I am making plans for eating for the upcoming month. I think I will cook up a big batch of rice for the little one and I to use for lunch in the week. We can rotate peanut butter sandwiches with fruit or veggie slice sides, soup and rice dishes. I have a few other ideas too I think.

Give me some new ideas to work with for rice. I can do rice and eggs, meatless fried rice, lemon rice, rice and gravy. What else is out there that only take basic ingredients?

 

 

 I make a simple rice "pudding" with leftover rice - it's nice warm for breakfast or cold as a dessert.

I do a 'quick' dinner by steaming brocolli mixing with a bit of my favorite BBQ sauce and then mixing in cooked rice.   Sounds kinda icky... but try it... you may find you like it. :)    You can also saute onions, add the BBQ sauce and rice.   Could cook the broccolli any way you like actually... could use fresh or frozen. Add a 'protein' to this if you want - tofu, chicken, beef, pork.   I use this as a way to use up whatever left over already cooked 'meat' I have on hand.   You could use any other kind of 'sauce' -  I just happen to usually have BBQ sauce on hand.

 

My choices would be to mix in a veggie and stir in or top with a cheese or soup-type sauce. For example, there's a common favorite casserole of rice, broccoli, Swiss cheese, and cream of ____ soup. AM

What about Hopping john or spanish rice?  There's plenty of recipe variations on line...

I have been know to 'improvise' enchiladas/tacos with left over rice, a can of beans (pinto, black, pink) and tortillas - I mix the rice with the beans (drained and rinsed) add a teaspoon of ground cumin and dried oregano (or a teaspoon of Taco seasoning mix).  Spread that in (or on) a tortilla sprinkle with some cheese (monteray jack? Cheddar?  Taco mix) heat and serve.  Nice with a chunky salsa.

 I don't eat much meat  so most of my suggestions will be vegetarian - but feel free to add a 'meat' to anything I suggest.   Most of the reciepes I use (and suggest) are yummy both ways with and without meat.

 You might consider congee -- 10 to 1 ratio of liquid to rice and simmer for 1.5 hours or until the rice has turned into a lovely porridge.  Stir stuff (protein, veggies, spices, fruit, etc.) in when it's done.  You can use broth for a savory congee, water or juice for sweet.  If you're including protein (chicken is classic), you can put the raw stuff in with the rice and liquid.  Or stir already cooked meat, tofu, fish into the congee before serving.  Same with veggies. Sprinkle with seeds, nuts, cheese, or herbs.  Search online for various congee recipes.

Thomasina, your rice pudding sounds wonderful!

 Brandy, do you like egg foo yung? With the rice, you could make a variation: just mix it with some raw egg and other ingredients (veggies and/or meat) as you choose, to form some patties that you can fry in oil. You can put gravy on them (season regular brown gravy with soy for an easy likeness) and voila!

 Mix it up with hamburger and some marinaria sauce green pepper and a small can of stewed crushed totatoe and ggarlic and onion spice is pepper ground kind and small amount of salt and a drop or two of ketchup mix tother with parsely spanishg rice I think they call it on recipes.com.

Add it to broth along with some veggies to make a soup ...    I've added rice to canned soups to give it some builk.

Course, there's red beans and rice ... or black beans and rice.

Well look here, everyone beat me to it and boy are these some good suggestions so I'm glad they beat me to it, ha! Thomasina's creative ideas, from her tacos to her rice, never fail to make me smile. Great stuff folks, all great stuff. Mechanika mentioned egg foo young, that stuff is kickin' - I LOVE IT. The masterminds have beat me to it Brandy. I was out running errands. Boo hoo... shall I surrendor? Let me think of something that was not said... puts on thinking cap::: Okay, this is a long shot. It's not something I make but something you all might like - how about hamburger or cheeseburger rice... like Hamburger Helper met Rice A Roni, had a baby and out popped Brandy's Homemade Hamburger/Cheeseburger Helper Rice. I'm thinking ground beef sauteed with chopped onions and garlic and whatever spices/herbs you'd like, you can even add a can of tomatoes and Italian herbs to the mix, and then mixed into some of your rice you portioned for the dish. This could make an actual entree not just a side... serve veggies on the plate as a side. Leftovers make a good filler for lunches the next day in warm tortillas or taco shells. What do you think lol

Rice is a good filler for a frittata also.