Even though I’ve moved on to apples, pumpkin and other fall ingredients, I haven’t forgotten about my old friend, Mr. Zucchini. It’s so versatile – whether you’re baking or preparing dinner for your family, there’s something you can toss it in to add extra nutrients, texture or flavor. I made this recipe for the first time last month when I still had a few zucchini lingering in the bottom of my fridge and it was the perfect dinner for one. You simply cook the rice as you usually would, then add the zucchini to the pot to let it steam for a few minutes before stirring in the cheese. It only takes a few more minutes than making plain white rice, but it’s so much more flavorful. Personally, I’m not a fan of cooking my rice in chicken broth, but you could use that instead of water if you prefer to add another dimension to the dish. I was surprised to find I actually enjoyed this rice even more at room temperature than I did when it was hot – maybe the flavors had more time to meld, who knows. On the off chance you still have zucchini growing in your garden or can still find a good deal at your market, this is a side dish worth trying. And if not, bookmark it for next summer!
On a completely unrelated note, I am beyond excited that the hockey season starts tonight! I’ve been waiting for this day all summer. Looking forward to seeing the Bruins raise the banner tonight and get started on what will hopefully be another successful year 🙂
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
adapted from Pink Parsley (originally from Comfort of Cooking via Real Simple)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium zucchini, grated on the large holes of a cheese grater
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
salt and pepper
Combine the water and rice in a medium saucepan. Stir gently and briefly to incorporate. Bring to a rolling boil then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Turn off the heat, then add the butter and zucchini to the pan. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to incorporate, then mix in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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I love that you are a sports fan. 😉 Hockey has never been my thing but I am perpetually getting cock-eyed looks from my female friends because I know the Sunday night stats on Monday morning for football or whatever sport is in season that I adore.
This looks like a great easy side dish for fall and I can’t wait to try it.
Looks delicious, and I haven’t forgotten about Mr. Zucchini either, or Mrs. Zucchini for that matter, or any of the Little Zucchinis. 😉 Love side dishes like this, will give it a go soon. Love a post where we get recipes, food lore, and updates on sporting events! It’s like one-stop shopping!
I still have a few zucchini also. What a perfect side. I will make this soon!
Enjoy your hockey game.
A great concoction! Zucchini, cheese, rice … what’s not to like?
I’m definitely bookmarking this because it looks so good and because it’s such an easy way to sneak some veggies into a meal. Hope you get to enjoy a good game tonight!
What a great idea to change up rice!
What a lovely presentation. I would probably make it from quinoa or barley so that it’s got a bit more fibre, but I don’t think it would lose anything from the change.
This looks wonderful, Tracey…I don’t think there’s enough zucchini to make my hubby balk and I love the addition of cheese~
What a great side, and great way to sneak in those veggies. Go Bruins!!
This was really tasty. The bowl you left us in the fridge went for a couple of meals including a breakfast burrito. Yum. Loved the zucchini and cheese flavors. Thanks again, Tracey
I love how simple this is to make and it totally falls into the comfort food category for me with the melted cheese. Now I’m hungry. Guess I should start dinner and stop drooling over blogs.
This simple dish sounds lovely! Yum.
Yum! I’m always looking for new things to put with rice, I’ll have to try this out!
this sounds soooo good! I love zucchini! I think I have one in my fridge right now…might be making this with it!
I can’t believe it is time for hockey already! so exciting. I didn’t end up cooking all that much zucchini this year but there is still time!
I would have never thought of making rice this way. It looks so delicious and irresistable.
When we had our trip to SouthEast Asia, I was surprised at how I have developed my love for white rice, or just rice for that matter. We had rice almost every meal. I am very much excited to try different dishes with rice as main ingredient. Love this rice with veggies!
That sounds really good. My girls love cheesy rice, so who knows, they might even eat it. =)
yum! i have recently grown to love zucchini… as well as simple recipes. i’m writing this one down!
The perfect side dish. Can’t wait to give it a try for myself.
I gave this a try using leftover rice from a couple of days ago–it was calrose white rice, and I just loosened up the rice with a fork, stirred in the shredded zucchini, and microwaved, covered, for 2 minutes. Then I added the butter and cheese and stirred it all together and added salt and pepper to taste–it was a hit!