Dorothy’s Cheesy Vegetable Rice Bake

Perfectly seasoned with Dorothy Lynch dressing, this Cheesy Vegetable Rice combines long grain rice, and mixed vegetables baked to perfection with cheddar and parmesan cheeses for a delicious side dish or served as a vegetarian main dish as a hearty meatless meal.

I don’t know about you, but we eat a lot of rice in our family. It’s a quick and easy side dish that accompanies so many different meals. Today though, I am showing you how to make a rice casserole that is full of veggies and baked with two kinds of cheese. Even those kiddos who turn their noses up at vegetables are sure to love this one!

This post is sponsored by Nebraska’s own Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing & Condiment, but my love of their product and the opinions stated here are all my own.

Cheesy Rice With Vegetables 

This cheesy vegetable rice combines freshly cooked long-grain rice with an assortment of frozen vegetables mixed with a sweet and spicy, and thick and creamy Dorothy Lynch dressing. And then I’ve added some cheddar cheese inside the casserole and topped with parmesan for a double whammy of cheese. I have to say it is the ultimate in flavor combinations and will become a true family favorite. 

Cheesy Vegetable Rice Casserole

I’ve been cooking with Dorothy Lynch dressing for years as I absolutely love the flavor it adds to my meals. This one-of-a-kind sweet and spicy, tomato-based dressing is made in my home state so it’s even more near and dear to my heart. It’s loaded with flavor, and perfect on salads, or for dipping, but I especially love using it to season recipes!

You will find more of my Dorothy Lynch recipes at the bottom of this recipe post. 

If you love this cheesy rice side dish recipe, you are sure to love these too: Mom’s Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole, Rice Pilaf with Dried Cranberries and Slivered Almonds, and this Basic Garlic Fried Rice. 

Dorothy’s Cheesy Rice Vegetable Bake

The perfect combination of rice and veggies this baked cheesy casserole can be served with any of your favorite main dishes or eaten on its own as a main meal. Perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or whenever you’re in the mood for a cheesy casserole, this easy recipe fits the bill. 

Ingredients for this cheesy rice recipe

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe. 

• White rice: I used long-grain white rice but you can also use brown rice or any other type of rice you have on hand. 
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will both work. You can also use olive oil instead. 
• Onion: Any type of onion, chopped, is good. 
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best but jarred will also work.
• Basil: Dried basil adds some flavor to the rice. 
• Frozen vegetables: I used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables; any combination will do. 
• Dorothy Lynch: Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing and Condiment seasons the rice bake.
• Cheddar cheese: A mild cheddar cheese, shredded, works well with this cheesy rice.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley enhances the flavor.
• Salt and pepper: Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Parmesan cheese: More cheese to top the cheesy rice. 

Be sure to keep reading to find tips and tricks, substitutions, and answers to questions you may have about this cheesy vegetable rice.  

How to make cheesy vegetable rice

This rice casserole comes together quickly and easily. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 11×7 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, and butter to a boil, add the rice and cook according to the package instructions. 

In another pan, melt butter. Then, add garlic, onion, and basil, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add in the frozen vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Add the Dorothy Lynch Dressing to the cooked rice.

Followed by the fresh parsley, salt, pepper and chedddar cheese. Give it a mix.

Add the rice to the vegetables and stir it together.

Pour the rice mixture into the prepared 11×7 casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 

Cover and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes, remove the cover and bake for 5 minutes more or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Leftovers of this rice casserole will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or the oven. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this cheesy vegetable rice make sure you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

FAQs about cheesy vegetable rice

• Does cheese go well with rice? Yes, cheese goes very well with rice. I think cheese goes with pretty much anything! 
• What culture is cheesy rice? Cheesy rice has been popular in Asian and West African countries. 
• How do you make rice taste more interesting? There are many ways to make rice taste more interesting; you can add spices, seasonings, soy sauce, cheese, herbs, vegetables…the list is endless. 
• How to infuse rice with flavor? An easy way to infuse rice with flavor is to cook it in broth or stock along with herbs and spices. 

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Swap the mixed vegetables for any type of vegetable you can find. Both fresh or frozen work.  Use broccoli for cheesy broccoli rice or zucchini for cheesy zucchini rice. 
• Change up the cheese and try sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, gruyere, colby, or any hard cheese will work. Sprinkle with gran padano, feta, or goat cheese instead of parmesan. 
• For extra flavor, mix in fresh dried or fresh herbs or add some garlic powder or onion powder. 
• Use a different rice if you wish, basmati or even minute rice will work. 

Tips & Tricks

• Use leftover rice from another meal to make this cheesy vegetable rice. It’s a great way to make sure no food goes to waste. 
• Cook the rice in chicken broth or chicken stock to add more flavor. Or if you want to keep the rice vegetarian use vegetable broth. 
• Serve the rice topped with sour cream for a cool flavor to complement the cheese. 
• If you’ve got a rice cooker on hand, go ahead and pull it out to cook the rice. 
• To cut down on the carbs, use half cauliflower rice. 

What Is Dorothy Lynch?

“The” Dorothy Lynch was a woman, who created this dressing in the 1940s, and served it at a restaurant she and her husband ran at the local Legion Club in St. Paul, Nebraska. The dressing became so popular, that patrons would bring in their own bottles to have Dorothy fill them to eat at home.  

Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment can best be described as a sweet and spicy dressing that has a thick and creamy texture. Because of its color, many will assume it’s just another French dressing, but that isn’t true. In fact, it tastes nothing like it, where French dressing is oil based, Dorothy Lynch is a tomato based dressing. 

More Recipes to Love

If you’re a fan of Dorothy Lynch you may also enjoy this Crock Pot Pulled Pork With Dorothy Lynch Coleslaw or this Taco Salad With Dorthy Lynch Taco Sauce.  I’ve also used this favorite condiment in this Bacon and Potato Frittata and this Hot Taco Dip. 

See ALL of my recipes that use the famous Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing

Where Can I Get A bottle of Dorothy Lynch?

Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment can be purchased at most grocery stores in Nebraska and can be found at select grocery stores west of the Mississippi, including Walmart and Hy-Vee. If you can’t find it there, you can always get your pantry stocked with Dorothy Lynch by shopping Buy Nebraska!

Make sure to follow along with Dorothy Lynch on their website, and their Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter accounts for delicious recipes all year long.

With just a few simple ingredients you can whip up this great side dish that pairs nicely with any main dish.