Brown rice with spinach and Parmesan cheese is an easy, healthy, one-pot side dish with just a few simple ingredients!
This post is sponsored by ALDI. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hiya friends! How is the week treating you so far?
Before we get to today’s brown rice with spinach and Parmesan cheese recipe - a delicious and healthy side dish - let me tell you about my latest shopping excursion.
I finally… after years of hearing about it from a good friend who lives close to one… after moving across town and finally having one up the road… after hearing three neighbors in the past couple of weeks talk about going there…
I finally visited an ALDI grocery store. #longoverdue
I went without the kids on a rainy weekend morning and just had a fun time wandering the aisles and seeing what all they had. I came home with a trunk full, too, because there were so many great finds and the prices are incredible!
Oh, two quick tips for any other newbies like me:
1. You'll need a quarter to unlock a shopping cart.
2. Bring your own bags to pack your purchased groceries in - they don't have any (except for purchase). It helps them keep their prices low.
What I love the most about ALDI is how prominently they feature and call out healthier products. You know I’m all about that!
Plus, they have tons of gorgeous produce at a great price. Lots of it is organic, too, if that's important to you.
I also had some serious scores in the freezer section. Veggie burgers, quinoa mixes, tons of meats and lots of great seafood options too.
Definitely my kind of store!
So now I guess I know why everyone’s been telling me to go…
And for today’s recipe, I snagged some SimplyNature Quick Cook Brown Rice, which is ready faster than regular long-grain brown rice and has a better texture than Minute rice, in my opinion.
I also picked up a bag of fresh spinach and a wedge of Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese is normally so pricey, but not so much at ALDI!
OK, so this brown rice with spinach recipe. It’s similar in method to my one-pot broccoli cheese brown rice and easy cheesy zucchini brown rice, meaning we cook the rice with all kinds of flavor, then add the veggies at the end to steam and top it all off with some cheese.
I mean, it’s really kind-of a winner!
And this is so creamy and tender and just perfectly seasoned.
Even M, who sometimes gives a snake eye to green things mixed into foods, loved it!
(Brown rice pilaf is another great go-to for jazzing up some rice. So easy, too! And if you want to go all in on the veggies, check out this one pot brown rice and veggies side dish.)
Notes on this brown rice with spinach:
- You can use chicken or vegetable broth, whatever you have, but do try to use low-sodium so you can control the amount of salt.
- I managed to cram all of the spinach into my pot but if you don’t have room, you can either do it in batches (waiting for the first batch to wilt down before adding more) or just put in as much as you can fit. I tend to like A LOT of spinach 😉
- Serve this with a little extra Parmesan shaved on right at the table. Such a great touch!
- You could also add a sprinkling of pine nuts for a little crunch if you have some.
Oh, and if you don't have quick-cooking brown rice and want to use just regular brown rice (the long grain kind), you can certainly make that substitute.
The only change you need to make is the cook time. Follow the directions and then instead of simmering for 15-20 minutes, you'll need to cook it for 30-35 minutes to get it cooked through and tender.
You could round out the meal with some quick and easy balsamic chicken, or my slow cooker balsamic chicken if you want a hands-off, cooks-all day main dish. It would also go great with pork chops (or my balsamic roasted pork tenderloin with thyme) or a nice steak.
Do try this dish though - I think you’ll really like it!
Have a wonderful weekend!
XO,
Kathryn
Brown rice with spinach and Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ cups quick cook brown rice, see notes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 8 oz. bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.
- Add quick cook rice, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to get the rice coated in the oils.
- Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then cover, lower the heat to medium low and cook 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Add chopped fresh spinach on top of the rice, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes off the heat.
- Stir spinach into the rice and add Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Lol-ing over here!! I've heard great things about Aldi's too, but I've never been. Mostly because I also heard it's set up like Ikea and you're forced to go through every isle. And I'm totally impatient and easily distracted, so that scares me. 😉 I should get over my fear and just go, huh? Thanks for the tips on the shopping cart and bags. Never heard that!! Anyways, loving this dish! You know I love me some spinach.. and parmesan is a given, so this rice has my name written all over it! Looks delish, friend! Cheers!
Kathryn
Good news my friend - ALDI is NOT set up like IKEA! That would make me a little batty too, especially when shopping for groceries. I can be all over the place in a grocery store! So no, it's just like a regular one and you can wander the aisles freely! Doooo it! Have a great weekend! XO
Katherine
I'm always looking for more brown rice ideas. Yum!
Never been to ALDI myself...everyone keeps telling me about it though!
