Name: Spanish Rice III
Ingredients: 1/4 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper; 1/4 cup chopped celery; 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine; 2 1/2 cups cooked rice; 1 can (14.5 to 16 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Mexican combination cheese

Why it works: Celery and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,377 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Spanish Rice III

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can (14.5 to 16 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded Mexican combination cheese

Directions

Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over low heat.
Saute onion, green bell pepper, and celery until vegetables are tender.
Add rice, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

530Calories

15 gProtein

22 gFat

69 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Green Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

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.

Celery + tomatotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,377 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Pepper + celerytop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Rice + tomatotop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,065 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Onion + celerytop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Cooked rice: Forms the bulk of the dish and absorbs the tomato liquid and seasonings.
Diced tomatoes with juice: Provides moisture and acidity that flavor the rice as it simmers.
Butter or margarine: Adds fat for richness and helps soften the vegetables without browning them.
Shredded mexican combination cheese: Melts into the hot rice to add creaminess and savory flavor.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, celery, butter, rice, tomato, cheese):

Capsicumfits better
Carrotfits better
Potatofits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, celery, butter, rice, tomato, cheese. 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.