You don't know what to do with leftover rice? I have an idea for you! This leftover rice casserole is perfect for repurposing the previously cooked rice left in the fridge. It's creamy, cheesy, and so delicious!
Thinking about what to make with leftover rice? Don't worry! I've got you covered! This delicious leftover rice casserole is so good that you'll find yourself cooking extra rice on purpose!
At my house, we all love rice, and because I cook it so often, it's very common to have leftovers in the fridge. For this reason, I decided to post this delicious leftover rice casserole. Now, you can have a great recipe to make any time you have some cooked rice hanging around in your fridge.
Ingredients and substitutions
*All quantities are specified in the recipe card, down in this post.
- Cooked rice: Pre-cooked, old rice works wonderfully in this recipe. Freshly cooked rice might become a little too sticky. If you didn't season your rice when you first cooked it, you might want to be generous when seasoning this recipe.
- Cream cheese: It's going to help with flavor and creaminess.
- Milk: Any kind of milk.
- Eggs: To help bind it all together.
- Mustard: Regular or dijon to add flavor.
- Ham: I used ham, but you can use chicken, turkey, sausage, or any deli or leftover meat you'd like. You can also skip the meat altogether and make it vegetarian.
- Cheese: I used Mozzarella, but Colby, Monterrey Jack, and cheddar are also good options.
- Vegetables: I used tomato, carrot, and corn, but you could use other pre-cooked vegetables like peas, potatoes, asparagus, etc.
- Parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper: To make it even tastier.
How to make
Making this leftover rice casserole is very simple. Here's the step-by-step to guide you.
Customizations
This recipe is very versatile. As long as your protein and vegetables have been cooked (or it's fine to eat them raw), you can add them here.
Leftover after Easter: If you make this after Easter, you won't even need to buy ham from your Deli section. Just use the leftover ham from Easter, and you'll save time and money.
Leftover after Thanksgiving: Swap the ham in this recipe for leftover turkey from the day before.
Leftover after Christmas: This rice is perfect to make after Christmas, as you can use the leftover ham, chicken, or turkey that you'll probably have.
Leftover protein from any meal: Since this recipe is highly customizable, you can simply add any protein left from your previous meal. Beef, chicken, pork, sausage, etc... They all taste great in this rice.
FAQ
Absolutely! You don't need to have meat in this dish. You can add just vegetables if you prefer. Be creative and have fun with it!
This will depend on how old is your rice and protein (if added). If it's just a day old, it should be okay to keep this dish in the fridge for about 3 days. Although I doubt it would last that long! Just make sure to keep the rice refrigerated.
Leftover rice is preferred, but it should be okay to use freshly cooked 'instant rice' (the one that comes in a box). This one doesn't create as much starch after being cooked.
If you intend to cook regular rice and utilize it in this recipe right away, beware that it might get gummed or super sticky.
Oh, and did you know it's actually good to eat day-old rice? Find the benefits of it in this article.
Looking for more delicious recipes? We have more for you.
And here's something you can make using the extra egg white:
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📖 Recipe / Receita
Leftover Rice Casserole
Ingredients
For the cream
- 8 oz cream cheese (225 grams)
- 7 oz milk (200 ml)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon mustard (dijon or regular)
- salt and pepper to taste
To combine with the rice
- 5 cups cooked rice
- 7 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese (200 grams)
- 4 oz ham (cut into strips) (100 grams)
- 7 oz canned corn (200 grams)
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 tomato, diced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Topping
- 4 oz Mozzarella cheese (100 grams)
- oregano, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for about 30 seconds, or until easy to stir. Stir it until creamy.
- Add the milk, egg, egg yolk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix everything until the mixture is homogeneous.
- In a separate bowl, add cooked rice. Then add cheese, ham, vegetables, and parsley. Stir everything.
- Add the prepared cream to the rice mixture and stir until all the rice is coated.
- Transfer the rice mixture to a 13"x9" (32x22cm) greased baking dish and cover it with cheese and oregano. Bake it at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 20 minutes, or until the food is hot and the cheese is melted.
Notes
- You could add more mustard if you would like to have a more pronounced mustard flavor in this dish.
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Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional disclaimer
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
*All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc...
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Patricia says
This recipe is so delicious! It was 10:00 pm and I needed a quick dinner to prepare for my SIL and I. I had made an excess of rice the night before. I quickly googled a rice recipe for leftover rice and I chose your recipe as it sounded good and I had all the ingredients at hand. I made 1/2 the recipe since it was just the two of us. I added some thinly sliced zucchini, a little extra mozzarella, and dried oregano on top as I was concerned my fresh oregano might overpower the flavor of the casserole and it was my first time making it. I will try fresh next time in moderation. I also left out the ham. It came together quickly and baked for 25 minutes. This casserole is now going to be a go-to! Wonderful, delicate flavor. My SIL loved it too! We’re looking forward to the leftovers! Thank you!
Sara says
I work in a group home for adults with severe mental illness. It can be tough to find foods that all my clients like, but this casserole was an instant house favorite. Someone asks for it at least once a week. I've used many different combinations of various meats (even canned chicken!) vegetables and cheeses - whatever is leftover from other meals - and it comes out great every time. I also love that I can assemble this casserole on a night shift, cover it with foil, and leave it in the fridge for my coworker to bake for an easy dinner. Thank you for a delicious, versatile recipe that all of my clients truly love!
Lilian Vallezi says
Dear Sara, you made my day!!! I'm so happy to hear that your whole group loves it!!! Keep up with your beautiful work!
Thank you so much for such a kind comment!!!💛
Love,
Lilian
Linda says
This recipe was so very, very good! All my guests loved it!
Lilian Vallezi says
Hi Linda!
I'm so happy to hear it!!!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it!
Happy cooking!
Lilian
Melissa Bingham says
I made this using left-over fried rice and it was very good! I liked the extra mustard
Lilian Vallezi says
That's a great idea!! I'm glad you liked it!
Thanks for taking the time to review it.
Chris says
This was great! Served it with salsa for a yummy dinner. Next time I'll leave off the oregano, though. Thanks for the recipe!
Lilian Vallezi says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to review it.
Jane says
I made it tonight with leftover rotisserie chicken. Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Lilian Vallezi says
I'm so glad you all liked it Jane!