Have you ever had that “I need to eat more veggies,” feeling; and all you can think about is if you can make a meal out of mostly vegetables that fill you up? This is that recipe. I love making this recipe when my husband is working crazy shifts because it makes a lot and the leftovers are AHHH-MAAAZZZING!
Michigan Ingredient: Meijer Cheese
Surprisingly, this cheese has a “richer” flavor and is actually cheaper and goes on sale more. Ever since the little one starting eating solid foods (about 1.5 years ago), we started getting full fat dairy products. We are at the point where we can switch back to 2%; it’s just hard when cheese tastes as amazing as this.
Of course there is a little bit of prep work when it comes to making this dish and if you have certain appliances and/or tools such as a food processor, mandolin, etc. it is real simple. I use to use the food processor to chop my carrots and celery… and one thing led to another and yada yada yada, I chop them by hand now.
When I prep vegetables such as celery, carrots, onions, green peppers, tomatoes; I like using paper plates to help make clean up a snap. Unfortunately, for the broccoli and cauliflower, I have to use a bowl.
Once your veggies are chopped (and ham too – or you can cheat like I did and buy pre-diced ham), melt your butter and add your oil to a dutch oven pan. There is a reason why the vegetables are separated the way that they are in the pics above (yes, a method to my madness); you add the broccoli and cauliflower first, then add the celery, carrots, onions, and ham. It’s like a little bit of a layer effect because you want the hearty more towards the bottom and the not so hearty toward the top. Now I know you are thinking that carrots could pass as a heartier vegetable; but when you have it sliced thin, it will soften quickly.
Give it a bit of a stir(not too much), cover, and cook for 25 minutes. This is usually when I prep my rice because I try to always multi-task in the kitchen. Bring your water to a quick boil and add your ¾ cups of rice (brown or white, whichever is your preference) and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Once your veggies are soft, yet crisp; add your cooked rice. Now this is where your preference comes in- you can either add your cheese to the top of your veggies while they are in the pot or add it to each individual serving. It all depends on if you want to look fancy OR if you are trying to make your cheese stretch (I know that not everyone has almost an entire cheese aisle in their fridge).
Now I know that you are thinking… there is no seasonings, no flavor… OH MY GOODNESS!!! The ham adds a great deal of flavor and you can salt and pepper to taste. This is truly a simple dish that my family eats as a meal, but you could easily bring it to a potluck as a side dish if you wanted.
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 1 cup ham
- 3 carrots sliced thin
- 2 celery sliced thin
- Small onion – diced small
- Half head of cauliflower - chopped
- 3 cups broccoli chopped
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese of your choice
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup dry rice
- 1 ½ cups of water
- Slice your carrots and celery thin. Dice your onion small. Set these 3 vegetables aside.
- Chop your broccoli and half a head of cauliflower; combine in a bowl.
- Melt your butter in a dutch oven and add your oil over medium heat.
- Add your broccoli and cauliflower mix to the pot first; then add your celery, carrots, and onion. Add your diced ham.
- Cover your pot and cook for about 25 minutes until the veggies are soft and crisp. Stir semi-often to ensure even cooking/so your veggies do not stick to the bottom.
- Prep your rice while the vegetables are cooking. Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
- Once your vegetables and rice are cooked, combine and stir.
- Add your shredded cheese to either each individual serving or on top of the mixture in the pot until melted. Serve.