If there’s one thing I knew right away starting the SNAP Challenge, it was that I was going to have to bulk out my meals considerably with inexpensive beans and grains to stay under $4.50 of food per day. Instead of using plain old rice, I made a big batch of seasoned rice the first day, which I used as a base for multiple meals throughout the week (and maybe the whole month).
For the entire month of September, I’ll be participating in the SNAP Challenge and attempting to eat on $4.50 per day. Read more here.
What Kind of Rice Can I Use?
You can use any type of rice you like, just be sure to adjust the water ratio and cooking time to match the directions on the package for the rice you’re using. I used long grain brown rice for this recipe, which adds a nice nutty flavor and is also very filling. Jasmine rice is another great option because it has even more flavor, but it does come at a higher cost. I would avoid medium or short grain rices for this recipe since those tend to be very sticky.
Can I Make This in a Rice Maker?
Yes, just add the seasonings (garlic powder, thyme, crushed red pepper, and salt) to the rice maker along with the rice and water, then use the rice maker as you normally would.
What Do You Serve with Seasoned Rice?
You can serve seasoned rice as a side dish to something like Salisbury Steak, Turkey Taco Skillet, Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Thighs, Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin, or Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms. Or you can use the seasoned rice as a flavorful base for a bowl meal, like Smoky Roasted Sausage and Vegetables, BBQ Beef and Beans, or Roasted Brussels Sprout Bowls.
How Long Does Seasoned Rice Stay Good?
When the cooked rice is cooled and stored properly, it will stay good in your refrigerator for about four days, or you can freeze for about three months. Because cooked rice is one of the more common sources of food poisoning, it is important to take the proper steps with your leftover rice.
How to Store Leftover Rice
Anytime you save leftovers of cooked rice, it’s really important to divide and chill the leftovers as quickly as possible. Rice can naturally contain a bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which has spores that are resistant to cooking. Bacillus cereus contamination does not produce any visible signs or smells, so it’s of utmost importance that rice be cooled properly immediately after cooking. Transfer your cooked rice to a new container (do not leave it in the hot container it was cooked in), divide the rice into smaller portions if cooked in a large batch, and then place it in the refrigerator to cool. Do not let your rice sit out at room temperature. The goal is to cool the rice to below 40ºF in under two hours, so the sooner it gets in the fridge, the better.
Seasoned Rice
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 2 cups long grain brown rice ($0.80)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 4 cups water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Combine the rice, garlic powder, thyme, red pepper, salt, and water in a heavy bottomed pot. Give it a brief stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Place a lid on the pot and bring the water up to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest with the lid in place for 5 minutes more.
- After 5 minutes without heat, fluff the rice and serve, or refrigerate until ready to eat.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Seasoned Rice – Step by Step Photos
In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine 2 cups of rice, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, and ¾ tsp salt.
Add four cups of water to the pot. Cover the pot with a lid, then place it over high heat. Allow the pot to come to a full boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the heat off and allow it to rest and continue to steam in the residual heat for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, fluff the rice and serve.
It may not seem very revolutionary, but when working with a limited budget, it’s important to make sure every meal is as satisfying as possible. I plan to eat pretty much the same thing throughout the week, so I have to make sure it’s damn delicious so that I keep coming back! Ha!
I’ve been meaning to try this challenge as well, and look forward to what recipes you come up with. In addition to rice and pasta, which I lean on when trying to eat on the cheap, I’ve been thinking crepes may be a nice change of pace too. Eggs are cheap, and sometimes you need to use them up before they go bad.
I am looking forward to seeing how you do this for the next week. Because then I will try and copy you.
I have so much admiration for you for attempting this challenge, well done!
When my budget is low I usually turn to rice too – I tend to make egg-fried rice with chopped tomatoes for a filling and cheap (and relatively healthy) dinner staple!
Beth, I noticed that you said you pretty much will be eating the same thing during the week. If not too nosy, I have a question for you. Do you cook a full recipe for a couple of dishes and then switch off between them the full week?
What I usually do is cook about four full recipes each week. I freeze half of the recipes in ziploc bags. I add them to my “freezer food library”. This allows me some slack in weekly cooking, and a variety of foods.
I usually work 6 night shifts (12.5 hour) back to back. I have no time to cook then. I just eat off of what I have made.
That’s what I usually do, cook one meal and alternate between what I have stocked in my freezer. For this, I’m not going to use the meals I have stocked in my fridge, so I cooked one meal and will be alternating it with simple things like an egg quesadilla or something like that.
I heard somewhere that Whole Foods doesn’t even accept SNAP benefits (At least not WIC), which is interesting, and possibly troubling, especially since many farmer’s markets in my area accept them. Not sure what you’re supposed to do if you want to eat healthy, and have to rely on SNAP benefits.
Interesting article here:
http://thebillfold.com/2014/06/concerning-public-assistance-shame-and-healthy-eating/
Not sure if this is true in all Whole Foods.
Whole foods accepts Foodstamps/SNAP…..sounds like WIC maybe not.
They are two entirely different programs.
