A little bit goes a long way with rice, and chances are, whether you’re ordering takeout or cooking it yourself, your meals might end up with lots left over. What should you do with those extra takeout cartons? What about all the leftover cooked rice in the pot? Here are five leftover rice recipe ideas from a recent Reddit thread about what to do with leftover rice.
Fried Rice Cakes / Rice Fritters
This is a terrific suggestion. Add some egg, green onions, soy sauce, and any seasonings you have on hand to the leftover rice and pan fry it up into little rice cakes. If you’ve got some spicy tuna to spare, you’re in business.
Recipe: Another Tablespoon
Cilantro Rice
It’s easy to add leftover rice into a stir fry — and there are tons of fried rice recipes out there — but turning your leftovers into cilantro rice is one of the best upgrades you can manage.
One user even recommended making the cilantro purée in large batches and freezing it in ice cube trays to have multiple portions ready to go. I’m trying this one immediately.
Recipe: Girl Cooks World
Rice Pudding
Rice pudding made with leftover rice is a no-brainer. “Saffron is used in desserts, so it will lend itself nicely to making a pudding,” says user u/reijasunshine. Pre-cooked rice is here for your sweet tooth, too.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Soup n Rice
Add your rice into some soup, if you’ve got any. One user creatively calls this “Soup n Rice,” and whether you eat it as a side dish or an entrée, this is supreme comfort food. Bonus points if you add it to leftover soup.
Recipe: The Cozy Cook
Related: The Leftover Lowdown: How Long Things Last in the Fridge
Frozen Burritos
Multiple users suggested portioning the rice out into bean and rice burritos or other simple wraps. Ground beef, chicken, and rice all make for burritos that are easy to freeze and save for later. If you plan it right, you can even create burritos and wraps composed entirely of leftovers. Not a bad goal to shoot for.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
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