Leftover rice is so versatile. It’s one leftover you’ll be glad to have. Here are 7 ideas for using it:
Turn it into Cheesy Rice
One of my favorite lunches growing up was cheesy rice. We would could minute rice and add cheese, but it’s even better if you have long grain white rice or brown rice.
Heat the rice and add any kind of shredded cheese and a generous shake of black pepper.
Make Pizza Rice Casserole
I used instant brown rice in this Pizza Rice Casserole, but you can also use leftover cooked rice. This makes a quick and easy lunch or dinner.
Make Chipotle’s knock-off Cilantro Lime Rice
Reheat the rice, add a splash of lime juice and a handful of chopped cilantro. Serve it with any Mexican dish. Here’s the recipe I wrote on the Savings Lifestyle blog. I used basmati rice, but you can use leftover rice.
Make Freezer Burritos
Vary the filling according to what you have available, but this is a great way to use up leftover rice.
Make Haystacks
Use taco meat or this slow cooker recipe for Sweet Korean Haystacks. Either way is great!
Fry it!
Fried rice is easy and a wonderful way to clear out your fridge. You can use up leftover rice, meats and veggies with this one.
Make a salad
Wild Rice or Brown Rice Salad is fantastic for lunches, picnics or as a side dish.
How do you like to use leftover rice?
Your cilantro lime rice sounds good! I often make fresh rice for this recipe, but I also use leftovers a lot of the time.
http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/2010/08/rice-kale-eggs.html
Bethany, that looks great! My kids really like kale, so I’m going to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
I’ll add leftover rice to tomato soup (canned or homemade) to bulk it up a little bit. Reheated rice, mixed with a little garlic butter and parmesan cheese makes a good side dish. You can also mix rice with cumin, onion and garlic powder, and a little bit of salsa to make a Mexican style rice to serve with tacos or quesadillas. Another favorite is chicken and rice. I saute cut up chicken breasts/thighs (depending on what I have), add broth, and simmer until it’s cooked through. Then I use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the mixture to a gravy like consistency. You can either serve it on top of rice or mix the rice right in with the chicken–that’s what I prefer. Leftover rice should never go to waste!
I had some rice left over and my daughter had found a recipe for Creamy Rice Pudding on Allrecipes.com that her family loved. So that is what I did with my left over rice. Thanks for your site and all the wonderful recipes you provide. Here is the site for the recipe I used: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-rice-pudding/
I made it just like it said except added about 1/8 tsp cinnamon at the end.