This ham and cheese baked rice is a wonderful example of a meal you can prepare anytime, even if you’re in a hurry. And don’t you worry – you don’t have to make the same dish every single day! This recipe is very versatile!
If you’re getting tired of ham, use leftover chicken instead. Or perhaps you’d prefer ground beef or turkey? Or just your favorite vegetables – it’s completely up to you.
Here’s what our friends over at Creole Contessa had to say about this baked rice casserole:
Did I mention lots of cheese? You guys all know how much I love cheese, and in this recipe we have mozzarella, cheddar, jack, and a little Parmesan!
Oh…don’t forget to top the casserole with a little extra ham and diced mozzarella!
Well, I certainly won’t forget – and, of course, you can use your favorite cheese for this wonderful casserole. I always add blue cheese when I’m making this with leftover chicken!
Ingredients
4 packs UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE®, Garlic and Butter
2 Eggland’s eggs, beaten
2 carrots, grated
2 cups diced black forest ham, reserve 1/2 cup for topping
2 cups Borden heavy cream
1 cup Kraft sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup jack cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup mozzarella, diced, reserve half for topping
1 teaspoon creole seasoning or seasoned salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon McCormick onion powder
1 teaspoon McCormick garlic powder
1 teaspoon McCormick chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano, dried, crushed
1/2 cup green onions,
diced parsley and extra green onions to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13X9 inch casserole dish.
Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.
Cook UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® according to package directions.
Beat eggs and cream and mix with 1/2 of the spice blend.
Remove UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® from packaging and place into a large bowl.
Top UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® with remaining seasonings, cream/egg mixture, grated carrots, ham, cheese, and green onions, mix well and place into casserole dish.
Top with remaining ham, diced mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Broil for 5 minutes more and garnish with green onions and chopped parsley.
Allow dish to set up for about 5 minutes before serving.
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Quick tip: If you have leftover chicken or veggies, they’ll be perfect for this casserole.
Thank you to Creole Contessa for this delicious recipe!
love it !
wow – sounds good – however, very rich with all the cream and different cheeses – If I made this for my family 2 times per week, though (there’s only 2 of us) – we would be eating it 24/7, 3 meals a day ! I would have to cut way back on the amount of ingredients to make it for 2 people. One day, when I feel in the mood to experiment again.
With the ingredients being in even amounts would be very easy to cut in half and do a 9×9 dish
interesting – made a post, but was never posted.
Sometimes technology fails us.
Very fatty, I would not call this healthy at all. Carrots are the only healthy ingredient. Not good to eat this twice a week or more… Sound tasty for a treat every once in a while though.
Fat is healthy it’s sugar and carb overload that are terrible for your health 🙂
It’s not low carb with that rice though. I might try it with riced cauliflower.
Sounds good!
Who cares if it’s healthy if it’s good. It not like your going to eat it 7 days a week. Skinny is out. Healthy fat is in. Granny fan.
Good comment! If someone is looking for diet food, there are plenty of recipe sites for that. I dislike lectures that scold people who post recipes. If a recipe doesn’t suit someone, the person should move on and search for one that does, instead of giving health food advice to people who don’t need or want it.
I agree with you 100%.
Absolutely agree with you PH! There are plenty of sites out there if you want super healthy recipes…just move on! No need to criticize the recipe! Sounds wonderful to me…..I don’t have to serve it everyday, but once in a while would be such a treat! I have pinned it!
Amen, PH! What is it about the recipe critics?
Agreed!
Sounds wonderful, I love to mix ingredients together each flavors the other. Can’t wait to try it.
I didnt think it was that great, there definitly wasnt enough meat, its all rice, i added some chicken breasts
You can add all the meat you want or anything else. Make it your own dish.
Sounds delicious! I’m going to make and sub out the rice for cauliflower rice. Love all the cheese!!!!
IS THIS SUITABLE FOR A DIABETIC??????????
or lactose intolerant?
Sounds great! Such negativity. Haters will be haters. I’m with you on this! Where’s my fork?
