White and Wild Rice Bake

There's something very comforting for me about a bowl of rice.  My favorite is jasmine, a big portion, piled high, with a bit of butter stirred in and I don't even need any meat to go with it.  Pure comfort.  But also a little boring.  Comfortably boring but, boring nevertheless.  Wild rice, on the other hand, doesn't scream comfort to me but I do like the nutty flavor and texture in salads.  So I decided to combine the two in a light sauce and a crunchy topping for a comforting and interesting side dish.

I like using the wild rice at half the amount of the white since its flavor can overwhelm the dish.  It also has a much longer cooking time but, you'll see in the recipe below, that I'm still using one pot.  The sauce is my favorite light bechamel and don't skip the crunchy topping.  The combination of biting through the crumb to the soft, slightly nutty texture beneath is very satisfying.  Enjoy!






Ingredients

For the Rice:
1/4 Cup wild rice
1/2 Cup white rice (your choice but I used jasmine)
2 1/2 Cups water

For the Sauce:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 Cup low fat milk
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

For the Topping:
1/4 Cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Add the wild rice and 1 cup of water to a pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat.  Simmer for 45 minutes before adding the white rice and the additional 1 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil again, cover and lower the heat.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  While the rice is cooking, make the sauce by heating the olive oil in a large skillet.  Turn the heat to low, add the flour and whisk until all the flour is coated with the oil.  Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth and all the lumps are gone.  Add the cheese, garlic powder, chives and season to taste.

When the rice is ready, add it to the sauce and combine thoroughly.  You can leave it in the skillet if it's oven proof or pour it into a baking dish.  In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and sprinkle on top of the rice mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Makes 2 servings.