I'm always looking for ways to repurpose left over food, especially rice. It's one of those foods that I tend to make too much of. Personally, I have a rice cooker and often times I need to either use or throw it away. I made rice pudding even rice soup, but this is my favorite leftover rice recipe. It's also perfect for little fingers. I hope you try these baked rice cups today because it only takes less than 30 minutes to make, perfect for the home cook!
Rice is nice and filling. My kids and I all love rice. I came up with this idea because I wanted a way to pack rice in their lunch boxes without the mess. It’s definitely the staple grain in our household. I grew up eating it three times a day! While I do serve other more nutritious grains, I can't help but incorporate it into my kids’ diet. Some days though, it's not the easiest to clean up, especially when I'm rushing to feed my youngest while trying to get out the door to pick up my oldest. Let's face it, it can get everywhere!
Why You'll Love Baked Rice Cups
- Baked not Fried - These rice cups are not fried and better for you.
- Versatile - You can add cubed chicken to this or tofu as well.
- Less Mess - This is a great way to keep the mess at bay. It's compact and easier for little ones to eat.
- Low Fat - this doesn't have a huge amount of saturated fat, but still packs a nutritional punch. Rice is actually low in fat and is also easy to digest and it's a gluten free grain. Contrary to popular believe, it does have some vitamins, like vitamine B.
How to Make Baked Rice
- Preheat oven to 400F
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, add almond flour, szechuan sauce, and ginger. Mix until well combined and add remaining ingredients.
- Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and fill cups, a little over half way.
- Bake for 20 minutes until firm to touch.
What to Do with Leftover Rice Step By Step
First, preheat your oven to 400F. Now it's time to prep your ingredients to make baked rice. You don't need to many ingredients, just ones below.
Next, you'll want to grab a medium bowl and whisk eggs.
Then, in the same bowl, add the almond flour, Szechuan sauce, and ginger to the egg mixture. Next, add the remaining ingredients, carrots, and peas.
Make sure you don't miss this step or you'll have rice stuck in your muffin tin for days. Spray your muffin tin generously with cooking spray. You can also use silicone liners if you wish. Spoon in the rice mixture into each muffin cavity, making sure not to overfill. Just spoon a little over a half way from the bottom so it has room to expand a little.
Finally, bake the rice in the oven for 20 minutes until firm to touch. Serve as a side dish, a main dish, or snack. It's also fun in school lunch boxes.
Ingredients For Rice Bites
- Rice - white rice works best, especially left over fried rice. This could probably work with brown rice but the texture may be a little more nutty
- Eggs - acts as a binder in this recipe. It helps keeps the cups together. Furthermore, it's a great protein addition to an otherwise carb centered dish.
- Peas - pack a good amount of vitamin c and e and even zinc and other antioxidants. As you might already know these antioxidants are great for your immune system.
- Carrots - this is usually well accepted by toddlers and adds a little hint of sweet to this recipe. The orange vegetable also has a good amount of antioxidants and beta carotene which is great for the eyes.
- Almond flour - adds texture and some flavor to this recipe. In general, you can use all purpose flour instead of this nut flour, but I didn't like the texture using flour.
Cook's Tips To Make Asian Rice Recipe
- Don't overfill your cups - make sure to leave some room for the cup to expand. A little over half way of the muffin tin is a good estimate.
- Add tofu or roast chicken if you want to add more protein. I would not use raw chicken, however. Cooked cubed chicken or cubed hard tofu works great.
- If you can't find Szechuan sauce, just use teriyaki sauce. Some Szechuan sauce is on the spicier side, so teriyaki sauce is a great option. You could also add a few table spoons of soy sauce. The sauce is essentially for flavor.
- Make sure you are using cooked rice, I do prefer the long grain rice. Wild rice or brown rice tend to be harder in texture.
FAQ:
- Can you freeze these?
- No, this recipe is best fresh. If frozen, when defrosted the texture doesn't keep
- How long will it keep in the fridge?
- This can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days in an air tight container. When reheating you may use aluminum foil on a baking sheet for a crispier texture. You can also cover and bake it if your rice is on the harder side.
- Should I rinse rice before cooking it?
- This recipe requires cooked left over rice, but since this question is always asked, I'll answer it. Washing rice not only removes debris, but it also removes the starch on the surface of rice. If you don't rinse it out, it will cause the rice to clump together or get gummy.
- Can I use brown rice or wild rice?
- Yes, you may but it will change the texture of the rice up. It brings about a little nuttier texture than a soft white rice.
Baked Rice Cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked cool rice leftover rice is best
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup cubed carrots
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup onion
- ⅓ cup Szechuan sauce
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, gently whisk eggs. Add almond flour, Szechuan sauce, and ginger. Mix well until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients.
- Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and spoon mixture into cups. Fill a little over half way.
- 4.. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Nutrition
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