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This Cheesy Zucchini Rice is ooey gooey and a divine comfort food that makes the best side to any meal. It is so cheesy and delicious and the best part is that it is hidden with zucchini! This will become a family favorite!
Serve this cheesy succulent side dish with things like Easy Pork Schnitzel, Garlic Ranch Chicken Skewers or Honey Butter Baked Chicken. It’ll make every dish a delightful meal.
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
I love zucchini season. And I love that I have an over abundance in my backyard. And I especially love being able to sneak it into different recipes so that my kids will eat it. Like this one. We usually have rice for a side. So why not make it amazing by adding cheese and zucchini!?
We have now made this recipe 3 times since. I am telling you. It is one of the best sides that we have ever had! Everyone gobbled this down including the baby. You have got to put this on the must make zucchini recipe list. Everything about this is incredible. From the cheese loaded inside to the zucchini hidden throughout, the flavor is out of this world! It ends up being the star of the dinner table.
Cheesy Zucchini Rice Ingredients
Simple amazing ingredients for this quick side dish.
- Chicken Broth: Can substitute vegetable or beef broth, it will be a slightly different flavor but still amazing
- Rice: White long- grain rice is the what I used.
- Butter: Add richness to the dish
- Zucchini: Need about 2 cups grated which is about 2 medium sized zucchini.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Finely shredded
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
Making Zucchini Rice
Simple and decadent.
- Rice: In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and cover and reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 min till liquid is gone.
- Add: Remove from heat and add the butter, zucchini and cheese. Stir and let stand for about 5 min. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Tips for Cheesy Zucchini Rice
- Rice: You can use different rice, such as jasmine or even brown or minute rice. Adjust your cooking times and adjust the broth according to your rice cook times and ratios.
- Hide: This is a great way to hide veggies, if you need to hide it better peel the zucchini first.
- Add ins: You can add spices to this recipe to your liking. Garlic, chili powder, paprika, basil and oregano. The possibilities are endless.
- Cheese: You can trade out the type of cheese for one that you’d prefer.
Storing Cheesy Rice
- Fridge: Store in a tightly covered dish in the fridge for 3-4 days. Leftovers will accumulate a bit more water as the zucchini softens and you recook it.
More Zucchini to Love
Zucchini goes with so many things and so versatile.
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- Roasted Parmesan Garlic Zucchini Spears
- Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
- Crispy Parmesan Fried Zucchini
- Easy Delicious Shrimp Zucchini Boats
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup white rice long-grain
- 2 Tbs butter
- 2 zucchini medium, grated (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and add the butter, zucchini, and cheese. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Serves: 6
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Thank you for the recipe. I created this as a side dish to the Cajun cod entrée. The rice was just OK. The zucchini did create extra liquid at the bottom of the pan so I allowed it to cook out before I added the rice so it wouldn’t be too liquidy. I did add garlic and a few green onions to kick up he flavor. In the future, I would probably try a different side – again this was OK and as a side and as an independent dish, in my experience.
I haven’t made this yet, but wanted your opinion on using frozen riced cauliflower instead of rice?? I would steam the riced cauliflower in the microwave and then continue the recipe from there. I might have to spice it up a little more….but I think I’m going to try it. Being a diabetic, I like to stay away from carbs as much as possible.
Yes! That sounds delicious!!
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. We thought the zucchini would be very apparent, but it blended right in. The recipe is more like a risotto. We will make it again with the abundance of summer squash from our garden!
I tried this recipe for the first time today. It seemed easy and, best of all, I had all of the ingredients in the house! I was skeptical of the rice, but the zucchini and cheese are great additions. The only thing I did differently was substituting olive oil to make it more heart-friendly. We’ll see how it goes this evening!
do you squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini?
If it is frozen you will want to but if it is fresh you will not need to.
Will I have to add anything else for flavor if I substitute the chicken broth vegetable broth?
No, that will be great! Let me know how you like it!
I enjoy this recipe on a monthly basis, very easy and quick. I do add a little extra cheese and going to try with garlic this time.
Loved this dish! I made your crispy Parmesan chicken to go on top of the rice and it was the perfect pairing. I added a little salt and pepper after adding in the cheese and zucchini for a little extra flavor. Thanks for the great recipe! I will definitely be making this again!
Some of these people must have done something wrong? I loved it! So easy and great! Followed directions to the T! Thank you
Right? I just don’t get it! It was awesome for us!
The zucchini created this juice at the bottom of the rice and something about this tasted off and almost bad. Probably wouldn’t try again 🙁
Sorry to hear that. That didn’t happen to us and we LOVED this recipe!
Made this last night, absolutely delicious! The only thing I changed was adding a few dashes of hot sauce ( because that’s how I roll, lol).
This is easy, tasty and quick. This is a great little recipe!
Made this tonight and couldn’t taste the cheese. It needed a lot of salt and pepper. We won’t be making this again. Sorry.
I love the concept but was surprised there’s no garlic. I totally believe the cheesy flavor could be dull. When that happens to me, I use mustard and garlic to sharpen it. Parmesan too sometimes.
I think I need to add some garlic!! That is a great idea.
Love this! I can only imagine how cheesy delicious this rice is and the zucchini keeps it from getting too dry! Pinned!
This is just what I have been looking for. I’m on a mission to come up with new ways to use courgettes and I like this one because the courgette is hidden beneath that cheese so will appeal to those that won’t eat it but for those wanting a lower card option, the rice can be reduced and the courgette upped!