I’ve been in a rice phase lately, probably because rice is so versatile. It can be used in sweet and savory dishes, served dry or creamy, and it’s great on a frosty day. Here is a quick and easy recipe:

2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
1 can cream of chicken soup (with herbs)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder (or salt)
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed veggies, thawed
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400F

Combine soup, milk and onion powder in a large saucepan and stir well. Add cooked rice and cook over medium-high heat until mixture begins to bubble, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Add thawed veggies and stir well.

Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking pan. Sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs. Bake 10-15 minutes until breadcrumbs brown and mixture bubbles on the sides. Remove from oven, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve over warm biscuits and a glass of milk.

Substitutions: the cream of chicken soup can be swapped for cream of celery, cream of broccoli, cream of potato, cream of mushroom or cream of mushroom with roasted garlic. You can also use 2 1/2 cups raw sliced/chopped veggies in place of frozen veggies (adjust cooking time accordingly). The veggie mix used here was broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Here is another Jenn Original Recipe. Enjoy! 

1 lb whole mushrooms
1 can beef broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1/2 oregano
1/4 thyme
1/4 rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp dried breadcrumbs, optional

*you can substitute 2 tsp herbes de provence or italian seasoning in place of basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary.

Preheat oven to 400F

Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. While broth is heating, melt butter in a microwave-safe dish. Whisk flour into butter, 1 tbsp at a time. Whisk in milk, also 1 tbsp at a time. Pour into heated broth and bring to a full, rolling boil. Cook 5-10 minutes or until broth mixture begins to thicken slightly (whisk often). Remove from heat and stir in garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Wash mushrooms well in cool water. Arrange in a small baking dish. Pour broth mixture over mushrooms, coating well. Dust with breadcrumbs if using. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until mushrooms are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Keep mushrooms whole or sliced. Serve on top of steamed rice, couscous, or with pasta drizzled in olive oil. Also great for salads.

From Michael Smith, host/star of “Chef at Home.”

Two pounds or so of room temperature bacon
A minced onion
Three minced garlic cloves
Four cups of grated aged cheddar
Five or six large unpeeled baking potatoes
A sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.

Carefully arrange the bacon in a radial pattern from the center of the bottom of a ten-inch, non-stick pan to the lower edge of the rim and continuing up and over it. Let the ends hang over. The slices should overlap slightly around the sides of the pan. To reduce the thickness of the bacon in the center stagger every other piece starting it two inches from the center and extending it further than the adjacent slices. With the palm of your hand, flatten the center area, leaving no gaps in the bacon. Season the bacon with pepper then sprinkle on several tablespoons of the grated cheddar.

Slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as you can, about a quarter inch thick. Arrange a circular pattern of overlapping slices around the inside bottom edge of the pan. Continue arranging overlapping layers of the potatoes until the bottom is evenly covered. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Mix the onions and garlic together and sprinkle some of the mixture onto the potatoes. Continue with a layer of the grated cheese. Cover with another layer of the potato pressing it down firmly before continuing with alternate layers of the potatoes, onion mixture and cheese until the pan is full. Continue with several more layers insetting each a bit from the edge of the pan until the top is an inch or so higher than the pan’s rim. Fold the overhanging bacon neatly up and over the top of the potatoes. Trim a small piece of parchment paper and place it in between an ovenproof lid and the bacon. This will prevent the bacon’s ends from pulling back and shrinking during cooking.

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for at least two and a half to three hours. You’ll know it’s done when a small thin bladed knife insert easily. Pour off as much of the fat around the edges as possible. Let the tart stand for fifteen minutes then invert it onto a cutting surface. Slice into wedges and serve immediately. You may refrigerate any leftovers and reheat them later it in a microwave.

This dish is great to serve on the side with chicken or beef. It’s also great alone on a cold, frosty day. I prefer brown rice, but you could easily swap for white or a wild rice blend based on your tastes. This is very similar to a packaged dinner you could buy at the store, but tastes so much better.

2 cups cooked rice
1 cup milk
1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
1/2 cup shredded cheese, plus more to top
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp paprika
fresh ground black pepper

Prepare rice according to package directions. Combine cooked rice, milk, soup, cheese, onion salt and paprika in a saucepan. Stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cheese has melted and mixture reaches desired consistency. Top with fresh ground black pepper and additional shredded or crumbled cheddar cheese. If serving with chicken, you could use cream of chicken soup instead of the broccoli cheese.

For a easy and tasty side dish, try white & wild rice blend (or brown & wild rice), but instead of cooking in water, use chicken broth for a richer flavor.

Follow the packaged directions for proportions (usually 2 cups broth for 1 cup rice) and add 1 tbsp of butter for each 1 cup of dry rice mix. Keep in mind this is not instant rice, depending on how many servings you are preparing, the rice could take 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Start the rice mix first then make the rest of your meal (rice needs very little tending to, just an occasional stir).

Once rice is done (again, follow the package directions for time), season it depending on what else is being served. Some suggestions: toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, fresh herbs, scallions, chives, or just some salt and pepper.

Another option: while rice is cooking, saute some veggies such as celery, onion, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, or mushrooms in vegetable or olive oil. Toss with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning and combine with cooked rice.

This can be as simple or complex as you need it to be.