How to Cook Cheese Rice

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: January 11, 2023 References

Cheese and rice is a delicious combination, and the resulting dish makes for a great snack or side dish with your favorite meals. There are a number of ways to prepare cheese and rice, including a basic stovetop recipe, a more complicated risotto, or a tasty cheese casserole with vegetables and other ingredients. You can even substitute different types of rice and cheese to change the flavor, and add herbs and spices to suit your palate.

Ingredients

Cheese and Rice

2 ½ cups (600 ml) stock
1 cup (195 g) rice
1 cup (125 g) grated cheese
¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) black pepper
Salt, to taste

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

1 cup (195 g) uncooked rice
2 cups (480 ml) water
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
1 large onion, chopped
16 oz (453 g) Velveeta
10 ¾ oz (305 g) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) black pepper
2 cups (182 g) fresh broccoli florets
1 cup (50 g) soft bread crumbs

Risotto

5 cups (1.2 L) broth
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups (292.5 g) Arborio rice
¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
1 cup (125 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Basic Cheese and Rice

1
Heat the stock in a large pot. To add flavor to the rice. Start by placing the stock into a large saucepan and heat it on medium–high heat. For this recipe, you can use plain water, or the stock of your choice, such as:
- Vegetable
- Beef
- Chicken or turkey
- Mushroom
2
Cook the rice. Add the rice to the pot as well, and continue cooking over medium–high heat. Bring the rice to a boil, then turn down the heat to low. Cook the rice for an additional 18 to 20 minutes on a low simmer.^{[1]
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- The best rice for this dish is Arborio, because it becomes creamy when it’s cooked.
- When you're cooking rice, you don’t have to wait for the stock to boil before adding the rice.
- To prevent overcooking, set a timer then turn it off and let it simmer.
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3
Prepare the cheese. Grate the cheese with a cheese grater. If you don’t have a grater, you can also cut the cheese into half-inch (1.3-cm) cubes. Keep the cubes small so they melt easily.
- You can use any type of cheese you like for this dish, but a mild cheese like mozzarella might get lost in the rice flavor.
- Good cheese choices for this dish include sharp cheddar, aged gouda, and blue cheese.
- Alternatively, you can also use 4 to 8 ounces (113.25 to 226.5 g) of Velveeta, cut into small cubes.^{[2]
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4
Combine all the ingredients to finish. When the rice is ready, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cheese until it melts. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving. You can also add 1 teaspoon of parsley for extra flavor.^{[3]
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- For a Tex-Mex variation on basic cheese and rice, you can also add ½ cup (226.5 g) of warm salsa after the cheese has melted.^{[4]
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- This cheesy side dish will serve four people.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Baking a Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

1
Prepare the oven and a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease the bottom of a glass baking dish with cooking spray or vegetable shortening. A 9-by-13-inch baking dish will work best.
2
Cook the rice. Place the water and rice into a large saucepan. Put on the lid and heat over medium heat. Bring the rice to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer the rice on low for 18 minutes, then remove it from the heat.^{[5]
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- There are many types of rice you can use for this dish, including long- or short-grain, and white, brown, or basmati rice.
3
Cook the onion. Place 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a large skillet and heat it over medium–high heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion. Cook the onion for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft.^{[6]
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- You can also use margarine or cooking oil instead of butter.
- For a meatier and more flavorful variation, you can add in 1 cup (110 g) of chopped mushrooms and one or two cloves of minced garlic in with the onions as well.^{[7]
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4
Make the sauce. When the onion is ready, add the cheese, the can of soup, the milk, and the pepper. Continue cooking on medium–high heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted.
- Instead of Velveeta, you can use 2 cups (250 g) of grated sharp cheddar cheese, or another cheese of your choice.^{[8]
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- Condensed cream of chicken soup can be used in place of the mushroom.
5
Add the broccoli and sauce to the rice. Pour the sauce and broccoli into the saucepan with the rice, and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish.
- To change the flavor and add more nutrients, you can also add two to three chopped celery stalks along with the broccoli.^{[9]
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- If you're using frozen broccoli, thaw it out before adding it to the rice.
6
Add the breadcrumbs. Melt the remaining tablespoon (14 g) of butter and drizzle it over the breadcrumbs. Stir the breadcrumbs to incorporate the butter, then sprinkle it over the casserole.
7
Bake the casserole. Place the baking dish into the oven and bake the casserole, uncovered, until the breadcrumbs are a light golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.^{[10]
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- Let the casserole rest for five to 10 minutes before serving.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cooking Risotto

1
Boil the stock. Pour the stock into a medium saucepan and heat it over medium–high heat. Bring the stock to a boil, then turn down the heat so that it stops simmering, but continues to stay hot. You want the stock hot enough to continue steaming. ^{[11]
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- For this recipe, you can use vegetable, mushroom, beef, chicken, or clam stock.
2
Cook the onions and garlic. Pour the oil into a Dutch oven and heat it over medium–low heat. Stir in the onions and cook them for about two minutes, until they're soft. Stir in the garlic and cook the mixture for another 30 seconds.^{[12]
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- Instead of onion, you can use 1 cup (160 g) of chopped shallots.
3
Add the rice. Pour the rice into the onion and garlic mixture and stir to coat the rice. Then let the rice cook, without liquid, until the kernels start to pop and crackle.^{[13]
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- It will take about one to two minutes for the rice to start crackling.
4
Add liquid gradually as the rice cooks. Add ½ cup of stock, along with a splash of wine. Cook the rice until all the stock has been absorbed before adding more liquid.
- Continue cooking the rice in this way, by adding a half-cup of stock and a splash of wine at a time. This will take about 30 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat once it’s cooked and all the liquid has been incorporated.
- It’s important to cook Arborio rice in this way because it helps the rice release its starches, giving it a creaminess and smoothness that’s characteristic of risotto.^{[14]
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5
Add the cheese and pepper. Only stir in ¾ cups of the cheese right now, and reserve the remaining ¼ cup. Stir to combine, and add more pepper and salt to taste if necessary.
6
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese before serving. Divide the risotto into eight portions for a side dish or four portions as a main meal.^{[15]
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- To finish, you can drizzle each portion with a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil as well. ^{[16]
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7
Finished.