Recipe: Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice

I’m just going to say it up front: the key to this whole dish is the cheese. (Isn’t it always?) Cooked long and slow, this cheese melts into the rice and forms a crust on the bottom of the pan. The whole dish becomes infused with rich, smoky, caramelized cheddar, which is a taste that’s just this side of heaven.

The other key to this dish is patience. Put the rice mix over heat and then put your hands in your pockets. Let that caramelized crust form on the bottom of the pan for a good five minutes before scraping it up and stirring it into the rice. Then put your hands back in your pockets for another five minutes. And repeat another five or six times.

It will seem like you’re burning the dish. In a way, you really are. But consider this a controlled charring for the purpose of deliciousness. You really want that crust to turn a dark, dark brown and get extremely crispy.

A cast iron skillet is the best pan for this crust-building endeavor. My neighbor, who originally introduced me to this dish (and was, in turn, introduced to it by another friend of hers), also likes to use a nonstick skillet because it makes it easier to scrape up that bottom layer.

One last note: my neighbor stresses the importance of making the rice a day ahead and using it in this dish while still cold from the refrigerator. I think this helps the rice absorb the cheese without becoming greasy, and also breaks up the overall cooking time.

Take this rice dish to your next potluck and just watch what happens. I guarantee you people will be scraping up the last grains of rice from the bottom of the bowl and begging for the recipe.