Rice bake with vegetables and hard-boiled eggs Recipe
This bake is a bit like Polish vegetable salad, only in a warm version and with rice instead of potatoes. Colourful vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and a delicate creamy sauce make a mild, homely dish that reheats well. It’s great as a weekday dinner or a warm supper for the whole family.
This bake tastes like a warm, baked version of vegetable salad, but with rice, which makes it lighter and more filling at the same time. The combination of hard-boiled eggs, peas, carrots and corn with a sour-cream-and-mayonnaise sauce gives a familiar “sandwich spread” flavour, only in a convenient oven-baked form. It’s a great way to use up leftover cooked rice and vegetables from the fridge.
Chef's tips
Cook the rice so it’s fluffy, not sticky – if you have time, spread it out on a plate to cool slightly so it doesn’t clump in the bake. After boiling, immediately pour cold water over the eggs; they’ll be easier to peel and keep a nice yellow yolk. Don’t overdo the salt in the sauce, because the cheese on top is also salty – you can always add more at the table.
How to serve
Serve with pickled cucumbers or a simple white cabbage slaw to add crunch and acidity to the creamy bake. It pairs perfectly with kefir, buttermilk or just a glass of homemade sour cherry compote. This dish works well on weekdays when you want to cook once and eat twice – for example on Wednesday evening and again for Thursday’s lunch at work.
Ingredients
- rice white, uncooked - 200 g
- carrot medium - 2 piece
- green peas frozen or canned - 100 g
- corn canned, drained - 100 g
- egg hard-boiled - 4 piece
- sour cream 18% or 30% - 200 ml
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons
- yellow cheese grated - 120 g
- dill chopped, fresh or frozen - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- butter for the dish - 10 g
Preparation
- Cook the rice in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions (usually 12–15 minutes), until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
- Peel the carrots, cut into small cubes and cook in salted water for 5–7 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm. Drain.
- If using frozen peas, blanch them in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then drain. For canned peas and corn, simply drain off the brine.
- Hard-boil the eggs (about 9–10 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling), then cool them in cold water, peel and cut into large cubes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, mix the rice, carrots, peas, corn and chopped eggs. Add the dill and gently combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and pepper until you have a smooth sauce.
- Pour the creamy mayonnaise sauce over the rice and vegetables and mix thoroughly so everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, smooth the top and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden. After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Storage
Store leftovers covered in the fridge and reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. If the bake seems a bit dry, stir in a spoonful of sour cream after reheating.
