Chopped: Kendra's Edition - How to Cook Tomato Rice

How to Cook Rice with Tomato Sauce - Cheap & Easy Pantry Staple

Cooking rice at home is one of the cheapest and most versatile ways to stretch your meals. With just a few pantry staples, you can turn plain rice into a flavorful base for countless recipes.

Ingredients

* 1 cup rice (rinsed well and drained)

* 3/4 cup tomato sauce

* 3/4 cup water or broth

* 1 tablespoon tomato chicken bouillon seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)

* 1 tablespoon avocado oil, butter, or other oil (optional)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine rinsed rice, tomato sauce, water (or broth), bouillon, and oil. Stir everything together.

2. Place over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.

3. Turn the heat down to low-medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes.

4. Remove from heat (keep the lid on) and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.

5. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Notes

* This makes a cheap and filling side dish or meal starter.

* A 20 lb bag of rice at Sam’s Club is $17.48. That bag makes about 50 cups of uncooked rice — breaking down to about $.35 per cup!!

* Buying in bulk is one of the easiest frugal swaps you can make. Store uncooked rice in tightly sealed containers — ours keeps for at least a year in half gallon mason jars.

* Store any leftover cooked rice in the fridge for up to 4 days.