This baked brown rice tastes like risotto, with a fraction of the effort. All you do is mix everything in a baking dish and then let the oven do the work. An hour or so later, you’ve got yourself dinner! All you have to do is fry some eggs or serve with any protein you’d like (baked fish, grilled chicken, baked tofu, etc…)
Heads up! This takes up to 90 minutes to cook, so get started early or make it ahead. Thankfully, that 90 minutes is pretty much hands off, so you can go about your business while it cooks!
Ingredient highlight
Mushrooms! Are one of my favorite ingredients to add to vegetarian dishes because they have a meaty texture and an umami-rich flavor. They’re a great source of minerals like selenium, potassium and zinc and are also high in B vitamins.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup short grain brown rice
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
- ¾ cup grated parmesan, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms stems removed, chopped (about 2 heaping cups)
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 4 lemon wedges
- 4 eggs, fried*
- *Sub grilled or shredded chicken for a meatier option or baked fish.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- In an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish, add rice, spinach, onion, garlic, ½ cup parmesan, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, water and soy sauce and stir to combine. Add mushrooms and press down into a compact layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 60 minutes or until the rice is cooked through (there will still be liquid at the bottom).
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup parmesan on top and bake, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes, or until the water has mostly evaporated. A little saucy liquid on the bottom is what we’re looking for!
- Serve topped with a fried egg, herbs, and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep mushrooms + spinach
- Chop the onion and garlic
- Grate parmesan
- Bake it ahead!
Substitutions:
- To make vegan: skip the parmesan and add 1 tablespoon more soy sauce. Serve with baked tofu.
- Use any veggie in place of the mushrooms – chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli…Just use them to press the rice into the liquid.
- Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a heartier, higher protein option
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This baked rice is the perfect side to any protein.