Confused ??? Directions say cook according to pkg directions ; then says remove rice from pkg and place in bowl ?? Guess I just have to use common sense to figure it out … lol Does sound good … chopped broccoli and chicken would be good …. would cut recipe in half unless fixing two casserole for a potluck dinner or something ; or fix and freeze half for later …,
I’m confused also is the rice cooked or not cooked? Anyone have an answer?
The rice is cooked in a special bag that it comes in
The rice is in a package. You open the package AFTER squeezing it to unclump the rice, then microwave it for 90 seconds and it’s cooked. Just read the instructions on the package of rice.
With that being said, it sounds like a great go to meal. I cannot wait to try it out.
I would love to try this using Jasmine rice..Just wondering how many cups of uncooked rice I may use for this recipe and then add the garlic and butter to it??? Thanks..
https://www.unclebens.com/products/garlic-butter-rice
Have an ambulance on stand by after eating this rich meal with a ton of cheese
Or, just don’t make it if you don’t like the ingredients. There’s that option, too 🙂
I must say you are a very sweet and even-tempered lady.
Thank you, Mae. i try 🙂
I have new concerns after a stroke. How can I lighten the 2 cups of heavy cream ??
It’s not the heavy cream you have to worry about, Phil, it’s the sugar. Try using a sugar sub such as Swerve.
Use evaporated skim milk. I keep a couple of cans on the shelf all the time and always substitute it for cream. With all the cheese, you can’t tell the difference.
With all the rich ingredients = heavy cream, loaded salt from cheese and etc. should only eat sparingly at best. Not for diabetics or low salt diet or anyone dieting.
Looks good but I’m lactose intolerant and that sounds like a whole lot of cheese!! My hubbie would love it but MY body would not!!!!! 🙁 Wouldn’t even bother with the prep work if I can’t eat it!!! And hubbie would be terribly upset if he ever saw it and found out I wouldn’t do the prep!!!! 🙁 Don’t care!!! 😉 LOL
I don’t even see where the recipe is??? It does look good and of course everything should come in moderation!
Of course, it’s tasty. It’s loaded, loaded, loaded with saturated fat and salt, enough for several days in one serving. As far as healthy goes, she’d be better off with a frozen pizza! Much better!
lost me at READY RICE!
Use NOT READY RICE, instead.
Uh, it’s called Jambalaya…
Too much cheese and with the cream…way too much fat and salt. not a healthy recipe!
Such self-righteousness I’m seeing here from the Food Police. Stop with all the negativity. Just don’t make it for yourself or your family. Feed them lettuce and a teaspoonful of quinoa and post your recipe for that yummy dish. Bravo, Jessica. P.S. I’m 76 and very healthy and I’d eat this occasionally. So back off with the snobbery.
Thanks, T! You look fabulous in your photo 🙂
10 min of prep time…..really?? It would take 10 min, just to open the packages of cheese let alone the grating of said cheeses ! It sounds great.
I fail to see the reasoning behind people reading a recipe and then complain about the ingredients. Good grief! If it has too much fat, sugar, carbs, etc etc etc to suit your taste just move on along and find one that does suit you. Is your life really that empty?
Tasty stuff “positive”…….however we can all learn ,from what you call “negative”
These people are not complaining…….If your sharing a receipe…..Please ,check each ingredient for benefits,healthy factors…………We do not need to be tired and not feeling energetic after a meal…..We do need to make our cells,tissues ,organs etc. smile,…..Right?……..Anyone understand what I am saying?…Grateful:)
WOW This world has become full of mean-spirited people. So many here complaining about this recipe. Just skip over it and go on with your miserable lives. I can’t eat it BUT I saved it for a function I might go to. It sounds delicious. Even complaining about the bag rice. Jessica you are a saint to even bother putting your lovely recipes on here. I just can’t believe all that crap. Lets all smile and praise God we are here to make this or not make this and go on our merry way. I for one, am going to do just that. Thanks and bye bye, Leta
Thank you for your kind words, Leta 🙂