Homemade Cheese Rice A Roni

Need an easy side dish using basic ingredients that you have on hand? Make Homemade Cheese Rice A Roni. 

At my house side dishes can often be boring. They become an after thought. The main dish is usually planned ahead. The side dish though often becomes a last minute, what should I serve with this main dish, type of thing. 

I am trying to get more creative with my side dishes. 

Homemade versions of our favorite things are my favorite recipes to share. I love to come up with homemade versions because they are usually cheaper than the store bought version. 

They are also easy to adapt for food allergies and intolerance. 

Homemade Rice A Roni is an example of that. Rice A Roni is not gluten free, but you can easily make the homemade version gluten free by using gluten free pasta and broth. 

Homemade Rice A Roni is a great side dish because it goes with so many things. You can serve it with meatloaf, baked chicken, crockpot chicken legs, pork, and more. 

You can also add cooked meat to it to make it an easy main dish dinner. 

Homemade Cheese Rice A Roni is best just like the recipe says, but I am all about using what you have on hand. If you don’t have these specific cheeses on hand use what you do have in the fridge. 

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Yield: 8 servings

Homemade Cheese Rice A Roni

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Homemade Rice A Roni is an easy make at home version of a favorite treat.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into pieces
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2- 14.5 ounce cans chicken or beef broth ( or use 3 3/4 cups water with bouillon if you don't have broth)
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian blend cheese
• 1/4 cup colby jack cheese

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a skillet or sauce pan.
2. Add rice and pasta. Stir until rice has turned opaque and pasta has browned slightly. This takes 2-3 minutes.
3. Add seasonings and stir to coat rice and pasta.
4. Add broth (or water and bouillon). Bring to a boil and stir well.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes or until rice and pasta is tender.
6. Stir in cheese until cheese is melted.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

You can use other cheese in place of the cheese listed. All cheddar cheese will work, all colby jack cheese, a mix of cheddar and mozzarella will also work. Use what you have on hand or the cheese that you prefer.

To make this gluten free use gluten free spaghetti and gluten free broth.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 326Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 296mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 21g