Vegetable rice bake with cheese Recipe
This bake is a great way to use up cooked rice and vegetables left in the fridge. In Polish kitchens it often appears as a meatless weekday dinner, when you want to eat something lighter but still filling. It’s a bit like Greek moussaka, only instead of eggplant and meat you have rice, vegetables, and lots of cheese.
This vegetable rice bake is a clever way to “clean out the fridge” – it combines cooked rice with colourful vegetables into a filling yet light main course. Thanks to the tomato sauce with basil it has a gently Mediterranean character while still feeling very homely and comforting. It’s a dish that’s easy to adapt to whatever you have on hand, without strictly sticking to a set ingredient list.
Chef's tips
Cook the rice al dente – slightly firm, as it will cook further in the oven and then won’t turn to mush. Sauté the vegetables over fairly high heat so excess moisture evaporates but they don’t fall apart; that way they keep their shape and a bit of crunch in the bake. After taking it out of the oven, give the bake a few minutes to rest – it’s easier to cut and doesn’t fall apart on the plate.
How to serve
Serve as a standalone weekday dinner with a simple Chinese cabbage slaw or lettuce with vinaigrette. It also tastes good with plain yoghurt or a yoghurt-based garlic sauce, especially when you serve it as an evening meal for friends. It’s also a great dish to pack in a lunchbox for work – it reheats easily and doesn’t lose its flavour.
Ingredients
- rice dry, white or brown - 200 g
- carrot diced small or cut into thin half-slices - 2 pieces
- red bell pepper diced - 1 piece
- zucchini small, diced - 1 piece
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- yellow cheese grated - 150 g
- eggs to bind the mixture - 2 pieces
- oil for frying the vegetables - 2 tablespoons
- canned tomatoes chopped, peeled - 200 g
- dried basil or oregano - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cook the rice in salted water according to the instructions on the packet, until soft but not overcooked. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish with oil.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the carrot and fry for another 4–5 minutes, stirring, until it softens slightly.
- Add the bell pepper and zucchini and fry for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but still slightly firm. At the end add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked rice with the vegetable sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the rice and vegetables, mixing thoroughly so they are evenly distributed.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, smooth the top and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden and the mixture is set (when you press it lightly with a spoon it should not be runny).
- After removing from the oven, wait 5–10 minutes so the bake can firm up slightly before slicing.
Storage
Store cooled portions in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 2–3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot throughout; if needed, cover or add a spoonful of water so it doesn’t dry out.
