Brown Rice and Yellow Squash Casserole

Brown rice has a nutty flavor that complements yellow squash's sweetness.

Rice casseroles make a hearty, warming side dish or a light main dish. Choosing brown rice instead of white rice gives your casserole more nutritional substance, as well as a richer flavor. Full of fiber and B-complex vitamins, compared to its more polished but less flavorful cousin, brown rice requires extra cooking time because of its intact bran layer. By contrast, the summer squash in the dish takes little time to cook, so precooking the rice in stock or broth ensures that your casserole comes out perfectly done. Does this Spark an idea?

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Stew pot with lid
2 cups brown rice
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
2 tbsp. olive oil
Casserole dish
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 pound ground sausage (optional)
2 cups yellow squash, diced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Thyme to taste (optional)
Sage to taste (optional)
Garam masala to taste (optional)
Coriander to taste (optional)
Turmeric to taste (optional)
1 tomato, diced (optional)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

- 1
  
  Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven reaches the proper temperature, bring 4 cups of chicken stock or vegetable broth to a simmer.
- 2
  
  Stir the 2 cups of rice into the simmering stock, and cover it as it cooks for 15 to 20 minutes. The rice should be softened but not fully cooked, and the pot should still contain stock or broth. Transfer the hot rice and stock to the casserole dish, to make room in the pot for the other ingredients.
- 3
  
  Drizzle just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot, and bring the oil up to cooking temperature -- when it begins to sizzle -- over medium-high heat.
- 4
  
  Add the diced onions and bell pepper to the hot oil, and saute the vegetables until the onions turn translucent. This should take about 5 minutes. If you plan to add meat to the casserole, add the sausage just after the vegetables but before the squash.
- 5
  
  Stir the chopped yellow squash into the aromatic vegetables, and season the mixture to taste. Salt and pepper alone work well, but thyme and sage give the finished dish a more complex flavor. Spices such as garam masala, coriander and turmeric turn the casserole into a tasty rice and squash curry.
- 6
  
  Add canned or fresh tomatoes to the squash mixture. You can skip the tomatoes, if you aren't fond of them, but they add color and nutrition to the casserole.
- 7
  
  Return the rice and stock to the pot with the squash mixture, and stir to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- 8
  
  Transfer the hot casserole mixture to the casserole dish, and top it with plain or flavored breadcrumbs.
- 9
  
  Bake the squash and rice casserole for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is completely tender.

Tips & Warnings

If the casserole appears too dry when you combine the rice and vegetables, add more stock or broth.
With extra rice and the addition of pecans, apples and poultry seasoning, this casserole can double as a dressing.
Incorporating other vegetables into your squash casserole improves its nutritional profile while adding flavor. Try it with broccoli, eggplant or cauliflower.
Without sausage, this casserole is vegan.
Make extra casserole and freeze the remainder. It keeps well and makes an excellent side dish.
Avoid overcooking the rice before mixing it with the vegetables, so it doesn't become mushy during the second stage of the cooking process.