Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet
Looking for a tasty one pot meal? Put this Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet on the menu!
This Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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Ah, zucchini season. Or as one of my good friends puts it, “Lock Your Car Unless You Want Surprise Zucchini In Your Front Seat Season.” We aren’t growing any zucchini in our garden this year, but that hasn’t slowed zucchini season down. We picked up a couple of large zukes at the farmer’s market last weekend, and I turned them into this Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet.
When it comes to mid-summer and zucchini, we typically just slice’ em and brush ’em with olive oil and a few dried herbs. Then they go onto the grill along with whatever we happen to be grilling that night. Not this time. Grilled vegetables are tasty, but these zucchini ended up in this Cheesy Rice Skillet…and they were delicious!
Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet
Zucchini contain a lot of water. That’s part of the reason why they grow so quickly in the backyard. One day, that zucchini looks fine. The next day, it’s as big as your forearm. The secret to this recipe is shredding the zucchini on a coarse grater. (You’ll have the grater out for the cheese anyways!)
That shredded zucchini will go into a cast iron skillet along with onions, garlic and other seasonings. And here’s the key: it gets sautéed until all of the liquid from the zucchini is gone. Once that’s done, we add a bit of chicken broth, rice and cheese – and the whole thing goes into the oven for a few minutes. The result is a fantastic one pot dinner, and it’s a great way to use up extra summer zucchini!
For the Cheesy Rice portion of this skillet, I went with an equal combination of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese and Cabot Monterey Jack cheese. For those who have followed this blog for a while, you’ll recognize this combination of cheeses. It’s my go-to whenever I want to bring some serious cheesy flavor to a recipe.
Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar brings an intense cheddar flavor. I’ve loved sharp cheddar cheese ever since I can remember, and Cabot’s Seriously Sharp is my #1 go-to sharp cheddar cheese. We always (and I mean always) keep several bars in the fridge. I don’t ever want to worry about running out of cheddar, so I make sure Seriously Sharp bars are a staple in our fridge!
When it comes to creamy, melty cheeses, I often turn to Cabot’s Monterey Jack. It’s great by itself over nachos or tacos, but it also pairs amazingly well with Seriously Sharp cheddar. If you want to add some heat to this recipe, then try substituting the Seriously Sharp for Cabot’s Habanero Cheddar – it’s got a fiery kick in the best way possible! If you’re not familiar with Cabot, then definitely put their cheeses on your shopping list next week. (Click here to see which Cabot products are available in your area.)
Cabot Creamery is based in Vermont, and the company is owned by it’s farmers throughout New York and New England. Many of Cabot’s farm families have owned their farms for generations, and their commitment to producing quality milk really shows. One bite of Seriously Sharp, and you’ll know exactly what I mean here!
This cheesy chicken and rice skillet recipe calls for both Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack. The result is a cheesy and delicious one-skillet meal. This cheesy rice could actually be a side dish by itself – it’s that tasty!
I went with a Cajun twist to this recipe with the andouille sausage and Cajun seasonings. You could certainly play around with these flavors, though. Italian seasonings and Italian sausage would be a fun combination of flavors.
Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, just place in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through. Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 4 months – just let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
If you’re hunting for a way to use extra summer squash (or if you’re just looking for a delicious dinner recipe), then put this Cheesy Rice Skillet on the menu. This recipe is comfort food at its best, and it’s definitely going to be a summer staple in our house from now on! Cheers!
Did you make this Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCreamery) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!
Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 oz. andouille sausage sliced
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Cabot Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Using a medium saucepan, cook rice 5 minutes less than package instructions. (Note: The rice will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain any excess liquid from rice and set aside.
- Meanwhile, shred the zucchini using the larger holes of a box grater.
- Using a 10-12” cast iron skillet, add butter and olive oil; place over medium-high heat.
- Once butter has melted, add shredded zucchini, diced onion, garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and andouille sausage; stir until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until most of the liquid from the zucchini has evaporated.
- Add shredded chicken and chicken broth; stir until well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and add rice, cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese; stir until well combined.
- Place skillet in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted. {Optional} Use the broiler for 1-2 minutes after baking.
- Before serving, garnish with sliced green onions.
Looking for more cheesy recipes? Check out some of these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan butter / mushrooms / tofu / vegetable broth and vegan cheeses i love zucchini sooooooooo much i never had zucchini and cheesy rice skillet before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Yes! Feel free to substitute ingredients to match your preferences here, Ramya. This recipe is delicious, and hopefully it will inspire you to create something tasty, too! 🙂
What a delicious combination of zucchini and cheese with the rice and all the sausages… yum!
So many good things in this recipe, Michelle! This is comfort food central! 🙂
This is great. And I think even kids would like it, if the sausage isn’t too spicy!
That’s a good point, Mimi! You could make sure to use a mild sausage so that the kids would be on board, too.
This one has my mouth watering, David! All that cheesy goodness and one of my favorite summer vegetables. I’d GLADLY make a meal of just this!
Oh this is one heck of a tasty summer meal, Marissa! And it’s an easy (and sneaky) way to use up any extra zucchini that happen to show up, too. 🙂
this sounds like my kind of dish David. maybe sans sausage 🙂 We tend not to eat much meat these days. But i love zukes and rice!
Go for it, Sherry! This is an easy and delicious recipe!
We eat a lot of rice dishes and this sounds like a good one to try.
This one turned out really well, Karen! I highly recommend it – and the shredded zucchini in there is a fun little twist. I hope you enjoy it!!
This looks delicious. I’m always on the lookout for zucchini recipes in the summer and I love the suggestions from your first commenter Ramya on how she would veganize it!!
Hey Judee! I’m with ya – we’re always looking for ways to use zucchini, too. I mean zucchini bread or grilled zucchini is tasty, but there’s only so much of that you can do before you need to mix it up. This was a tasty meal for sure!
We havd a lot of zucchini in our garden; that’s probably one of a few things that never let us down haha. That’s why I am always looking for some fun ideas to utilize them in summer – and I guess I’ve just found one. That’s a really interesting combination of textures and flavours; some kind of comfort food for summer. Loving it!
It’s crazy how quickly zucchini grow! We didn’t plant any this year, but that’s mainly because I was afraid the bears here in the mountains would come eat them all. Give this recipe a try for sure – it’s a fun way to use zukes…and it’s delicious!
HAHAHA – I got a good chuckle off your goof friend’s quote on zucchini season and am seriously thinking about leaving my car unlocked ….JK JK
I’m kinda living zucchini season because of all the unique recipes – I can honestly say I’ve never combined zucchini with andouille sausage, rotisserie chicken, rice, and cheese – what a fantastic recipe!
Shashi! You better be careful leaving that car unlocked…you might up with a cheesy rice and zucchini skillet in the front seat. 🙂 Incorporating shredded zucchini into a rice dish was a really fun twist – and delicious, too!
Wow, this Zucchini and Cheesy Rice Skillet sounds like a mouthwatering one-pot meal that celebrates the abundance of zucchini during the summer season. It’s great to see how versatile and delicious zucchini can be, especially when combined with those cheeses
The zucchini is almost ‘hidden’ in this recipe, but it’s definitely there. This meal makes for a fantastic weeknight summer dinner – we absolutely loved it here!