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Vegetable Rice Bake

A baked casserole of rice, vegetables, cheese, and eggs.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Chicken and rice are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,769 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓

Vegetable Rice Bake

Oven350°F
Time30–35 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the rice and vegetables

  1. In a saucepan, combine bouillon granules and 1 ½ cups water. Bring to boiling; add rice. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until tender.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine green pepper and ½ cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes.

  3. Add shredded zucchini or chopped broccoli. Cover and simmer for 3–5 minutes or until crisp‑tender; drain well. Set aside.

Make the custard base

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, onion powder, basil, oregano, and 1/8 tsp pepper.

  2. Stir cheddar cheese and cream cheese into hot rice.

  3. Stir rice mixture into egg mixture.

  4. Stir in cooked vegetables and pimento.

Bake and serve

  1. Spoon into a 10×6×2" baking dish.

  2. Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for 30–35 minutes or until center is set.

  3. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

907Calories
62 gProtein
37 gFat
80 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Chicken100g cooked165
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Pimentonot in our table0

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.

  1. Chicken + ricetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,769 recipes

    Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

  2. Pepper + oreganotop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,449 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  3. Rice + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,374 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

  4. Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,814 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

  5. Onion + ricetop 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

Eggs
Set and bind the mixture into a sliceable custard that holds its shape.
Rice
Forms the body of the bake, giving it bulk and a tender, absorbent texture.
Cheddar cheese
Adds richness and flavor, and melts into the custard to help bind it.
Skim milk
Provides liquid that sets with the eggs, keeping the bake moist.
Zucchini
Adds moisture and soft vegetable texture throughout the bake.

The step that matters

Bake until the center is set. Eggs set as they heat past about 160°F, so pulling the dish too early leaves a runny center, while overbaking makes the custard dry and rubbery.

Swap the oregano

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, pepper, onion, cream cheese, rice, egg, milk):

  1. Garlicfits better
  2. Turmericfits better
  3. Dillfits better
  4. Oreganothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, pepper, onion, cream cheese, rice, egg, milk. 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.

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