the chicken breasts, or chop them into cubes if serving to littles.
- After about 40 minutes, remove the rice from the oven and fluff it with a fork.
- Fold into the rice the: chicken, chopped cherry tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, torn basil leaves and grated parmesan.
- Place the lid on the dish for a few minutes to let the tomatoes heat and mozzarella melt
- Serve immediately – whilst the mozzarella is soft and enjoy! (leftovers are lovely cold too)
If you don’t have an onion, leave it out. If you don’t have basil, add spinach instead! The same goes with the mozzarella, swap it for emmental. The beauty of this dish is that you use what you have and experimentation is always welcome.
PIN: A Super Simple Tasty Tomato & Basil Oven Cooked Rice Recipe
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