Stick of Butter Rice with Gruyère & Mushrooms
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Stick of butter rice is the side dish that tastes far fancier than the work it takes. Our version bakes long-grain rice in French onion soup, beef consommé and melted butter under a layer of Gruyère, so every forkful tastes like the cheesy top of a bowl of French onion soup.
This is one I reach for on weeknights and for holiday meals alike, and I’m planning to put it on our Thanksgiving table this year. Everything goes into one 11×7 dish, it bakes covered for an hour, and it needs no attention while you’re busy with the turkey or the rest of the meal.
The mushrooms are optional. If you or anyone at your table doesn’t like them, leave them out; nothing else in the recipe changes. And if you want this to be dinner instead of a side, our French Onion Chicken Bake uses the same cozy flavors with chicken baked right on top of the rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White rice: Use regular long-grain white rice. Instant or quick-cooking rice turns mushy during the long bake, and brown rice needs more liquid and time than this recipe gives it.
- Beef consommé: This is condensed, clarified beef broth, sold in 10.5-ounce cans in the soup aisle. It gives the rice its deep color and beefy flavor. Pour it in straight from the can, with no added water.
- French onion soup: Two 10.5-ounce cans of condensed French onion soup, undiluted. The soft onions in the soup mean there’s nothing to chop.
- Canned mushrooms: Drain them well so they don’t add extra liquid. Sliced mushrooms or stems and pieces both work, or skip them completely.
- Butter: It’s melted, so it mixes evenly through the rice instead of sitting in pats on top. Unsalted butter gives you a little more control over salt, since the canned soups bring plenty.
- Gruyère cheese: Nutty, melty and the same cheese that tops classic French onion soup. Swiss is a good, cheaper stand-in. Shred it from a block for the smoothest melt.
How to Make Stick of Butter Rice
Step 1 – Heat the oven and grease the dish. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Step 2 – Stir everything together. Add the rice, beef consommé, French onion soup, drained mushrooms and melted butter to the dish. Stir gently until the rice is spread evenly through the liquid, with no dry clumps on top. It will look very soupy at this point, and that’s exactly right.
Step 3 – Top with the Gruyère. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the rice mixture.
Step 4 – Cover tightly and bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil, crimping it around the edges, and bake for 1 hour. The trapped steam is what cooks the rice, so a loose cover is the most common reason for crunchy grains.
Step 5 – Check the rice. After 1 hour, carefully lift one corner of the foil, away from your face, because steam will rush out. The rice should have soaked up nearly all the liquid, and the grains should be tender all the way through when you taste one, with no chalky center. If there’s still liquid pooling in the dish place the foil back over the dish and keep baking for 8 to 10 more minutes.
Step 6 – Fluff and serve. Use a fork to fluff the rice, folding the melted cheese through as you go. The finished rice should look glossy, golden-brown and loose rather than gummy. Serve warm.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Don’t peek early. Every time you lift the foil before the hour is up, steam escapes and the top layer of rice can stay hard.
- Hold the salt. Between the consommé, the French onion soup and the cheese, this rice is already well seasoned. Taste it after baking before you add any.
- Measure the rice level. Heaping cups throw off the rice-to-liquid balance and can leave you with crunchy spots.
Troubleshooting
Crunchy rice on top: The foil probably wasn’t sealed tight, or the dish was opened early. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot broth or water, re-cover tightly and bake 10 minutes more.
Soupy rice after an hour: If the grains are tender but there’s still liquid, give it the extra 8 to 10 minutes from Step 5, then let the dish sit for a few minutes before fluffing so the rice absorbs the rest.
Gummy or mushy rice: This usually comes from instant rice, extra liquid from undrained mushrooms, or stirring too hard after baking. Fluff gently with a fork, not a spoon.
Make Ahead Instructions
For a holiday, bake the rice fully up to two days ahead, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate it in the baking dish. To serve, sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of broth over the top, cover with foil and reheat at 350°F until it’s hot all the way through, stirring once halfway. That frees your oven for the main event on the day. I don’t recommend mixing the raw rice into the soup the night before, because the rice starts soaking up liquid unevenly before it ever hits the oven.
If you’re planning the rest of the menu, our list of Thanksgiving side dishes has plenty of options that bake at a similar temperature.
Variations & Customizations
- Make it a meal: For a chicken version, go with our French Onion Chicken Bake, which bakes chicken right on top of French onion rice.
- Swap the cheese: Swiss, provolone or a little Parmesan work in place of Gruyère with no other changes.
- Fresh mushrooms: Sauté about 8 ounces of sliced fresh mushrooms in a little butter first, so they release their water before going into the dish. This adds a step but gives the mushrooms a meatier flavor.
- Classic version: Skip both the mushrooms and the cheese for the old-school four-ingredient stick of butter rice.
- Herb finish: Sprinkle chopped fresh thyme or parsley over the top after fluffing.
What to Serve With Stick of Butter Rice
The beefy, oniony flavor is a natural match for anything with gravy. On a weeknight, try it with homemade Salisbury steak or a slice of oven-baked meatloaf. For holidays, it sits nicely beside roast turkey or a honey glazed ham with a green vegetable on the side.
Storage & Reheating
Reheat: Add about 1 tablespoon of water or broth per cup of rice, cover, and microwave or bake at 350°F until it reaches 165°F, stirring once. The splash of liquid keeps the rice from drying out.
Refrigerate: Cool leftovers and get them into the fridge within 2 hours of baking. Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, in line with USDA leftover guidelines.
Freeze: Freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 2 months. The rice will be a little softer after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
The classic recipe uses a full stick of butter, which is ½ cup, and so does this one. The butter coats every grain, which is why the rice comes out rich and separate instead of sticky.
Yes, swap in the same amount of beef broth. Consommé is more concentrated, so broth gives you a slightly lighter, less beefy flavor and color.
Do I need to rinse the rice?
The recipe doesn’t call for it. If you prefer to rinse, drain the rice very well, because extra water clinging to the grains can make the finished dish softer.
Is stick of butter rice gluten-free?
Not automatically. Many canned French onion soups and consommés contain wheat, so check every label if you’re cooking for someone who avoids gluten.
Yes. Without the Gruyère you have the classic stick of butter rice, and the timing doesn’t change. The cheese is what gives this version its French onion soup flavor, though, so try it at least once.
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Stick of Butter Rice with Gruyère & Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 cups White rice
- 10.5 ounces Beef Consomme
- 21 ounces French onion soup
- 8 ounces Canned mushrooms, drained
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 1 cup Shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Add rice, beef consommé, French onion soup, canned mushrooms, and melted butter to the baking dish. Gently stir together.
- Sprinkle the shredded Gruyere cheese over top of the rice mixture.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour check the rice. If there is still excess liquid continue to bake for 8-10 minutes.
- After it has finished baking, use a fork to fluff the rice and serve warm.
Nutrition