They do accept SNAP. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t accept WIC because WIC is a much stricter program – only certain types of milk and vegetables and certain brands, etc. This is so the program can be run cost-effectively, and Whole Foods tends to run outside the realm of cost-effective. Also, SNAP isn’t focused on the nutritional value of food. WIC is concerned with the nutritional benefit since it is run only for mothers with children of a certain age (and some pregnant women). WIC would probably argue that you can get the same nutritional benefits by shopping off their list of acceptable items that you could get from items at Whole Foods, which for the most part is probably true.
Whole Foods does accept SNAP, just not WIC, and you can’t use SNAP in the prepared food section. I think that is where a lot of confusion comes in, people try to use SNAP on the salad bar or the prepared food case at Whole Foods and get denied then think they can’t use SNAP at WF at all.
You can use SNAP on prepared foods as long as they are not hot. It works on the salad bar and everything else that is not preheated. I work in a grocery store as a cashier and people get confused by this all the time.
Thanks for the reminder (and awareness) about the SNAP challenge! We will be doing this alongside you.
I have been making and freezing baked brown rice for awhile now and it’s been wonderful. Reheats beautifully and is perfectly seasoned for whatever type of dish you need it for. I quadruple the recipe into two 9×13 casseroles and freeze it in two cup portions.
I’ve changed to baking brown rice also – have some in the oven right now. And I also freeze it, although I’m doing smaller quantities.
I usually make a pot of beans at the same time and freeze those in small packets as well.
I love a quick saute of rice, beans and whatever green I have (tend to buy cabbage, kale or chard as they keep well). If I have a bit of leftover chicken or sausage I might throw that in. Etc. Quick, easy and not spendy. Plus, I happen to really like rice and beans!
What would the ratio be if I’m using white rice and want to serve 6 servings (1 cup each) and I’m using a rice cooker. Thank you for your help. Looking forward to duplicating your challenge.
Usually white rice needs 1.5 cups water to every cup of rice, so to get six cups cooked (after fluffing), you’ll need about 2.5 cups of rice and 3.75 cups of water… but I’d just make it easy and do 3 cups rice, 4.5 cups of water and freeze the extra. :P
Thank you Beth. My family has not acquired a taste for brown rice. Any suggestions on how to ease them into it? Thanks for taking the time to answer my silly questions.
Cindy – I had trouble getting my family switched over to brown rice, too. The chewy texture just wasn’t for them. I read once – and have done so ever since – to soak the brown rice before cooking, similar to the way you soak dried beans. It allows the husk to soften up without cooking the inside and turning the grain to mush. I usually do the “quick soak” of hot water for 30-60 minutes before cooking, and I just measure rice and hot water out in the pot according to the cooking ratios and let it sit until I’m ready to turn it on.
My other suggestion is use brown rice in things that have a sauce or other flavor component until they are acclimated. Fried rice, casseroles, soups, etc. :)
I’ve never acquired a taste for brown rice (or other whole grains) and I don’t worry about it. In addition to not liking whole grains, they do nasty things to my digestive system.
While I’m certainly not on a low carb diet, I don’t eat a lot of grains, but I eat plenty of beans, vegetables of all kinds and fruit. I don’t worry about.not eating the grains.
When I was growing up, my mom would cook a mixture of half brown and half white rice. That’s how I got started with it. :) The cooking times and water needs are different, so she just kind of averaged them. It wasn’t a super light, fluffy rice mixture, but I still enjoyed it.
Maybe you’ve already said, but are you going to post your weekly menus?
Yep! Not a menu, per se, but a log of what I ate. It’s not going to be perfect meals, just what I eat throughout the day.
Hi Beth, this seems like a great idea. I live in a lower income part of Boston, this type of challenge might help me relate to what some of my neighbors are going through.
I was wondering how you’re accounting for the spices in this recipe, did you purchase them on the SNAP budget? I know per recipe spices are cheap, but the initial cost of spices is usually kind of high.
Thanks!
Well, I dealt with that when I first started cooking. What I did was just buy one spice bottle per week or so until I had a well stocked kitchen. I can’t really replicate that here, so I’m just going to account for the amount that I use. In reality, it would just mean that I’d be more choosy about what recipes I made until I had spices to widen my options.
i am so looking forward to these posts. seasoned rice sounds really good!
Ooo! I’m excited to see what you do with this challenge!
Good job choosing whole grain!!
I love that you’re doing this challenge! I would have never guessed that buying something at Whole Foods would actually be cheaper than at the regular grocery store…I’ll have to take advantage of those bulk bins next time I’m shopping!
If you have a Winco nearby (IE, if you’re on the west coast/southwest area), that’s also an excellent place to get stuff in bulk.
I love winco’s bulk bins, I can get a pound of whole wheat pasta for about a dollar
Rice is a great way to fill you up on a budget! This is a really nice idea for seasoning. Sometimes I add a pat of butter in my rice cooker to make it a little bit more rich. I also like to mix it up now and then and add premixed Jamaican curry powder or garam masala to get some beautiful, fragrant rice. Plus, it’s easy to get both cheap online or in the grocery store.