So, we had some Yellow Rice left over from the Mango Chutney Chicken.
And then, Rich came down with a cold, so we ordered in Chinese food (nothing works better on a cold than sweet ‘n sour, mu shu, and egg rolls) – meaning that we had white rice left over.
It was time to pull out this recipe – rice, eggs, cheese and stuff; all baked together, then cooled and tossed in the freezer for quick breakfasts on the run, party appetizers, or hungry, hungry house guests.
Actually, I posted this back in July, but figured it’d come in handy as folks get ready for the holidays. Also, I am on the road, and it was either post this or ham salad on brioche this morning.
INGREDIENTS
(this recipe is adjusted slightly from the original, to accommodate additional rice and what I had in the pantry)
•4 cups cooked rice
•1 cup shredded cheese
•1 can sliced black olives stuffed with jalapeño
•1 roasted red pepper, diced (I plucked one from a jar)
•1/2 cup skim milk
•2 eggs, beaten
•A good dash of Tabasco – or, Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Sauce
•Black pepper
Heat oven to 400º.
Combine the rice, 1/2 cup of the cheese and remaining ingredients in a large-ish bowl. By the way, feel free to mix up your cheese or add-in ingredients – the original version called for green chiles and pimiento; you could try sun-dried tomatoes, or maybe even figs and prosciutto.
Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and divide the rice mixture evenly among 12 cups. Pat them down to compress a bit and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 15 or 20 minutes until set.
Cool, remove from the muffin tin to a flat baking sheet and freeze for an hour or so until firm. Toss the lot into a freezer bag.
To use: pull out and ‘wave (one or two at a time) for a minute or so for a fast breakfast or snack – or so those hungry, hungry holiday house guests can fend for themselves with a minimum of bother while you are otherwise engaged.