Easy cheesy zucchini brown rice

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Easy cheesy zucchini brown rice is a one-pot side dish with whole grains, a big dose of veggies and plenty of cheesy goodness! It’s a great way to get your family to eat their vegetables and it’s ready in about 30 minutes.

We are back from a whirlwind trip to Atlanta to see my brother and his family and then to Charleston for July 4th week.

We had tons of fun with family, enjoying the sunshine, playing at the beach and in the pool and just generally soaking up the summertime!

And now we’re home, settled in and ready to greet a new week! (I’ll be working but the kids have a nanny in the morning to play with. 👍)

Today, I’m excited to share with you a new twist on an old favorite.

We love my one-pot broccoli cheese brown rice – and my kids request that one often – so I wanted to change it up a bit and try it with a different vegetable.

So voila, this easy cheesy zucchini brown rice! It also cooks all in one-pot and is super easy because you just make the rice and stir everything else in at the very end.

That’s my kind of dinner side dish that I don’t have to think a lot about in advance. 👍

Plus, you can’t go wrong with cheesy rice! And I love that it’s got a good dose of veggies in it too.

You know me and my veggie love. 💚

A few notes on this easy cheesy zucchini brown rice:

• I use cheddar cheese for this recipe, but you could substitute mozzarella cheese if you prefer.
• We always use brown rice – I’m a whole grain believer – but I think this would work the same with white rice, you just need to adjust the cooking time.
• Scared of cooking brown rice? I have a post with step-by-step instructions on how to make perfect brown rice. (It’s super easy!)
• This dish reheats great but it does start to get a bit watery after two days from all the extra moisture in the zucchini.

Want some ideas of what to serve it with?

It would go great with my paprika chicken, easy crunchy baked chicken, balsamic herb grilled chicken, balsamic pork tenderloin with thyme (just 3 ingredients) or my garlic butter pork chops with lemon.

Get ready for some serious dinner time deliciousness!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Easy cheesy zucchini brown rice

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Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 35 minutes

Serves 4     adjust servings

Easy cheesy zucchini brown rice is a one-pot side dish with a big dose of veggies and plenty of cheesy goodness! Plus it’s ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 medium zucchini, grated and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

Cook rice according to package directions or follow my perfect brown rice instructions.

Once the rice is finished cooking, add the grated zucchini and remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and then cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Stir again to make sure everything is well combined and the cheese is melted.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe Notes

I use cheddar cheese for this recipe, but you could substitute mozzarella cheese if you prefer.

We always use brown rice - I’m a whole grain believer - but I think this would work the same with white rice, just adjust the cooking time.

This dish reheats great but it does start to get a bit watery after two days from all the extra moisture in the zucchini.

Need some ideas on what to serve it with? It would go great with my paprika chicken, easy crunchy baked chicken, balsamic herb grilled chicken, balsamic pork tenderloin with thyme (just 3 ingredients) or my garlic butter pork chops with lemon.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 419kcal Calories from fat 186
% Daily Value
Total Fat 21g	32%
Saturated Fat 11g	55%
Transfat 1g
Cholesterol 58mg	19%
Sodium 471mg	20%
Carbohydrate 40g	13%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Sugars 3g
Protein 18g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g