Rice Casserole
Ingredients
2 servings
For the rice mixture
- Medium-grain rice 1 cup (180 g)
- Water for boiling 1–1.5 l
- Seedless raisins 50 g
- Cream 20% 50 ml
- Sugar 1–2 tbsp (14–27 g)
- Egg 1
- Vanilla to taste
- Butter for the dish 1 tsp
For the topping
- Sour milk 50 ml
- Sugar 1 tbsp (14 g)
- Egg 1
For serving
- Apricot jam, raisins to taste
Step-by-step recipe
Cooking the rice
A tasty rice casserole starts, above all, with good-quality ingredients. Camolino rice is not hard to find in shops; it’s great for porridge and you can even make pilaf with it. This rice is pre-treated with hot oil, so it soaks up aromas and flavours beautifully. Natural cream and sour milk are sold in any grocery store, so there’s nothing difficult about making it.
Soak the raisins in hot water.
Boil the rice until done in 1–1.5 l of water. Rice is usually cooked in a set ratio of water, but here you can simply boil it in plenty of water. It’s important that the grains are fully cooked and soft. They may stick together a bit, but that doesn’t matter. Drain the rice in a colander so the water runs off and the rice cools a little.
Transfer the rice to a large bowl and add the vanilla, the soaked raisins and 1–2 tbsp of sugar (14–27 g) – to taste.
Stir the rice so the sugar dissolves and the raisins are evenly distributed.
Assembling the casserole
In a bowl, combine the cream with one egg and whisk with a fork. Pour the egg and cream mixture into the prepared rice and mix thoroughly. You’ll get a moist, slightly sticky mass.
Choose a glass or ceramic baking dish with high sides. Grease the inside of the dish with butter. Spread all the rice mixture in the dish and level the surface.
For the topping, combine the sour milk with 1 tbsp of sugar (14 g) in a bowl, add the egg and whisk thoroughly with a fork.
To top the rice layer we use sour milk mixed with egg – this makes the rice casserole really delicious. If you like, you can replace the sour milk with cream or make a béchamel sauce with a little sugar.
Use a spoon to spread the topping over the rice – don’t leave any gaps.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 180–190 °C and put the casserole in. If the sides of the dish aren’t high enough and the topping comes right up to the rim, it makes sense to set the dish on a tray or in a larger dish. Bake, usually for 20–25 mins – go by how golden the top is.
Serving
Take the finished casserole out of the oven and, while it’s still hot, cut it into portions with a sharp knife. Use a spatula to transfer the pieces to plates.
For serving, I suggest sprinkling a few soft raisins over the top and adding apricot jam – our favourite way to serve it.
As extra ingredients you can use soft candied fruit, dried cherries or cranberries. It’s tasty with lots of raisins – add more, and in different colours. If you have farm eggs, the rice may turn slightly orange – very pretty. Serve the casserole for breakfast with warm milk or a cappuccino.
Calories and macros
625 kcal
Serving ≈ 180 g
- Protein15 g10% of kcal
- Fat13 g19% of kcal
- Carbs109 g71% of kcal
100 g355 kcalProtein 8.4 gFat 7.2 gCarbs 61.8 g
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.
How did you like this recipe?
To Get It Right
From leftover rice or porridge
Rice you’ve already cooked works too, as do leftovers of rice porridge with milk. The key is that the grains are fully cooked and soft; if the rice is cold and clumped, break it up with a spoon before adding the cream and egg.
With apples
Peel one sweet-tart apple, cut it into small cubes and add it to the rice along with the raisins. You can sprinkle the apples with a pinch of cinnamon.
Storage
Cover the cooled casserole and refrigerate it: it keeps for 2–3 days. Eat it cold or warm it up in the microwave.
Have your own trick for this recipe?
Questions and answers
What rice is best for rice casserole?
Round-grain rice of medium stickiness; we get the best results with Egyptian Camolino. Fluffy varieties don’t work well: you’d have to add more eggs. The stickiest rice, such as sushi rice, won’t do either.
Can you make rice casserole without eggs?
Better not: it’s the eggs that hold the rice grains together. Without them the casserole will fall apart when you cut it.
How to make rice casserole like in kindergarten?
The kindergarten casserole is also made from boiled rice with egg and sugar, only with milk and usually without raisins or vanilla. For that taste, replace the cream and sour milk with regular milk.
Can you add semolina to rice casserole?
Yes: 1–2 tbsp of semolina (12–24 g) make the mixture denser, so the casserole holds its shape better. Add the semolina with the cream and egg and let it stand for 10 minutes to swell.
How to make a savory rice casserole?
Leave out the sugar, raisins and vanilla, and salt the rice. Our savory version with fish is the fish and rice casserole made with pike-perch fillet.