Oven Baked Smoky Tomato Rice

Oven Baked Smoky Tomato Rice

from melissajorealrecipes.com
Main Course
11 min
6 servings

If you grew up in the South or ever sat down to a Sunday supper with a big ol’ spoonful of tomato-y rice on your plate, this one’s gonna hit all the comfort food notes. This Oven-Baked Southern Tomatoes and Rice recipe takes everything you love about the classic tender rice, rich tomato flavor, smoky bacon and turns it into a set it and forget it one-pan wonder. And here’s the best part: We’re taking things up a notch with a little trick that infuses the entire dish with buttery, bacony goodness. If you want more recipes like this one here, you can click here for a list of delicious recipes that are similar.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoonunsalted butter
  • 6slices bacon
  • 2 cupslong grain white rice (uncooked)
  • 214.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 ¾ cupschicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ mediumwhite onion (finely diced)
  • 2stalks of green onions (whites and greens separated and thinly sliced)
  • 1 tbspknorrs chicken bouillon
  • 1 tspgarlic powder
  • 1 tspsmoked paprika
  • 1 tspblack pepper
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1 tspcelery salt

Directions

Preheat & prep

  1. 1

    Preheat your oven to 400°F.

  2. 2

    Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter — swipe it all over the bottom and sides like you’re painting on flavor.

Bake the bacon

  1. 1

    Lay 6–8 slices of bacon directly into the buttered baking dish in a single layer.

  2. 2

    Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and fat is rendered.

  3. 3

    Carefully remove the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel–lined plate.

  4. 4

    Leave all that bacon grease in the dish — we’re building flavor right on top of it.

Measure the tomato liquid

  1. 1

    Open your two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes and pour the liquids into a liquid measuring cup while using a strainer.

  2. 2

    Push the tomatoes down until you reach 2 cups if you don't reach two cups add a bit of vegetable broth, chicken broth or water until you reach two cups and set it aside.

  3. 3

    Why this matters: Baking rice in the oven needs precise liquid-to-rice ratio (about 1¾ to 2 cups liquid per 1 cup of rice). This method keeps it foolproof.

Mix it all together

  1. 1

    In the same bacon-greased dish, add:

  2. 2

    2 cups uncooked rice and toss it around to coat in the bacon grease.

  3. 3

    2 cups tomato juice + 1 3/4 cups of broth

  4. 4

    Diced sweet onion

  5. 5

    add the strained petite diced tomatoes from the can

  6. 6

    Green onion whites (save the green tops for garnish!)

  7. 7

    Garlic powder, 2 bay leaves, smoked paprika, black pepper, knorrs chicken bouillon seasoning, Celery Salt

  8. 8

    Give it a gentle stir to evenly distribute everything.

Cover and bake

  1. 1

    Cover the dish tightly with foil.

  2. 2

    Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

  3. 3

    Bake for 1 hour.

Finish & fluff

  1. 1

    Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam!) and fluff the rice with a fork.

  2. 2

    If there’s a little excess liquid, return the dish to the oven uncovered for 5–10 minutes until it’s fully absorbed.

Garnish & serve

  1. 1

    Crumble the reserved bacon and sprinkle it over the top.

  2. 2

    Add the sliced green onion tops for a fresh bite and pop of color.