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Creamy Rice with Butter and Cheese (from How to Cook Everything Kids)

Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED October 15, 2024

Do you know what risotto is? It’s an Italian dish that you stir almost the whole time you’re cooking to make rice that’s creamy enough to eat like oatmeal. There’s almost always a lot of Parmesan and butter involved, and usually other things—like vegetables, seafood, or herbs—stirred in too. This is sort of like that, only with a lot less stirring and using any kind of cheese.

 

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Creamy Rice with Butter and Cheese (from How to Cook Everything Kids)

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Makes 2 to 3 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup white rice (a short- grain kind like Arborio will be creamiest)
  • Salt
  • 2 cups water, plus more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other melting cheese, plus extra for eating

Instructions

  1. Put the rice in a 1- or 2-quart pot with a pinch of salt and the 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so the liquid bubbles gently. Cover and cook without stirring for 10 minutes.
  2. Check the rice. Add enough water to cover it by about 1/2 inch and stir, scraping up any dried bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook again for 3 minutes.
  3. This time when you check, carefully dip a fork into the pot and lift out a couple kernels to taste. You want them soft enough to eat and a little bit soupy. If they’re not there yet, add enough water to keep the rice wet, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  4. By now the rice is ready. Stir in the butter or olive oil, cheese, and enough water, 1 tablespoon at a time, so the rice is creamy. Taste and add salt if it needs more. Eat with another sprinkling of cheese on top.

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