Mushroom Rice Casserole

This Mushroom Rice Casserole is filled with ooey parmesan cheese, sliced baby bella mushrooms, cream cheese, and tender jasmine rice for a hearty side dish or meatless meal.

Mushrooms are the star of this easy rice casserole. They add a delicious heartiness to the meal without adding any meat! Although, you could certainly add chicken to it. That would be a wonderful way to make this a full meal.

Fresh spinach is great in casseroles as well. It is so versatile and a vegetable that truly tastes good. Looking for more spinach recipes? Why not try Greek Chicken Meatballs, or this Garlic Butter Sauteed Spinach, or maybe this Homemade Spinach Pasta.

For another delicious casserole, try Chicken Potato Broccoli Casserole.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Oven baked side dish: Take all of the regular ingredients that go in creamed spinach and add rice and mushrooms, and you have this delicious side dish!
• Creamy: A dairy free dish, this is not. It has whole milk, shredded parmesan cheese, and cream cheese. But I'm sure I don't have to convince you how delicious that makes this...
• Simple: This casserole is great for holidays like thanksgiving and christmas because it feels a little extra special and pairs well with a lot of main dishes.
• Make ahead: This rice dish can be made 1-2 days ahead and then baked right before you want to serve it.

Ingredients

• Fresh Baby Spinach: Baby spinach is tender and easy to find. Frozen spinach that has been thawed works as well.
• Cremini mushrooms: I find cremini mushrooms to be the most versatile, they are a great combination of accessible while still flavorful. Use your favorite mushroom here or even a combination.
• Rice: Jasmine and basmati rice are what this recipe have been tested with. Because the rice is cooked ahead of time, you have use whatever rice you enjoy, brown and wild rice would both work.
• Chicken Stock: Homemade slow cooker bone broth would work great or a high quality store bought stock.
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese is what gives this mushroom rice casserole is creamy richness.
• Whole milk: Whole milk is the perfect middle of the road liquid, but skim, 2%, half and half, heavy cream all work in this recipe.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients.

Variations and Substitutions

• If you do decide to bake it, there are a few routes you could go. Bake, as is, bake with breadcrumbs, or bake with more cheese sprinkled on top.
• You can substitute the cream cheese with ricotta cheese or mascarpone cheese. If you have never cooked with mascarpone, try it! It's similar in texture to cream cheese.

Step by Step Instructions

Begin by preparing rice. For rice, you use a 2 to 1 ratio, 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice. In a medium sized saucepan, place rice and stock and bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to the lowest setting. The rice will take about 12 minutes from the time you place the lid on it.

While the rice is cooking, begin your sauce. Add olive oil and butter to a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add in diced onions and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Next, add your mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms have started to cook down.

Turn heat down to medium low, and add milk, cream cheese, salt, and shredded parmesan. Stir until cream cheese has completely melted and everything is well combined.

Take off heat, stir in chopped spinach and cooked rice. Serve as is, or top with ½ cup of parmesan cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Recipe Tips

• Baking this in the oven is optional. Everything is already cooked through before if goes in the oven. If you don't bake it, it will remain more creamy and saucy. I love it that way! However, baking the casserole gives it a nice bubbly crust.
• Frozen spinach be used in place of fresh in this recipe. It will give off extra liquid, so I suggest thawing it first and ringing out some of the water in a kitchen towel.

What can you serve this spinach bake with?

• Chicken, such as air fryer chicken thighs or crusted chicken romano.
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Tender Bavette Steak

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