The Carolina Cuisine Network

This classic baked side dish is very popular and easy to make. It’s made with white rice and has several names and variations.

This is a classic Southern rice recipe that has been passed down for generations. Baked rice turns out fluffy and will not scorch as stove-top rice can. It has several variations and names such as Consommé Rice, Brown Rice, Onion Rice, and Stick-of-Butter Rice. The recipe I’m endorsing and sharing is low in fat and high on taste. This adapted recipe came from my sweet Christian Grandmother Elizabeth, with variations following. Any recipe you chose to try can quickly become a staple rice recipe for any night of the week. Let me know what you think of it.

You will need an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish for these easy rice recipes for beginner cooks.

Grandmas Brown Rice

Yields about 3.5 cups of cooked rice. You will need an 8×8-inch baking dish. Rub the bottom of dish with cold butter.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup White Rice
• 1 can Beef Consomme’ (10.5 ounces)
• 1/4 cup Water, cold
• 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 1-2 Tablespoons Butter, cold and cut into pieces

PREPARE:

1. In a bowl, combine liquids with onion soup mix. Stir until mixed. Put rice in bottom of prepped baking dish. Add contents of bowl and scrape all the onion bits into the rice dish. Top it with pieces of cold butter.
2. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 50 minutes. Remove dish from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before uncovering. Serve rice warm.
3. Cover, date, and refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days.

This delicious rice is a side dish recipe you’ll use often. It goes well with chicken, beef, and pork and never needs gravy. It’s versatile too!

---

Variations of Grandmas Baked Rice include:

• Prepare rice recipe as written but omit butter. Top the rice with fresh pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper and cover the dish with foil. Bake 325 degrees for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow rice to rest for at least 5 minutes prior to uncovering the dish. Check chops for doneness. Top with freshly chopped green onions, rosemary or parsley and serve.

• Add a jar of sliced mushrooms, drained and rinsed or a half cup of fresh, sliced mushrooms to the original baked rice recipe before baking. I prefer to sauté fresh mushrooms in a teaspoon of margarine or butter before adding them. They can be served on top of cooked rice or baked with rice. Fresh mushrooms add flavor and a punch of nutrients such as zinc to the rice.
• Onion Rice, use 1 cup of dry white rice, 1 14.5 ounce can (411 g) of Reduced Sodium Beef Broth, and 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter. Substitute 1 packet of dry Onion Recipe Soup & Dip Mix with Beefy Onion Recipe Soup Mix for extra flavor. Add an additional 1/4 cup of cold water and pour all into the baking dish. Top with 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces. Bake covered for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow rice to rest covered an additional 5 minutes before stirring and serving. Yields about 4 cups of flavorful cooked rice.
• Stick-of-Butter Rice, use 3/4 cup dry white rice and 1 10.5 ounce can of Beef Consommé in a baking dish. Top the rice with 1 stick of unsalted butter cut into pieces. Cover the dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow rice to rest at least 5 minutes before uncovering. Stir and serve. Yields about 2, 1/2 cup servings.

---

Brown Rice Casserole

You will need an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Yields about 4 cups.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Beef Consomme’ (10.5 ounces)
• 1 cup dry White Rice
• 1 can Water, cold
• 3/4 stick Margarine
• 1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup White Onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Celery, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARE:

1. In a shallow frying pan melt 1 teaspoon margarine. Add celery, bell peppers, and onions. Cook a few minutes until translucent. Sprinkle with salt and stir in garlic. Cook on low heat another 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat.
2. In the baking dish, combine rice, consommé, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scrape the pan of vegetables and juices into the rice mixture.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 55 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest at least 5 minutes prior to uncovering. Stir rice to fluff it up. Garnish with chopped green onions and/or parsley. Serve rice warm.
4. Cover and date leftovers. Refrigerate and eat within 3 days.
5. Make this recipe vegetarian by replacing beef consommé with vegetable broth.

---

Have you ever eaten a version of one of these rice recipes? Try a variation of this rice and let me know which you prefer.