Leftover Rice Pudding

  • By Bethany
  • /

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER RICE?

I always have leftover rice from dinner and I’m never sure what to do with it. But I love rice pudding. It’s a comfort food. One day I had a small amount of leftover white rice in the fridge, and wanted to try making rice pudding with it!

My mom used to make this on Sunday afternoons in the winter, but the original version is made in a casserole dish that bakes in the oven for three hours. It is delicious to smell and anticipate but sometimes I’d like the comfort of rice pudding without the wait!

Did you know you can also freeze rice to use later? It would stay fresh longer that way and also be ready to use for another dinner down the road! How smart!

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This is fun for little hands to help. Little miss two dumped in all the ingredients, stirred them up, and then I took over. It took her all of about two minutes and she had fun helping. This could be a yummy snack or maybe considered a breakfast, whatever fits your fancy!

Here she is mixing. Now after this step the adult needs to take over because the rice pudding gets pretty hot in the microwave! Make sure you set it on the counter to rest for at least 10 minutes because it is piping hot! The milk will thicken up and absorb as it cools. Then you can sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy! 🙂

What other uses have you found for leftover rice? Or your favorite rice-based dinners? Here’s some more leftover rice ideas that may come in handy. Rice can be a great side for these Creamy Cilantro-Lime Chicken Taquitos as well.

Print

One-Bowl Leftover Rice Pudding

Ingredients

  • 1 cup leftover white rice
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp softened butter
  • cinnamon to taste

Instructions

TODDLER TASKS

  1. Add rice, milk, sugar and butter into a microwavable bowl. Stir!

ADULT TASKS

  1. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then remove and stir.  

  2. Microwave for an additional minute, watching closely. Stir again after this minute.

  3. Cook for 30 second intervals until the milk starts to bubble up, then stop. Since microwave ovens vary in intensity the timing may be different for you. Total cooking time should be between 2-3 minutes.

  4. BE SUPER CAREFUL BECAUSE IT WILL BE SO SO HOT! Let the rice pudding sit in the microwave or on the counter for at least 10 minutes. The milk will gradually absorb and thicken up.

  5. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This is a variation of my grandmother's rice pudding recipe. Her rice pudding takes 3 hours in the oven... and sometimes I want to eat it now! It's a comfort food. So that's why I came up with this version, made in an individual serving, using up that leftover rice that just hangs out in the fridge. Yum!


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