Green Rice Casserole – Casseroles are my best friend, chum, buddy, and savior. Where were you for more than half of my life? You can’t imagine the joy of simply mixing everything together and popping it in the oven.
From hearty one dish meals like Chicken Pot Pie Casserole to Johnny Marzetti, to sides like Squash Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole, they are must-haves in my life. Yes, my friends, we deserve to have easy, cozy, undemanding days.
This green rice casserole will make sure you have all that and some more. More when it comes to taste and flexibility. Creamy, cheesy mishmash of just a few things and the goodness of spinach.
Try my super duper easy green rice casserole, you are going to love these vintage American flavors. Yes, when I say vintage American flavors, this green casserole makes the mark, as you might find this in some old cookbooks dating back to the 1930’s.
Whipping up a quick casserole with rice along with whatever was on hand was very common, especially in the south. Earlier, they seem to have been made with parsley or various bitter greens, but gradually green peas, broccoli, spinach and green bell peppers started appearing in the pot.
This casserole can take any form, depending what green veggies would go inside. Whatever you add, when you mix anything with cream and cheeses be assured it’s going to turn up awesome.
This has every merit to be the yum side dish this upcoming holiday season. Or it would become a complete meal by adding some protein for that easy meal night. Sound good? Let’s see how quick and easy this one is…
Ingredients Needed
- Cooked Rice – I am using cooked basmati rice, as that’s what we have most often around here. Leftover rice is perfect for this lazy recipe.
- Spinach – Frozen chopped spinach this time, as the whole idea is to make it easy on you. Just defrost before using.
- Green bell pepper – Another green vegetable.
- Scallions – For extra flavors.
- Garlic – Just a hint.
- Ricotta – Now you’re talking, baby… yum factor!
- Sour cream – It’s creamy delicious.
- Cheese – We are using sharp cheddar today.
- Salt & Pepper
Green Casserole Recipe
All I’m doing is mixing cooked rice with ricotta, sour cream, garlic, and most of the cheese. I season it with salt and pepper and mix well. Then, I add in spinach, chopped bell pepper, and scallion and mix everything together.
I butter my casserole dish and scrape the rice mixture into the prepared casserole. I sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese on top and bake it in a preheated oven for about half an hour, until the cheese is golden and melting. I told you, super duper easy!
Let it cool a bit and dig in. Marvel at the simple easy delicious creamy cheesy flavors of spinachy goodness. Reminds me of Creamed Spinach.
Some variations
- Sometimes I like to try different rice, like brown rice or wild rice.
- I also experiment with different veggies, with or without spinach, like broccoli, peas, corn, or mushrooms.
- Use your favorite cheese instead of cheddar for a different flavor profile. I tried this with feta and can’t stop polishing it off. It’s almost like Greek spanakopita!
- Add leftover chicken, steak, salmon, tuna or even ham to make it a complete meal. I can even see ground beef going great in here.
Storage
One more bit of good news… This is great make ahead casserole. Just make it a day ahead of the upcoming holidays, cover and refrigerate, then bake it the next day. One less side dish to worry about on a busy cooking holiday. Once cooked, it refrigerates well for 4-5 days.
Well, that’s it. I am going to keep it nice and short, as this recipe demands. If you’re searching for some easy side dish or meal, this is it. You can’t get much easier than this green rice casserole!
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Green Rice Casserole, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great sides this holiday season:
Creamed Peas with Pearl Onions
Chili Maple Sweet Potatoes
Lazy Sweet Potato Mash
Cherry Tomato Gratin
Thanksgiving Kale Salad
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Butternut Squash Blossom
Succotash
Green Rice Casserole
This green rice casserole is a great addition to your holiday spread. Creamy, cheesy goodness with spinach and peppers, this might become a new tradition!
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups cooked basmati or long grain rice
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 medium size green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sour cream
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2 quart casserole or cast iron pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, about three-quarters of the cheddar, ricotta, sour cream, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Mix till well blended.
- Add in spinach, bell pepper, and scallions and mix till well blended.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top and bake till golden, about 30 minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is very flexible. Try experimenting with different veggies, cheeses, or even different types of rice.
- You can make this ahead of time to make your holiday easier. Just cover and refrigerate over night, then bake it the next day.
- Leftovers can be stored 4-5 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 584Total Fat 37gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 110mgSodium 673mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 28g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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Oh this does look good. Perfect for a side dish, pot luck, or main dish. Yummmm.
Thank you.. Let us know if you try this one..:)
This looks delicious, we are a brown rice family, but this looks easy to change. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you.. enjoy..:)
Alpana, my mom used to make this when we were kids, and she used eggs instead of the ricotta and sour cream. (we’ve always watched cholesterol). it is so fabulous. I think a touch of nutmeg might be good, too. she didn’t use it, I just thought of it.
Thanks for the warm memory, mera dost.
I am glad you are with me in this “journey” of mine .. like we did others in real world..:) Nutmeg really sounds great. Will give it a try next time. Stay safe and good Amy.. Happy Thanksgiving..!!