Burnt out on boring side dishes? Pair this Cheesy Zucchini Rice with your favorite main meat, and dig right on in. There will be zero regrets, and you’ll feel good about getting your family excited about eating at least one vegetable.
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.
I really can’t get enough of them.
But I have struggled some this year with coming up with more uses for them than the previous go-to 3 I had, as I mentioned a few weeks ago.
Now, I’ve discovered yet another new use for my beloved summer squash.
Cheesy Zucchini Rice! Seriously, it’s the perfect summer side dish for you.
I know you haven’t tried it yet, but you’ll have to trust me on this.
This little recipe also incredibly versatile, and goes well with pretty much any main dish – grilled chicken, pork, fish, steak, shrimp (you get the idea).
You could even mix in some extra vegetables and serve it as a vegetarian entree, or just a light summer lunch.
You can feel pretty safe changing up the cheese, too! We love a good cheddar, but I’m certain most cheeses would taste great. I mean, when can you go wrong with cheese? Trying to eat healthier? Try a little less cheese, and add in a little extra zucchini. However you decide to make it, just make it – before zucchini season is over!
Get some extra veggies in by adding grated squash to your otherwise boring white rice. Stir in a bit of cheese and a dash of cream, and you’ve got a side dish that classes up any meat when paired together.
Cheesy Zucchini Rice is perfect for summer, and just as good (and just as craved) all year long.
Just one pot is all you need, and soon you’ll have your family looking forward to eating their veggies- or at least their squash.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups of 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 of milk as needed
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In a medium pan, or pot, over medium heat, heat the oil.
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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.
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Simmer 15 – 20 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
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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.
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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.
recipe adapted from Buns In My Oven
** Looking to take this from a side dish to a main dish? Stir in 2-3 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken just before serving!**
Other Summer Squash Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Summertime Tortellini & Vegetables Pasta Salad
Crispy Garlic Parmesan Squash Chips
Butternut Bacon Cheddar Squash Fritters
Pictures/Post Updated on 8/23/17
looks delicious….
Thanks, Chitra! It is!!!!
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.
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 😉
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!
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
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
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.
Lol, your hubby sounds a lot like mine 🙂 So glad you liked both of them. We’ve got plenty more coming!
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