When I'm thinking of our monthly meal plan, I try to remember to put a few "kits" together in the freezer for quick lunches and suppers. Having those "kit" components in the freezer, can result in a delicious meal literally in minutes. One of the components I try to have on hand is pre-cooked rice. We recently transitioned from white rice to brown rice. Brown rice is supposed to be healthier for you. Only thing is, brown rice takes 45 minutes to cook on the stove top. And spending 45 minutes working on supper is not my ideal situation. I love to cook, but some days I just don't have the time. My go-to rice meals are Chicken Fried Rice, Stacy's Southwestern Chicken and Rice and Fiesta Salad.
So how do you freeze pre-cooked rice? This is how I do it:
Wash and rinse some of the starch off the brown rice in warm water.
Look at how milky the water is...
Bring water to a boil and add the rice...
Cover with lid and cook for 45 minutes (DO NOT OPEN THE LID)...
After the timer goes off, turn the stove off and let the rice continue to steam for another 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and spread onto a cookie sheet to cool slightly...
Label the freezer storage baggies and fill with rice (I usually fill the bags with 1-1/2 cups of rice, three 1/2 cup servings)
Squeeze all the air out of the bags and pop into the freezer.
To reheat:
Slightly open the zipper top about 1" to allow steam to escape
Microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot and steamy...
Ta da! You have rice ready in 2-3 minutes on those busy day!
This works for me.
Have you tried freezing rice before? What recipes do you use it in?
Have you tried freezing rice before? What recipes do you use it in?
Enjoy!
Don't forget to check out my new eCookbook Sweet Creations Volume 1 "Basic Southern Cakes"! It's only $2.99!
This post has been linked to:
Works for me Wednesday at We are THAT Family
Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Don't forget to check out my new eCookbook Sweet Creations Volume 1 "Basic Southern Cakes"! It's only $2.99!
This post has been linked to:
Works for me Wednesday at We are THAT Family
Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Finding Joy in My Kitchen
10 comments:
Great tips:-)
Great tips:-)
Awesome! I have never even thought of just making rice to freeze - only when it is in or with an entire recipe! Thanks for the tip!!
Ok, maybe I need to buy me a freezer! I'm gonna try this one for those long days after our ministry. Something quick and simple but yet tasty.
How much do you cook at a time? I love cooking it in my rice cooker, but it can only handle 2-1/4 c at a time.
Need to try this, because we use brown rice and it definitely takes a long time!!
@Nancy - I cooked the entire bag. The bag was 4 cups of rice and I followed the 2 cup directions on the bag and doubled the amount of water. I didn't add salt or oil. Just water and rice. Hope that helps!
What a brilliant idea!! Thanks for sharing this today with Kitchen Tip Tuesday.
Can you use white rice? Does this change anything?
Hi Joy,
You can use white rice too. I normally don't have a problem cooking up white rice in 20 minutes, but with brown rice, it just takes so long.
Post a Comment