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This CHEESY ZUCCHINI RICE is a universal favorite in our house! It’s a great side dish to use up some of your garden zucchini, but the best part is, with all that cheese your kids will love it!
I’m not sure if this is, like, standard family business or what, but it is nearly impossible to find a vegetable that all four of us like.
If I get it past my kids, the husband doesn’t like it.
If I get it past the husband, my kids don’t like.
And, if I get it past all three of them, I probably don’t like. 😉
Is everyone else’s life like that too?
Two veggies that we all agree on: broccoli and zucchini!
This cheesy zucchini rice was one of the ways I taught my youngest to love zucchini. I just shredded the zucchini up and snuck into cheesy rice and she didn’t find it at all offensive. Win!
(My chocolate zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake are also obvious favorites.)
The zucchini just blends in perfectly, and while you can see the green specks, it doesn’t add a whole ton of flavor or texture, which makes it great for picky kids!
Preparing this side dish
The first thing to do is to get your rice cooked. Toast the rice in a bit of oil and then boil in some chicken broth.
The broth adds a great flavor!
Once the rice is done cooking in the broth you’ll add your butter, garlic, cheese, and fresh zucchini.
Cover this and let it sit for a few minutes then it is ready to serve.
The cheese melts, the zucchini softens, the rice is perfect.
This dish is the perfect side for picky kids and hungry parents!
How to handle your leftovers
Cover tightly and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The zucchini will soften up even more as you recook it, but it also may make the dish a bit more watery than it initially was.
Helpful Tip!
Picky Kids?
Those green flecks can scare off even the toughest kid. Peel the zucchini to help it blend into the rice even more!
How to make with instant rice
Prefer to work with Minute rice? No problem!
Start by cooking the rice according to the package directions.
When adding the rice to the boiling water, add the zucchini as well.
After the rice is fully cooked fluff it with a fork and stir in the cheese, garlic, and butter. Cover this for a minute or two to melt the cheese and then give it a stir.
Cheesy zucchini rice in about 10 minutes!
More recipes with garden fresh ingredients
The Best Creamiest Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Zucchini Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium zucchini shredded
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Splash of milk as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
- Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.
- Cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and quickly add the butter, grated zucchini, cheddar, and garlic powder.
- Cover and let set for 10 minutes. It's important to cover the rice again quickly to retain some of the steam from cooking.
- Uncover the rice, stir well to combine, and add salt and pepper to taste. If you'd like the rice to have a thinner texture, add a splash of milk.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in June 2012. It was updated with new photos in May 2020.
Debbie Cohen Smith says
Hi there. I have been “ricing” cauliflower and using it as rice in a lot of my recipes, would you use less liquid in this if I replaced the rice? Thoughts? Thanks!
Karly says
@Debbie Cohen Smith,
I’ve never tried ricing cauliflower, so I would just prepare it with however much liquid you normally do and then add in the zucchini and cheese at the end while it steams for the last 5 minutes. 🙂
Dea says
@Debbie Cohen Smith, How do you ‘rice’ cauliflower?
I make something like this with brown rice and broccoli
Debbie Cohen Smith says
@Dea, To “rice” cauliflower, you either shred it, or the way I prefer is with our food processor cut it up into smallish pieces and grind it up.
Depending on what I am going to do with it, is what I do next with it, if I am using it for a pizza crust, I cook it in the micro for about 8 minutes, if substituting it for rice, I just add it into the recipe.
If you have any questions, contact me and I will help you out with it.
Take Care,
Debbie
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Mmm yes please! This sounds awesome!
joanne says
Once it’s green and slimy does it really MATTER what kind of amphibian/reptile it is? I think not. Unless you live in Florida and have to avoid those crocs.
Love this cheesy delicious way to sneak in some veggies!
KR Big Fish says
This dish has my vote! I can’t wait to try it and look at your other recipes.
KR Big Fish says
@KR Big Fish, Oops sorry for the duplicate post. You can delete this one, I thought it didn’t post at first. 🙂
KR Big Fish says
I just found this on Pinterest and it has my vote! I can’t wait to try it and look at your other recipes.
Sarah says
I was reading through the recipie, when do I add the butter?
Karly says
@Sarah,
Whoops! You add it in at the end with the zucchini and cheese. 🙂
Cassie (bake your day) says
Beautiful photos! And this rice – so perfect. Love the flavors!
DessertForTwo says
I love recipes like these–I’m eating a vegetable so I can shove the cheese & carb in my face even more! 😉
Sarah says
I’m totally going to make this today!! I have some cooked chicken that I’m going to add!
I love how a kids mind works! Makes total sense.
Karly says
@Sarah,
Oh, that’ll be delicious! Enjoy! 🙂
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
hilarious!!!! rabbits ribbit. well i do like that logic!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says
Ahhh your daughter is one cutie pie! In her defense, wouldn’t it be cute if bunnies COULD make noises and did ribbit? Sure it’d be a little disconcerting at first, but then you’d be like “OMGWTF that bunny ribbited!!” and then you could make millions on a ribbiting bunny.
Or if nothing else, you could make like, the cheesiest, best looking rice on the face of the planet!! Love me some cheesy rice and LOVE me some zukes!
sally @ sally's baking addiction says
KARLY!! your daughter is adorable! I have draw something on my phone but do NOT understand how to use it or how to play. I swear, I’m such a blonde sometimes. This cheesy rice looks like..umm…heaven. I can see myself eating a HUGE serving or two of this without a blink of an eye. i love cheese.
Karly says
@sally @ sally’s baking addiction,
Thank you! She is pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. 🙂
Kim @ The Family Practice says
I love zucchini – what a unique way to use it! And I love your daughter thinking that a rabbit should ribbit. It sort of makes sense. When my son was three he used to say things like “to-later” which also makes sense in a way: we say to-day, to-morrow, why not to-later
Rabbit, ribbit, I get what she’s thinkin!
Karly says
@Kim @ The Family Practice,
I hadn’t thought of it that way! It does totally make sense!
And to-later…so cute!
Cookbook Queen says
What a cutie pie!!
I am all about this rice. I don’t even think I’d notice that demon vegetable hiding inside!!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
If a bunny ribbetted I would pee my pants. I think that’s the first sign of the apocalypse.
And I will totally make this rice. Anyway to fool my kids into eating zucchini…and if covering it up with cheesy carbs is what I have to do, then good on me.