Have you ever wondered how to sneak more veggies into your child’s dinner? This cheesy rice is lick-the-bowl good and will have your kids asking for more!
This recipe allows you to take your leftover vegetables and do something with them before you have to throw them out. There seems to always be a stray carrot or bell pepper in my fridge that I tend to forget about. Does this happen to you? If it does, you’ll love this recipe. There will be no more wasted veggies in your fridge each week.
This side dish will surely win over everyone in the house but especially if you are looking to win over your picky eaters. Just the name is exciting enough: Cheesy Stop-Light Rice. This recipe can be made quickly, and it’s perfect for those dinner-in-a-hurry nights! If you find yourself with extra grated zucchini, you might want to hop on over to our Carrot & Zucchini Bars recipe. Kids love this dish? Double it and pack it in a thermos in their lunch box.
Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Cheese Rice with Veggies
This healthy rice recipe is perfect for picky eaters
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Pinch of salt
- 1 medium zucchini, grated
- 1 small carrot, grated
- ¼ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil.
- Add the minced garlic and rice to the saucepan, and toss until fully coated.
- Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, and cover the saucepan.
- Cooke for 15 to 20 minutes until most of liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the rice from the heat, and stir in the grated zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, and cheese.
- Ready to serve and eat!
Jenn Sprung
So after a really busy day, followed by an evening of wandering aimlessly around my kitchen wondering what to eat I saw this recipe pop up in my Facebook feed. And I figured that since I had everything listed I would give it a try. AWESOME decision- best rice I’ve had in ages! Thanks for this one, it’s a keeper! Happy Cooking!
Laura
thank you Jenn!! So glad you loved it!
Michelle | Creative Food
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Christy
Think it will work with brown rice? That’s all we eat now to get in as many whole grains as possible. I didn’t even know the arsenic problem and am not changing the way we cook now. There would be such a slim chance of getting it.
Laura
it will. just change cooking time and adjust when you add in the ingredients. :)
[email protected] Family Fresh Meals
I finally made this for the first time tonight and the whole family LOVED it. And it was super easy! My husband already asked me to make this for his lunch next week (and he HATES zucchini!) HA
Michelle | Creative Food
Corey! I’m so glad to hear that!! That is awesome and completely made my day!
Brandy Bennett
This looks delicious. We eat a lot of brown rice at home, and on occasion we have white rice dishes a well. What is your opinion on the recent news of arsenic found in rice in the US? I hate to omit it from our diet, but the reports have been somewhat concerning. I would love to know what you are thinking.
Laura
Hi Brandy! Thanks for submitting this question. It’s a topic that I’ve been reading a lot about lately and have been paying close attention to. I personally live in the south, where the rice with the highest concentrations of arsenic are grown. Personally, I’ve began to rinse rice before I cook it, swapped it out with white rice (as much as it pains me to write this), and have eliminated it from my infant’s meals. Here is an article that might help you http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/10/arsenic-in-rice. I am concerned and wished that farming practices weren’t so “dirty” and because of mass production relied so much on pesticides. I hope I helped!
Brandy Bennett
Thank you so much for the link. After reading the artice, I feel confident I can make an informed decision for my family. It’s a sad and worrying situation to say the least. Thanks again!