Rice is truly one of my favorite side dishes. It goes perfectly with everything and it is frugal to boot! I love white rice, but have been working lately on adding more whole grains to our family’s diet. The problem with my family is that they are really resisting the whole grain switch. It seems to be all about texture with them so it takes a really great recipe to get them on board with the changes.
These days, I have been working really hard to find a recipe for brown rice that my whole family would enjoy. You may remember my Notebook Experiment where I attempted cooking brown rice the same way as you cook pasta. My concern with that version was that I was boiling out the nutrients of the rice.
A couple of great people suggested trying Alton Brown’s method of cooking brown rice and I am so glad they did! I had been on a search for the perfect brown rice and stumbled upon the same recommendation to try Alton Brown’s recipe.
We have already eaten this brown rice four times in the last two weeks and I know that I will probably never make another version of brown rice again. It is perfectly fluffy, delicious without the grainy taste, and has been devoured by all in our family. My son has been begging for brown rice with our meals and that is how I know that this recipe will a repeat performer each week.
Alton Brown’s Baked Brown Rice
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water (we substituted this with chicken broth instead)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
Amy’s Notes- When I package this up for leftovers, I add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth to the rice before storing it for later. This seems to help keep the rice more moist and helps it hold it’s texture a little better.
Do you have any whole grain recipes your family enjoys or any creative ways of adding more whole grains to their diet? Please share!
Related Links:
Presto Pesto Rice
Yummy Mexican Rice
Lemony Rice Pilaf
Interesting! I have never baked rice, but it seems like it would use quite a bit more energy to cook it this way than on the stove.
I cook my rice on the stove top, not boiled like pasta, but on the lowest setting (once it reaches boiling point, I turn it down). It turns out just fine!
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Tammy- I have been throwing it in with whatever else is cooking- veggies, baking chicken, pork chops, etc… My kids didn't seem to like it with the stove top method, but loved this variation. You gotta do what works for you though
Thanks so much for stopping by!
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Baking rice? Haven't done it. Might have to try it. Again, thanks for sharing.
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I use my handy dandy rice cooker and get perfect brown rice every time. I sometimes use water as the cooking liquid, and sometimes broth. Both work perfectly.
I never would have thought a rice cooker was worth buying, but it makes cooking rice so easy, we eat rice more often. I love it. I started using it when my brother moved in with us, bringing his from college dorm living. When he moved out in the fall, I requested a rice cooker for Christmas, because I found I stopped cooking rice without my rice cooker.
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That is awesome – thanks for sharing! I so appreciate not having to try things out myself, a recommendation can save so much time. I always add a bit of water when reheating any kind of rice – works like a charm!
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This could also be done when you're already baking something else-making cookies, bread, roast beef, whatever. The pan of rice can just bake right along with whatever else you've got going on in the oven. You'll have it ready to reheat at your convenience and you'll have gotten double use out of heating up your oven.
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I just LOVE Alton Brown and his recipes! Gonna have to try this one!
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Crud – an HOUR?! DaHubby's due home in 30. OK, so I'll make it next time and just make white rice tonight.
But, thanks for the recipe. I'll definitely be using it – at least until having the oven on for an hour gets too hot! LOL
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This is great! I like brown rice just fine but it definitely does not have the texture and delish factor that white has! I will have to try this method out. Thanks!
Ashley
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Amy,
Have you tried freezing this rice and reheating. I wonder if you could put it in steamer bags and freeze. I've bought the frozen brown rice before from Bird's Eye or Green Giant before, but would love to make my own. That seems to be a solution to the whole "I don't have an hour to cook" dilemma. Maybe I'll make some tonight with some chicken and freeze a portion and experiment.
If you've frozen some with good results, I'd love to hear your tips.
Thanks,
Amy @ Goo Goo Buy Buy
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Amy- Rice can be frozen for up to six months. I would just freeze it in freezer bags and flatten them so you can stack them.
To reheat the rice:
Add 2 tablespoons of liquid per cup of rice.
* For Top of Range. Cover and heat about 5 minutes until heated thoroughly throughout. Use low heat for best results. The amount of time may vary slightly depending on how much you're reheating. Fluff with fork.
* For Microwave. Cover and cook on HIGH about 1 minute per cup. Cook frozen rice 2 minutes on HIGH for each cup. Fluff with fork. (Note: Many people prefer reheating their rice in the microwave, according to the USA Rice Federation.)
Those were the guidelines I found- let me know how it turns out!
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Tip for adding whole grains to your diet… try mixing white with whole grain, slowly increasing the whole grain. We did this with rice, pasta, bread, crackers, waffles, you name it!
Also, some neat add ins for rice are broken up whole wheat spaghetti (Rachael Ray Rice Pilaf), or some toasted almonds (stirred in at the end).
I season rice with a little kosher salt and EVOO. Mild and maybe a little healthier than butter?
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Thank you so much for this recipe. I have also been trying to incorporate more whole grains and we LOVE white rice, but my husband really doesn't like the texture of brown rice so I can't wait to try this.
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I have been making brown rice this way for years! It is the easiest, tastiest way to prepare and eat brown rice. It came out perfect the first time I made it and every time after that! Thanks for posting
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Ooh, this sounds great! Thanks for the recipe! I've never tried to bake rice but I'm excited to give it a go.
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I love Alton Brown~!
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In the oven baking now, I can’t wait to see if my family will eat brown rice using this method–all others have failed!
.-= Tracey´s last blog ..Slipcovered Ottoman–Takes 4 years To Make =-.
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Just tried this recipe, so much better than using the hob! This is definitely going to be my brown rice method from now on.
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