My cheesy rice casserole turns a container of leftover rice into a baked, cheese-topped dinner in about 35 minutes. I build this cheesy rice recipe with cold, day-old rice instead of a fresh batch, plus spinach, kale, ricotta, and cheddar folded through and browned on top.
The rice casserole I built for leftover rice
I already had a from-scratch green rice casserole on the site, built around rice you cook specifically for the bake. This one exists for the opposite situation, a container of rice already sitting in the fridge that needs a job before it goes to waste.
Cold, day-old rice works better here than rice cooked fresh for this recipe. It’s drier, so it holds its shape through the stir and the bake, where fresh rice turns the dish gummy. I use the same logic in my quick fried rice with leftover rice. Leftover rice is the ingredient here, not a workaround.
I tested the greens ratio more than once. Too much kale without enough spinach turned bitter under the cheese, so equal parts of both, wilted down before they go into the bowl, is the version I kept.
This is the dinner for the night there’s a mostly full container of rice in the fridge and dinner still needs to happen. It comes together fast, and none of that rice goes to waste.
A few notes on the rice, greens, and cheese
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Day-old rice, straight from the fridge, turns this into a cheese rice casserole you can throw together instead of a project you plan around. If you’re starting from scratch, how to cook rice at least a few hours ahead so it has time to dry out and firm up.
- Spinach and kale both go in wilted, not raw, so they don’t dump extra water into the bake. A 50/50 split keeps the flavor from tipping too vegetal. For more ways to use a big bag of spinach, my spinach casserole leans on the same wilt-first move.
- Whole-milk ricotta and sour cream do the work of a béchamel without making a separate sauce. Skip the low-fat versions here. They thin out and the casserole loses the creamy set.
- Cheddar goes in two places for a reason. A cup melts into the rice mixture for creaminess throughout, and the remaining half cup stays on top so you get a browned, bubbling crust.
- Serrano or Thai green chiles give a low, steady heat rather than a sharp bite. Pull the seeds if you’re feeding kids, or leave them in for more kick.
Shruthi’s Top Tips
What keeps this leftover rice casserole from turning watery
A few things I learned the hard way.
- If all you’ve got is rice you cooked today, spread it on a sheet pan and let it cool completely (10 minutes in the freezer works) before you stir it into the bowl. Warm rice steams the cheese mixture and the casserole comes out looser.
- Using frozen spinach or kale instead of fresh? Thaw it first and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Skip this step and the casserole turns watery no matter how long it bakes.
- I tested the bake at 350F first and the top browned before the center set. Dropping to 320F gave the middle time to firm up without scorching the cheese.
- This doubles cleanly into a 9×13 dish. Give it 10 more minutes in the oven and check that the center feels set, not jiggly, before you pull it.
How to make cheesy rice casserole
- Preheat the oven to 320F and butter an 8×8-inch baking dish. Cook the garlic, scallions, and chiles in olive oil until fragrant, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Wilt the spinach and kale in the same skillet until just tender.
- Stir the rice, ricotta, sour cream, cheddar, and wilted greens into the garlic mixture until evenly combined.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared dish and top with the remaining cheddar.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and golden at the edges, about 20 minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to serve cheesy rice casserole
This casserole already carries protein between the ricotta, cheddar, and sour cream, so I don’t build a separate protein side around it. When I want more, a fried egg on top does the job in under 5 minutes, or a scoop of warmed chickpeas stirred through the greens before baking gets you there too.
For a mixed table, I brown crumbled Italian sausage or chorizo with the garlic and scallions before the greens go in, so it’s still one pan to wash. Kids get theirs straight from the dish, cheese-side up, no sauce to negotiate. Making this ahead for a crowd works too. Assemble up to a day early, cover, and bake straight from the fridge, adding 5 to 10 extra minutes. If it’s part of a bigger table, a broccoli cheese casserole or green bean casserole rounds things out without much extra work.
Variations
- Swap the cheddar for a sharp Monterey Jack or pepper jack if you want more heat.
- No kale on hand? Use all spinach, or sub Swiss chard for either green.
- Turn it into a cheesy rice bake for two by halving everything into a loaf pan.
Storage and reheating suggestions
Leftovers keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in the microwave, or in a 350F oven until warmed through.
Cheesy Rice Casserole
Equipment
- 8×8-inch baking dish
- large skillet
- Mixing bow
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 serrano peppers, or Thai green chilies, finely chopped (seeds removed for mild)
- 5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 5 oz kale, stemmed and chopped
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice, or long-grain rice (leftover works great)
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C. Butter an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, scallions, and chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the spinach and kale to the same skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice, 1 cup cheddar, ricotta, sour cream, wilted greens, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir until evenly combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar on top.
- Bake on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and golden at the edges, about 20 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Leftover, cold, day-old rice holds its shape better in the bake than freshly cooked rice.
- Squeeze excess water from thawed frozen spinach or kale before adding to prevent a watery casserole.
- Salt amounts are based on Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using Morton, use about half.
- Store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat covered in the microwave or in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
