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Recipe Index » Recipes » Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Published by Meaghan on June 15, 2023 | last updated on June 14, 2023.

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Cheesy zucchini rice refreshes your side dish rotation and will get your family excited about eating veggies. This cheesy rice is fabulous along with any of your favorite meats and mains and a yummy way to use up your garden zucchini.

a wooden spoon stuck in a skillet of cheesy zucchini rice

The summer squash just keeps on growing, and I’ve been inundated with zucchs (pronounced zukes).

Believe me when I tell you, I am not complaining.

I’m always appreciative of my gorgeous green bounty and looking for delicious ways to use it.

And this cheesy zucchini rice is definitely a delicious way to use it!

It’s also incredibly versatile, and goes well with pretty much any main dish, or you could even mix in some extra vegetables and serve it as a vegetarian entree or just a light summer lunch.

However you decide to make it, just make it – before zucchini season is over!

cheesy zucchini rice in a black skillet

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

  • Olive oil
  • Rice– Long grain white rice
  • Broth– Chicken or vegetable (if keeping this vegetarian)
  • Butter– For extra richness
  • Zucchini– Grated
  • Cheese– Shredded cheddar or any other kind of cheese you’d like
  • Spices– Garlic powder, salt, and pepper
  • Milk– A splash as needed

cheesy zucchini rice in a black skillet

How to Make

Making cheesy zucchini rice is pretty easy.

Just heat the oil in a medium pan or pot over medium heat.

Stir in the rice to coat it in oil.

Then add in the broth and bring to a boil.

Once everything comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and cover the rice.

Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

At this point, take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, zucchini, cheese, and garlic until evenly combined.

Put the cover back on the pot and let the rice sit for about 5 minutes.

Stir again and then add in the salt and pepper and a splash of milk  if you’d like to thin the mixture out a bit or if it needs an extra dash of creaminess.

Serve and enjoy!

one pot cheesy zucchini rice in a white bowl

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warm.

one pot cheesy zucchini rice in a white bowl

Tips and Tricks

  • Add extra veggies if desired. Fresh sweet corn kernels would be delicious with this rice
  • Turn this into a complete meal by sauteeing up some chicken and adding it to the rice.
  • Use any cheese you’d like or feel free to adjust the amount of cheese if you are trying to eat healthier.

a black spoon holding up a scoop of cheesy zucchini rice

Other Zucchini Recipes

Cheesy zucchini rice is the quintessential summer side dish.

Make it and enjoy!

Looking for other zucchini recipes?

Try these:

  • Zucchini & Squash Au Gratin
  • Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread
  • Sausage & Zucchini Casserole
  • Hibachi Style Zucchini & Onions
  • Summer Soup With Zucchini & Corn
  • Zucchini Fritters With Chili Lime Mayo

If you’ve tried this CHEESY ZUCCHINI RICE or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

one pot cheesy zucchini rice in a white bowl

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Cheesy zucchini rice refreshes your side dish rotation and will get your family excited about eating veggies. This cheesy rice is fabulous along with any of your favorite meats and mains and a yummy way to use up your garden zucchini.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Rest Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 395kcal
Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 medium or 2 small zucchini grated
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • splash milk as needed
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium pan, or pot, over medium heat, heat the oil.
  • Add the rice, briefly giving it a stir to coat, and then add in the broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cover.
  • Simmer 15 – 20 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
  • Remove the pan or pot from the heat source. Stir in the butter, zucchini, cheese, and garlic and continue stirring until evenly combined. Re-cover and let the rice sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Stir again and then add in the salt and pepper and a splash of milk (if needed) if you’d like to thin the mixture out a bit or if it needs an extra dash of creaminess.

Notes

recipe adapted from Buns In My Oven

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 668IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @4sonsrus or tag #4sonsrus!

 

 

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Hi! I’m Meaghan

Welcome to my kitchen. Pull up a chair and get ready to dig into family friendly, easy recipes and meal ideas. I’m a self proclaimed, proud pickle snob and cheese lover. Aside from that, I’m also the mom to 4 busy boys, elementary school through college aged. My boys keep my husband and I busy, and boy, do they like to eat. A lot. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Chitra Jagadish says

    July 11, 2014 at 8:32 pm

    looks delicious….

    Reply
    • 4 Sons 'R' Us says

      July 12, 2014 at 11:07 pm

      Thanks, Chitra! It is!!!!

      Reply
  2. Hilda says

    July 12, 2014 at 11:24 pm

    You are lucky. None of my zucchinis made it this year. It seems it is either feast or famine with them. Hope I’ll find someone to trade with because it really is a super and versatile vegetable. Otherwise will just have to bite the bullet and buy some.

    Reply
    • 4 Sons 'R' Us says

      July 12, 2014 at 11:33 pm

      I am VERY blessed in my zucchini abundance! Even though they’re ‘in season’ here, they’re still selling for ridiculously high prices at the grocery stores ($2/lb) and they’re not even sourcing them locally. If you have to buy them, check out your local farmers market. We went there today just to stock up on a few things, and the special was spend $15 and get 10 lbs free summer squash, green or yellow, plus several other things. I am definitely going to be exhausting my new found trove of zucchini recipes 😉

      Reply
  3. Selma's Table says

    July 13, 2014 at 3:03 pm

    Love zucchini or as we call them, courgettes! One of my favourite ways to have them is raw, grated and doused in olive oil, lemon, garlic and mint. Yours is a lovely recipe – very comforting too! On another note, I noticed that you have not included a link to Angies post on FF#24 – please would you edit your post to include it so that you can be considered for a feature next week. In the meantime, thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe with us and Happy Fiesta Friday!

    Reply
  4. Miz Helen says

    July 13, 2014 at 8:47 pm

    We have lots of Zucchini in our garden this will be a great recipe to try. Thanks so much for sharing with Foods of The World as we visit Greece.
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  5. Julia@Mini Van Dreams says

    July 21, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it Thank you for linking up at Tickle My Tastebuds last week. I am featuring you on tomorrow’s party! Make sure you stop by and share some more delicious recipes!

    Julia @ Mini Van Dreams

    Reply
  6. Laura says

    July 24, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    made the fritters turned out awesome can’t keep them in the house lol tried the cheesy zucchini rice and I laugh cuz my hubby always says he hates rice but he had 4 helpings of it. keep it coming love trying new things and the family loves it all.

    Reply
    • 4 Sons 'R' Us says

      July 24, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      Lol, your hubby sounds a lot like mine 🙂 So glad you liked both of them. We’ve got plenty more coming!

      Reply
  7. Colleen says

    August 28, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I have never been a fan of plain rice so a recipe like this one really makes me smile. Cheese, veggies, and rice together…what could be more perfect? Thanks for sharing on Fiesta Friday! – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck – Colleen

    Reply
  8. Trish Reynolds says

    October 29, 2022 at 9:23 am

    I love all your recipes, and am copying many. But I find the Servings amount difficult to read. I wish they were listed in white, instead of blue.

    Reply
    • 4sonsrus says

      October 29, 2022 at 4:52 pm

      Thank you for the feedback, Trish. You’re right it was a bit hard to read- so I went ahead and adjusted them to white so they should be easy to read now. Hope you continue to visit and find many more recipes to enjoy!

      Reply

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Welcome to 4 Sons ‘R’ Us

Hi! I’m Meaghan. Welcome to my kitchen. Pull up a chair and get ready to dig into family friendly, easy recipes and meal ideas.

I’m a self proclaimed, proud pickle snob and cheese lover. Aside from that, I’m also the mom to 4 busy boys, elementary school through college aged. My boys keep my husband and I busy, and boy, do they like to eat. A lot.

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