Southern Creamed Rice

Chef

Elizabeth Terry

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Cookbook

Savannah Seasons: Food and Stories from Elizabeth on 37th

Published by Bantam

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Editor’s Note: Enjoy an old-fashioned side dish with this recipe for Southern Creamed Rice. This rice side dish recipe features fresh, savory flavors thanks to a combination of mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and Parmesan cheese. Heavy cream and homemade chicken broth combine with the Parmesan cheese to make a creamy, flavorful sauce for the rice. You can make this easy recipe with freshly made rice, but it is also a great recipe to use up leftover white rice. For additional flavor and texture, you can top the creamy rice with crispy bacon.

Once a night at the restaurant, I’m asked how to make this simple rice. Like many of my dishes, it has an elusive old-fashioned flavor, and guests tell me that, when they eat my food, they are reminded of their grandmother’s cooking. I’m always delighted with this compliment.

Serves8

CostInexpensive

Easy

Make Ahead RecipeYes

Kid FriendlyYes

One Pot MealYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Recipe CourseSide Dish

Five Ingredients or LessYes

MealDinner, Lunch

Taste and TextureCheesy, Creamy, Savory

Type of DishCasserole

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces country ham or prosciutto, minced
1/2 cup minced shiitake mushroom caps (tough stems to be used in stock for another recipe)
1/2 cup grated small zucchini
1/4 cup peeled and grated carrots
1 recipe Basic White Rice (recipes follows)
1/2 cup Basic Chicken Broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ½ ounces)
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, chopped (optional)
For the Basic White Rice:
1 cup raw white basmati rice (found in health food stores)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a large skillet or casserole, layer the ingredients as they are listed beginning with the butter and ending with the cream. Cover the skillet and simmer the rice over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir. Just before serving, stir the cheese into the rice and sprinkle with the chopped bacon, if desired.

For the Basic White Rice:

In a medium saucepot with a lid over high heat, combine the rice, water, and salt and bring to a boil; stir, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes. Lift the lid, stir the rice, replace the lid, turn off the heat, and place the covered pot in a skillet of warm water over low heat for 10 minutes to finish steaming the rice. Do not lift the lid until ready to serve.