Mediterranean Style Dice Rice Bake
I started making rice casseroles to bring to potluck lunches at my theater company because i discovered that they were cheaper than pasta (at least where i live). This recipe came to my mind when i had lunch at a macau restaurant that served portuguese baked rice. In the coming few weeks i began to dream about this brand new colourful, juicy rice casserole... So i did some research, hit the supermarket, and got busy.
Steps
Make layers of the casserole in this order: 1) white sauce , 2) tomato sauce , 3) dice rice.
White sauce: melt butter in small saucepan.
Add flour , chicken powder , salt , and pepper.
Gently stir in cooking cream and grated cheese till melted.
Stir over medium heat until the desired consistency.
Add milk by the tablespoons if the sauce is too thick or salty.
Tomato sauce: heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan.
Over medium heat , sautee onion , garlic , oregano , basil , clove , and bay leaves till fragrant.
Tomato sauce: add baby carrots and diced tomatoes.
Sautee until the tomatoes become tender and juicy.
Tomato sauce: add canned tomatoes and stir.
Pinch in pepper , salt , and sugar to taste.
Lower heat and leave to simmer.
Preheat oven to 350 f or 180c.
Dice rice: heat olive oil in wok.
Over medium heat , sautee onion , garlic , oregano , basil , and chicken powder till fragrant.
Dice rice: add chicken and sautee until it is cooked.
Dice rice: briefly stir in mushro.
Ingredients
butter, flour, chicken bouillon powder, salt, fresh ground pepper, table cream, cheese, olive oil, onion, garlic cloves, oregano, basil, ground cloves, bay leaves, baby carrots, tomatoes, roma tomatoes, sugar, chicken fillets, zucchini, eggplant, yellow pepper, mushrooms, cooked brown rice, mozzarella cheese, fresh parsley