There are simple recipes in any cook’s kitchen that produce go-to dishes that never fail. I recently stirred one up with just 4 ingredients and paired it with re-gifted (aka leftover) meatloaf and a green veggie. This has been a standard on my mom’s table and on mine for many years. It came from a church cookbook of days gone by, shared by Aunt Joyce … minus her mushrooms. You could add the mushrooms if you like, but my family (and often my budget) prefers that I just leave them out.

This baked rice takes the guess work and stress out of knowing when rice is perfectly done, and it’s even been the subject of rave reviews by Asian friends who qualify as riceperts. You can use this recipe for white or brown rice; if you go with brown (a little healthier, right?) then just double the bake time to 2 hours. I’ve successfully put this together and popped it into an oven set on a timer, so that I look like a rock star mom-cook after church on a Sunday.

Best Easy Baked Rice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a medium sized glass casserole dish.

Combine 4 Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of rice (white or brown)
2. 1 stick of butter (It’s okay if you want to cut that down a bit)
3. 1 can of Beef Consomme (You can also use an equivalent of beef or veggie or chicken broth)
4. 1 can of water (Using the Consomme can)

Cover snuggly with foil.

Bake it for one hour if you used white rice. Bake it for two if you used brown rice.

The texture and taste are just right. This is not sticky or bland. You might just decide you LOVE rice!  For the first time ever, the people around your table just might fight over the last bit of rice. This serves four.  ENJOY!

(*And if you want to go with mushrooms, stir in a small, drained can of sliced mushrooms.)

Have a delicious weekend!