Kathryn
We are a brown rice loving family! And you should definitely check ALDI out - there's a reason we keep hearing about it 😉
Kristen M Chidsey
So glad you are finally a convert!!! I am an ALDI die-hard 😉
Kathryn
I can't wait to go back!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
It's been waaaaay too long since I popped by your wonderful blog, but today was the absolute perfect day to check in! Kindred Aldi spirits, for sure! People keep telling me how terrific Aldi is, how many healthy items there are ... and I just really need to make the trip (it's not that far compared to my other stores!) and DO THIS! After reading your post, I'm totally inspired, and I love that you even called out some of your fave products that I need to look for! (Side note: isn't it funny how, now that we're moms, a morning without kids to go grocery shopping counts as big fun?!?! 😉 ). Anyway ... beyond all that, I love this recipe! So simple, so jam-crammed with nutritious ingredients! I'm totally pinning this to share - and also so that I remember to make it SOON (like after my big Aldi adventure!).
Kathryn
Aww, thanks so much Shelley! Yes, you definitely need to get over to ALDI - you will seriously LOVE it! So many great, healthy foods and so much gorgeous produce! You'll be in heaven 🙂 Especially if you are there solo like I was - because, sadly, that is such a treat 😂 In the meantime, wishing you a very happy Mother's Day! XO
Heather
Trying to make this recipe now because it looks so good. But, when foes the thyme go in?
Kathryn
The thyme goes in with the salt and pepper. Sorry about that - I'll make sure the recipe card is updated! Hope you enjoy it!
Amy
I need to make this for about 8-10 people. How much should I increase the recipe by?
Kathryn
Hi Amy! I'd triple the recipe to be safe. It serves 4 as is so tripling it will give you about 12 servings (which means you may have some yummy leftovers for lunch the next day!) I hope you enjoy it!
Amy
THANK YOU!!
Laurie Kaye
I get that not everyone likes their food spicy, but for our tastes this dish was rather bland and needed some zippidy-doo-dah...made again with 1/2 spicy arugula, 1/2 spinach and added some dried red chili pepper as well...then gave it some crunch with roasted sunflower seeds on top instead of extra cheese - worked for us!
Kathryn
I love the sound of those additions Laurie! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Melissa Moles
I made this recipe two ways at supper time tonight. One, the regular recipe second I exchanged brown rice for riced cauliflower. I didn’t add as much broth to the riced cauliflower recipe. It was a hit for us keto people and the non keto people. Will definitely be making again.
Kathryn
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Love the cauliflower rice swap too - yum!
Katie
College student here prowling for cheap meals! I made this today with some sautéed broccoli and cherry tomatoes (and extra cheese...) - pretty sure I ate half of it in one sitting before I forced myself to put the rest aside and save it for tomorrow. (Even if I don't think I cooked it entirely right; it seemed a little gluey but that's likely because I didn't have quick-cook rice.) I know it's not a recent recipe but thank you for this anyway! It was delicious and I already had everything in my tiny pantry/fridge to make it, so I'm saving this forever. 🙂
Kathryn Doherty
Oh yay, I'm so happy to hear you found this and loved it! Love the broccoli and tomato additions too - such a yummy combo! 😊
Rylee
I'm a cheesy person and you did it at its best. thank you so much to make me find the classic one. keep sharing more healthy and delicious stuff. going to bookmark this.
Angelina
Little late to the party but thank you Pinterest for directing me to this awesome recipe! Just made it tonight and it was soooo good. Simple dish but so flavorful! Definitely going to be a staple for sure!
Stephanie
How would you make this with regular brown rice? I don’t have any of the quick stuff! Thanks.
Kathryn Doherty
Great question! You can easily substitute regular brown rice here. Follow the recipe the same, but instead of simmering the rice for 15-20 minutes, let it go for 30-35 minutes. Everything else is the same. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy it!
Debbie
Do you think you could do this in a rice cooker? I have a brown rice setting......Just curious?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Debbie! I don't have a rice cooker, so I'm not sure whether there might be any adjustments needed. Would love to hear if you try it though!
Hannah Adam
How could I substitute frozen spinach for the fresh?
Kathryn Doherty
I haven't tried it that way, but I think you could use about 1/2 cup of frozen spinach, that's been totally thawed, and stir it into the rice at the end to warm through and mix it all together. Would love to hear if you try it!
Marian
Could I cook the rice separately and add into the recipe cooked?
Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
Cooking the rice in the broth with the onion and seasonings is what gives this dish its full flavor. I don't recommend just substituting already cooked rice and trying to stir in spinach and Parmesan. It won't have nearly as much flavor.
Nedene
This was a delicious recipe. My complaint is the commercialization of it. I do not know what Aldi is, except a store of which there is none near me, and I do not care. Give me the recipe and the ingredients and spare me the commercial for a particular place to buy the ingredients. The ingredients are available in many places and some, such as a local coop, are very friendly to local growers and their own employees. I prefer to buy from local growers and locally owned stores, when possible.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And that's wonderful that you have access to local growers. This particular post, as noted at the very top, was sponsored by Aldi. So they paid me to create a free recipe to share with everyone using ingredients from their store. And of course you are correct, you can find these ingredients many other places as well. Hope that explains things!