Oven-Baked Brown Rice

One of my most-cooked recipes for several years

Think of brown rice as the emperor with his clothes on.

You see, brown rice isn’t its own variety of rice, as is often thought. Instead, every variety of rice starts off brown because brown rice is just unmilled rice, rice with all its ‘clothing’ layers still intact.

Once those ‘clothes’ are polished away, inside every grain of brown rice is a white, starchy and yes, naked, kernel stripped of flavor, fiber and nutrition.

I’ve loved brown rice for the longest time but had trouble getting it to cook consistently on the stove-top. Now that I’ve learned how to bake brown rice in the oven, it’s welcome at the table, in all its fully clothed goodness.

ALANNA's TIPS A mix of brown and wild rice is my favorite because it looks as good as it tastes. Plus, brown rice is cheap and wild rice is pricey so a blend helps stretch the food budget.

Water boils more quickly with something to adhere to, in this case, just a small dab of fat.

If the oven’s not fully preheated when the rice is prepped, pop it in anyway. Just increase the oven time by the remaining number of minutes.

To prevent food poisoning, all varieties of cooked rice should be served and refrigerated promptly.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Send a favorite rice recipe to e-mail.

OVEN-BAKED BROWN RICE

So good, make it every week

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/4 hours
Makes 4 cups

2-1/3 cups water (or chicken broth or even beer)
2 teaspoons butter (or bacon fat for more flavor or olive oil)

1 cup brown rice, any variety
1/2 cup wild rice (or another 1/2 cup brown rice, see ALANNA’s TIPS)
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Set oven to 375F. Bring liquid and butter (see TIPS) to a boil in the microwave.

Meanwhile, in an 8x8 glass baking dish, stir together brown rice and wild rice. Sprinkle with salt. Pour hot liquid over rice and gently stir, distributing rice evenly throughout dish. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil. Bake for 60 minutes (see TIPS).

Remove from oven. Fluff rice with a fork, then cover lightly with a paper towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff again, let rest another 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half cup: 137Cal; 3g Protein; 2g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 27g Carb; 1g Fiber; 150mg Sodium; 3mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

Today’s recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated, a great magazine for cooks who want to understand the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of cooking.

Delicious with Oven-Baked Brown Rice

(click a photo for a recipe)

Since finding this recipe several years ago, brown rice has become a staple in my kitchen. It's featured in many of my favorite recipes, many of them published in my food blog, A Veggie Venture.

~ Tomato & Rice Salad ~

~ Hurricane Rice, a recipe developed in the midst of Katrina ~

~ Curried Cauliflower ~

~ Stuffed Zucchini ~

~ more rice recipes from A Veggie Venture ~

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January 11, 2008

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Your Comments:

I am definitely making this! (And I just made turkey and wild rice soup with cabbage this week!) Yum.

Kalyn on 1/11/2008

Alanna, I've had trouble with brown rice on the stovetop AND in my rice cooker. I'm going to give this version a whirl -- I'd love to have it more readily available in my fridge at all times, because I know I'd just toss it into salads and soups and casseroles and even just eat it straight up. Yum!

Genie on 1/12/2008

Very pretty, with all the right flavor extras. Lately I've discovered brown rice + pearled barley, which seems to make them both better. I wonder why some people have trouble with stovetop rice? Is it one of those DNA things?

Susan G on 1/12/2008

I've never made brown rice...but need to try it someime soon I guess:) yours looks tempting!

Mansi Desai on 1/14/2008

You can get food poisoning from rice?!?!?!?
I get brown basmati (the only kind of brown I can get) which I absolutly love.. and it cooks in 20 minutes!

katiez on 1/14/2008

I made the rice for dinner tonight, but instead of just brown rice, I included barley, red rice, and millet, in addition to the brown basmati. So stinking good!!!