Name: Rice and Cheese Casserole I
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup cooked brown rice; 3 green onions, chopped; 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese; 1 tsp dill weed; 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan; -cheese; 1/2 cup low-fat milk; 1/2 tsp dijon-style mustard; nonstick vegetable spray

Why it works: Dill and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 560 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Rice and Cheese Casserole I

Oven350°F

Time15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the casserole

Combine all but the last ingredient in a mixing bowl.
Pour into a casserole dish coated with nonstick vegetable spray.

Bake

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

847Calories

42 gProtein

43 gFat

73 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Vegetable	1 tbsp (14g)	120
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup (113g) 2%	98
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Dill + mustardtop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together560 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Cottage cheese + cheesetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together126 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,259 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Rice + milktop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,374 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Rice + oniontop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,433 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cooked brown rice: Forms the base of the casserole and gives it its bulk.
Cottage cheese: Adds moisture and creaminess that bind the casserole together.
Parmesan: Adds savory flavor and helps the top brown in the oven.
Low-fat milk: Adds moisture and loosens the mixture so it bakes evenly.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, cottage cheese, dill, cheese, milk, mustard):

Potatofits better
Cucumberfits better
Lettucefits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, cottage cheese, dill, cheese, milk, mustard. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.