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What's one of the number one reasons we don't cook brown rice during the week?
It takes too long! Weekdays are already busy with work, kids, the dog, or being a caregiver to someone.
So trying to eat healthy can be hard especially during crazy weeknights! Listen, if we had to wait around 40 minutes for brown rice to cook we'd probably start snacking on things we don't need to be snacking on. I've got a solution for you right here. Keep reading!
Can You Freeze Cooked Brown Rice?
Yes, absolutely! Let the rice cool down. Take out a quart or gallon size freezer bag (depending on how much you have). At this point, I go ahead and label the bag with "Brown rice/Date/Amount". Scoop out the rice using 1 cup measuring cup into the bag. Lay the bag flat so it freezes flat in the freezer and doesn't take up so much space. It's usually frozen in 2 hours.
How to Reheat Frozen Cooked Brown Rice
Take out the frozen rice, transfer it to a microwavable plate or bowl, and warm it up starting at 1 minute and increasing until it's hot! That's it.
How Long to Store in Freezer
Cooked brown rice can be left frozen for up to 6 months. It'll never last that long because you'll need it for healthy meals.
Tips on Storing Cooked Brown Rice.
Ways to Batch Cook Brown Rice
There are several different methods you can take to cook extra rice. Here are some suggestions:
- Use an instant pot or rice cooker!
- Let's say there's one day where you only need to use the stove for dinner. This frees up your instant pot or rice cooker. Go ahead and make a big batch on that day. Then freeze it to eat with a meal during the week.
- While you're cleaning up Saturday morning, go ahead and put a batch of brown rice on the stove. Let it finish cooking on low while you finish what you're doing.
- It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to cook brown rice. You could even make a batch after dinner while you're relaxing.
How to Eat Frozen Brown Rice
- Add to soups or stews
- Use to make fried rice
- Add to a vegetable stir-fry
- Add a little to your bowl of chili
- Make a burrito bowl
- Add to a salad
- Warm it up, add beans on top with a vegetable (and another protein if you wanted) and boom dinner is done!
- Or just warm it as a side to go with fish and vegetables
Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes!
Simple Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes!
How to Freeze Cooked Brown Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- cooked brown rice cooled
Instructions
- Once your rice has cooled down, use a 1 cup measuring cup to portion your rice in a quart freezer bag. A quart bag will hold 4 cups. Portion the rice based on what works for you and your household! *I'd recommend starting with freezing 1 cup portions. It makes it easier to microwave it straight from the freezer whenever you need a small amount.
- Once you have the rice in the bag, flatten the bag and lay it on a baking sheet
- Put the baking sheet in the freezer on a flat surface and leave it there for ~2 hours until frozen. Once it's frozen remove the baking sheet.
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