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I’m a huge fan of cooking once and eating many times. Rice is one of those great things I can cook once and eat on all week. I’m such a fan of rice, I never make a single batch. Even for my family of only three at home, we make a double, triple, or even quadruple batch each time and use it to make several rice recipes.
In my book Stretchy Beans: Nutritious and Economic Meals the Easy Way, I share how I turn one large pot of beans into three, and sometimes four, meals. Beans are the perfect item to make once and recreate into several tasty dishes to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Rice is not only the perfect accompaniment to these beans but another great food to cook once and recreate in new ways.
White or Brown?
Whether you prefer white or brown rice, either can be used interchangeably in most of these Stretchy Rice recipe suggestions. A few of the recipes suggest basmati, jasmine, or Arborio. Great if you have them, but if not, use white or brown. I do love keeping a variety of rice varieties on hand. They’re economical and a great way to fill hungry tummies.
When cooking brown rice, I prefer to soak my rice in advance, both to help with digestion and to decrease cooking time (learn more about the how and why of soaking rice and other grains here). For white, jasmine, or basmati, I skip the soaking step. I’ve found they are easy (for me) to digest and no soaking is needed. You may have different results.
Rice isn’t just for dinner. We eat rice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Each of the rice recipes and ideas I’m sharing with you today start with already cooked rice. Make that quadrable batch and have hot rice for dinner, then portion out the remaining amounts to enjoy in three more meals later in the week.
I often freeze rice in two-cup increments so it’s ready to eat after a quick thaw—sometimes that thaw can happen during the process of making the dish!
If I have a quart or two of broth in the fridge that needs to be used up, I’ll use it for all or part of the water. Rice cooked in broth is amazing! Keep in mind, it does somewhat limit your Stretchy Rice uses. Butterscotch Rice (a breakfast, snack, and dessert favorite) may not be the best choice for rice cooked in broth; you may wish to stick with savory dishes instead.
Stretchy Rice Breakfasts
- Butterscotch Rice
- Creamy Rice
- Rice Pancakes
- Sweet Rice Porridge
- Breakfast Fried Rice
- Breakfast Rice from Japan
- Cheesy Breakfast Fried Rice
- Rice Frittata (also great for brunch, lunch, or dinner)
Stretchy Rice Main Dishes
- Smoked Salmon and Rice Salad (I often use economical canned salmon in place of smoked)
- Cold Brown Rice Salad with Garden Veggies
- Fried Rice (my easy and nourishing version)
- Thai Crispy Rice (I’d use avocado or unflavored coconut oil)
- Stuffed Peppers
- Rice Crust Quiche
- Yellow Chicken Rice Skillet
- Add to meatloaf, salmon loaf, or meatloaf burgers to stretch the meat
- Add to burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, or taco salad to stretch the meat and/or beans
- Use as part of a Skillet Dinner, Soup/Stew or Casserole
Stretchy Rice Desserts
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Perfect Soaked Rice (Instant Pot or any pressure cooker)
- Design a Casserole
- Design a soup or stew
- Homemade Broth Recipe
- 35 Healthy Oatmeal Recipes
- 20 Pinto Bean Recipes You Have to Try