Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Mushroom and Rice Casserole

RileyAdamsFoodBlogPostpic_thumb_thumb[3]

I don’t know about y’all, but sometimes I just get in a mood to eat a particular food.

It’s not always chocolate, although chocolate frequently makes that list. :)

On this occasion (no, it wasn’t bacon! Although…) it was mushrooms. As frequently is the case, I’d eaten something with mushrooms in it that was wonderful and whetted my appetite for more.

None of the recipes that were my old standbys had enough of the mushroom ingredient to really satisfy me. So I took to the internet.

And I found this gem on Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks site. She first posted it a couple of years ago, but it was so popular that it came up nearly first in my Google web search.

I think what I liked about this most was the combination of cheeses with the brown rice and the mushrooms. Heidi had put tarragon in her recipe, but I’ll admit to leaving it out of mine. I did use low fat cottage cheese and low fat sour cream in mine to make it a smidge less fattening. And I resisted the urge to add bacon (aren’t you proud?) although I think the recipe would be wonderful with it in there. Maybe even some spinach would be fun to add, another time.

Unfortunately (and not surprisingly) Heidi’s pictures are much prettier than mine are! If you’d like, you can see a more attractive rendition of the dish on her site. :)

At any rate, it was comfort on a plate and very satisfying.

Mushroom and Rice Casserole Mushroom and Rice Casserole2

Mushroom Casserole

8 ounces of brown, chopped mushrooms
1 chopped onion
3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped (optional…and I didn’t use it)

Preheat oven to 350. Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir until browned. Add the onions for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove from heat. Add the cooked rice to the skillet and combine.

Mix together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture. Pour into a sprayed baking dish and sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes, or until heated through and browning at the edges. Sprinkle with the optional tarragon, and the rest of the Parmesan.

Hope you’ll enjoy!

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig

20 comments:

  1. This does sound like comfort food. When I think mushrooms, I normally think pizza or spaghetti. But not anymore. Thanks.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I could get Chris to eat any of the ingredients except for the rice I'd be all over this one, Riley. As it is, though, I'm the only one who would eat it. Maybe the next time I have a mushroom loving friend over for lunch, though...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mason--It's a different sort of comfort food, I think. Just real filling, not spicy.

    Shel--That's too funny! I know all about being picky, though, because I was a picky eater growing up. You definitely have to just work around it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a huge fan of 'shrooms and I'll be making this recipe for sure. It's like having risotto without all the stirring and fuss! I have to say that I like your version better than Heidi's: the low fat cottage cheese and sour cream and the skipping of the tarragon, too. (Of course, everyone has their preferences and I respect tarragon lovers, but Marc and I agree that the ingredient tends to chow down and take over every other flavor in a dish.) Lol on your bacon restraint. However, I can see where bacon would indeed work well in this dish, too. :) Cheers, Riley, and thanks for another lovely comfort food dinner idea!

    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for sharing. I found you through a friend of mine and will certainly return ~ often! As a veggie I'm always interested in new and comforting foods.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great recipe. We love mushrooms here and the fact that this is a vegetarian recipe makes it extra awesome. I can always use another great option. Thanks! Cleo's right. Just like mushroom risotto without all the stirring. Let's save the "stirring" for our novels' endings! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  7. This sounds great, Riley! Very versatile, too. I might be alone here, but I love tarragon, especially in chicken salad. Which makes me think chicken might be a nice addition to this dish, too. And brown rice is supposed to be so good for us. Love it!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good timing for this recipe. It truly is a comfort dish...just reading it makes me feel warm and cosy, despite the cold and white outside. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is like a baked risotto. Lovely. Need comfort food. I think we all do. It's something about winter hibernation. Thanks for sharing.
    ~Avery

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for this recipe. I love all the dessert's recipes posted but I can't eat a lot of that.

    I am not a tarragon's fan either but I'll definitely try it with spinach.
    With the "light" ingredients,it will be juste perfect.
    Danielle, Quebec

    ReplyDelete
  11. This sounds delicious! I have been looking for more vegetarian options that will work to warm up winter. We love mushrooms.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My sister arrives from England tomorrow - we love to exchange recipes - we'll definitely try this one!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hubster is a huge fan of 'shrooms, but I'm curious as to how this recipe would work at 9100 feet. It takes nearly an hour to cook regular rice on the stovetop, so this might work. Might need extra liquid. Or less. I can never remember!

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cleo--I tried to make it a little healthier (which is probably why I bypassed the bacon...although I really think it would be great in there!) I do think tarragon is sort of overpowering. Hope you're staying warm in NY....looks like it's snowing up there again!

    Lily on the Road--Thanks so much for coming by today! I'm so glad you stopped in to hang out with us. :)

    Julie--No stirring here! I didn't even check that brown rice until my timer went off. LOL!

    Krista--I'm not sure what the problem between me and tarragon is! But chicken added to the recipe would be delish, I bet!

    Erika--It's nice and filling, too! Very much a comfort food.

    Avery--It's very like a risotto...good call! Yes, hibernating would be lovely today--it's dreary here!

    danielle-momo--I think spinach would be really tasty with it. It's fun to have a vegetarian meal every now and then, too. :)

    Mary Jane--Surprisingly, my kids do, too! I don't think I did when I was little, but I love them now.

    Hannah--Hope you'll like it! And hope y'all have a wonderful visit. :)

    Terry--I had no idea it would take that much longer at that altitude! Wow...nutty! Well, you could use a fast-cooking wild rice mix...I think that would be tasty with it and wouldn't take as long. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I can't wait to try this! sans the tarragon, but I do intend to toss in some bacon - LOL!!!

    thanks, Elizabeth!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've got all the ingredients. That's a sign I should make it, even though the Mister is out of town, right? It just looks too good to put off making.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Kaye--Another no for tarragon! Ha! And I'm *definitely* making it with the bacon next time. :)

    Laineshots--It's a sign! Go for it. :) Hope you'll enjoy it...I keep sneaking into the fridge to heat up a smidgen.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Elizabeth,
    This looks terrific. We are all mushroom fans here at Chez Phillipe so I'll be making this soon. I think I'll add some chicken and definitely add spinach. Also going to leave out the tarragon...I don't think I even have tarragon in my cupboard :-)

    Thanks again for another winner of a winter recipe!!
    Nanc

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks so much, Nanc! I want to hear how your chicken and spinach variation goes. I bet it's great! (And another vote for no tarragon!)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, I love mushrooms. I can't wait to cook this. I have been cooking a lot of quinoa lately, but last week I cooked up some brown rice and it was like being reunited with an old friend. I just wish it didn't take so long to cook.

    This looks like a great dish for a brunch if you cook the rice ahead of time. My mom makes a breakfast casserole with eggs, sausage and bread. I think she would enjoy a vegetarian/wholegrain alternative.

    @keenonquinoa

    ReplyDelete