When you think of rice, do you automatically think of Asian recipes, or maybe rice pudding with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top? By itself, rice can be pretty bland, but I think of it as being a good receptacle for flavors. That’s what makes it so popular with spicy dishes like General Tso’s Chicken at its best.

If you’ve ever gotten bored with rice, maybe you should put aside those three recipes you’ve been rotating through and try something new. Like most grains, it’s pretty versatile and sometimes you just have to think outside the box to get something interesting out of it.

How To Cook Rice

It’s pretty simple, really, but you’d be amazed by how many people get used to “instant” rice and then they wonder why their rice doesn’t get done when they switch brands.

Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 8 cups plus 1 additional cup chicken broth

• 4 cups rice

• 3 cups combined cubed dry bread and dried cranberries (or cranberry bread if you can find it)

• 1 ½ cup celery, chopped fine

• 1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained

• ¾ cup chopped pecans

• ¾ cup pine nuts

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 Granny Smith apple, diced

• ½ cup finely chopped dried apricots

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Method:

Combine 8 cups chicken broth with 4 cups rice in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until rice is semi-tender. Do not drain. Combine 1 cup chicken broth, bread, cranberries, celery, water chesnuts, pecans, pine nuts, onion, apple, apricots and garlic in slow cooker. Add the rice-chicken broth mixture to bread mixture in slow cooker; stir well until evenly mixed. Cook on low for 40 minutes until wild rice is split.

Chicken & Rice for a Crowd

Baked Mushroom Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked white rice

• 1 10.75-ounce can mushroom soup

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• ½ cup chopped onion

• ¼ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 tsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• ¼ cup butter, melted

• salt and pepper to taste

• ¼ cup water

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Combine rice, mushroom soup and vegetable broth. Add onion, mushrooms, parsley, oregano, butter, salt and pepper. Transfer to casserole dish. Add ¼ cup water evenly over casserole to insure rice doesn’t dry out. Cover with foil or lid and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until rice is tender. Serve with favorite main dishes like baked chicken.

Ecuadorian Rice With Seafood

Beet and Cheddar Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 beet, peeled and quartered

• 2 cups loosely packed beet greens without stems

• 2 cups water

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 cup Arborio rice

• 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

• grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Method:

Combine water and broth in large pot and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. While waiting, pulse beet and greens in blender or food processor until finely chopped. Heat olive oil in saucepan; add onion and sauté until tender. Add rice; cook and stir 2 minutes. Mix in beet and greens mixture; cook another minutes. Mix in water and broth mix, one cup at a time, allowing mixture to be absorbed each time. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until mixture is creamy and thick, about 3 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese for topping.

Do More With Rice