Arroz de FornoBaked Rice
A fridge-clearing casserole.
Arroz de Forno is a popular Brazilian baked casserole that uses day-old white rice folded with shredded chicken or ham, sweet corn, peas, cream cheese (requeijão), and baked under melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
- 600 g Cooked White Rice (Day-Old) — Casserole Starch Base
- 250 g Cooked Shredded Chicken or Ham — Savory Protein Core
- 100 g Sweet Corn Kernels — Sweet Vegetable Accent
- 100 g Green Peas — Vegetable Accent
- 200 g Requeijão Cremoso / Cream Cheese — Binding Cream Layer
- 200 g Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded) — Melting Topping Layer
- 100 g Tomato Passata — Moisture Accent
Method
- In a largeIn a large mixing bowl, combine day-old cooked white rice, shredded chicken, sweet corn, green peas, tomato passata, and requeijão cremoso
- Mix thoroughly untilMix thoroughly until evenly distributed
- Transfer the mixtureTransfer the mixture into a buttered 20×30 cmbaking dish, pressing down gently with a spatula
- Spread shredded mozzarellaSpread shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top surface
- Bake at 200°CforBake at 200°Cfor 20 minutes until the cheese melts completely and turns golden brown on top
- Serve warm directlyServe warm directly from the dish
Questions
How long does Arroz de Forno take?
20 minutes of cooking — yielding several servings.
Is this just leftover rice casserole?
Yes, gloriously — rice, shredded chicken or sausage, cheese and tomato moistened with cream and baked. It is the dish made of whatever the fridge owes you.
How do I keep it from drying out in the oven?
Moisten the rice with cream or a ladle of broth until it glistens before baking, and do not over-bake — 20 minutes at 200°C to brown the cheese is enough.