Spinach Artichoke Rice Casserole
I love rice, it’s in my DNA I think, growing up, at my grandparents’ house, we would usually have white rice at every meal, usually accompanied with beans. My grandmother taught me how to make rice very young and it has always stuck with me, I know some people struggle with the little grain but keep trying! She also taught me to not waste food and re-use that leftover rice for another meal. Rice casseroles are definitely not Brazilian but damn they are good. This is inspired by the all-time favorite appetizer dip, mashing them together for an epic side dish that feels fancy without extra time. I served mine with steak, because it already has vegetables, I didn’t need more! This is gluten free and if you use plant-based cheeses, it is dairy free and vegan too! I going to be honest though, my kids wouldn’t even try it, which was a bummer but more for mama and daddy, we LOVED IT!
Spinach Artichoke Rice Casserole
1 cup medium-grain rice
2 cups water
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
6 oz baby spinach
1 jar marinaded artichoke hearts, chopped
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan, divided
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a baking dish with oil
In a medium saucepan, add the water and bring to a boil, add in a pinch of salt and the rice, stir until it is bubbling. Lower the heat to low and cover., cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes, check on it to make sure all the water has been absorbed, if not, cover again and let cook for a couple more minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
While the rice cooks, heat a saute pan on medium-high heat and once hot, add the butter and onions and sprinkle a little salt. Once the onions are translucent, add in the spinach and wilt until all the liquid is cooked out.
Drop in the chopped artichokes, cream cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan,and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the cheeses are melted.
Mix the rice with the sauce and spread evenly into your baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over the top, evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is browned and the rice is bubbling. Serve!
The ingredients are few and delicious. My recipe includes how I made rice, taught to me by my Brazilian grandmother, which she is an expert.
Got those onions all soft and a little caramelized, then all that spinach becomes just a little bit with a little heat!
Artichokes in, I like to use marinaded ones because they have even more flavor without extra steps.
Cream cheese makes is creamy and parmesan gives it flavor.
Now get your rice, parm, and baking dish.
Mixy mix
It already looks and tastes delicious; I’ll allow some sneaky tastes here…
Spread in your dish and add some extra love, ahem, cheese on top… and BAKE!
