# Leftover rice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836 "2009-12-28T20:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/1 "2009-12-28T20:47:55Z")
Remember that musibi I made last week? I still have the leftover rice. Normally I’d heat it up and eat it with soy sauce or butter. (I’m not a big fan of the milk-and-sugar hot cereal type of rice dad used to like.) I’d like to do something more interesting with it, but I don’t want to go to the store. I have on-hand: Leftover rice Soy sauce Olive oil Canola oil Vegetable oil Frozen mixed vegetables The usual spices American cheese Cheddar cheese SPAM Tuna Smoked sprats Sriracha sauce Tabasco sauce (original, chipotle, jalapeño) Crystal sauce Frank’s Red Hot sauce A couple of other hot sauces Chipotle chilis A bit more than half an onion Any ideas? I’m thinking of frying the rice and mixed veg in some oil, and then adding soy sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/2 "2009-12-28T20:54:23Z")
First of all, that’s nearly my dream fridge/list of ingredients! Also, I got a tins of barbecued sprats, herring, anchovies, etc. for Christmas! Anyway, here’s what I would do. Add some cheese or any other kind of “bindy” ingredient to the rice. Spray a pie pan with non-stick cooking spray, then press the rice into a “crust” situation. Fill with veggies, sauces, spices, whatever you like, then top with cheese until all is warm and bubbly. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/3 "2009-12-28T20:56:17Z")
Oh, I also have one tin of anchovies left, and (I think) three eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/4 "2009-12-28T20:56:21Z")
How can you POSSIBLY have any SPAM left? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/5 "2009-12-28T21:06:31Z")
Costco. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/6 "2009-12-28T21:33:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Leftover rice > Soy sauce > Olive oil > Canola oil > Vegetable oil > Frozen mixed vegetables > The usual spices > American cheese > Cheddar cheese > SPAM > Tuna > Smoked sprats > Sriracha sauce > Tabasco sauce (original, chipotle, jalapeño) > Crystal sauce > Frank’s Red Hot sauce > A couple of other hot sauces > Chipotle chilis > A bit more than half an onion Leave out the rice and you’ve got yourself a nice meal there! Seriously, how about Spam Musubi? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/7 "2009-12-28T21:34:59Z")
Ha! That’s how I got the leftover rice in the first place! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/8 "2009-12-28T21:37:55Z")
Got a bell pepper by any chance? I have been really craving a nice Stuffed Pepper. ALthough I notice you have no sausage on your list of assets either. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/9 "2009-12-28T21:44:26Z")
Nope. Neither pepper nor sausage. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/10 "2009-12-28T23:04:13Z")
Fried rice. Thaw the frozen mixed veggies. Dice up the Spam, scramble the egg and chop it into small pieces. Some onion if you want. Mix with the leftover rice, heat through. Season to taste with soy sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/11 "2009-12-28T23:11:18Z")
Sounds like a winner. Is the rice fried in oil? Or is it just heated up with the stuff in it? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/12 "2009-12-28T23:13:27Z")
This isn’t exactly on topic, but - I’ve found that leftover rice freezes admirably. Nowadays, when I make rice in the cooker, I make a big batch and freeze meal-sized portions in freezer baggies. A minute or two in the microwave will thaw and heat one portion. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/13 "2009-12-28T23:16:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Sounds like a winner. > > Is the rice fried in oil? Or is it just heated up with the stuff in it? It’s stir-fried in oil. [Here’s a basic recipe.](http://chinesefood.about.com/od/ricefried/r/basicfriedrice.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/14 "2009-12-29T00:46:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Sounds like a winner. > > Is the rice fried in oil? Or is it just heated up with the stuff in it? I don’t like to add oil, because I don’t like oily fried rice. I prefer to saute fatty meats (like bacon or Spam or Portuguese sausage) first and then cook up the rest using whatever grease escaped to the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/15 "2009-12-29T01:00:24Z")
If only I had a bit of pineapple. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/16 "2009-12-29T01:53:43Z")
If you had cream of chicken, I’d say make a cheesy-rice casserole, with the frozen veggies, and maybe the spam. Or the tuna. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/17 "2009-12-29T02:00:02Z")
> [@Electronic\_Chaos](#): > > If you had cream of chicken… As my dad used to say, ‘If we had some ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had any eggs.’ 😛 I made fried rice. SPAM, mixed veg, most of an onion, rice, soy sauce, and scrambled egg; topped with Sriracha sauce. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/18 "2009-12-29T02:35:38Z")
Add minced onions (and whatever else strikes your fancy) to the rice. Beat an egg and add to the mix. Form into 1/2 inch rice cakes. Fry in oil until browned. Yummmm. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/19 "2009-12-29T08:51:42Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Nowadays, when I make rice in the cooker, I make a big batch and freeze meal-sized portions in freezer baggies. A minute or two in the microwave will thaw and heat one portion. Crap—where has this factoid been all my life? I eat rice almost every day. This could save me a hell of a lot of time if it works well. How’s the taste and texture—comparable to freshly cooked rice? And does it really go from frozen solid to serving temp in just two minutes without turning to goo or bursting into flames? Do you nuke it in the baggie itself? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836/20 "2009-12-29T18:31:36Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Crap—where has this factoid been all my life? I eat rice almost every day. This could save me a hell of a lot of time if it works well. How’s the taste and texture—comparable to freshly cooked rice? And does it really go from frozen solid to serving temp in just two minutes without turning to goo or bursting into flames? Do you nuke it in the baggie itself? The taste and texture are almost exactly like freshly cooked rice. Sometimes I nuke it right in the bag, sometimes I shake it out into a covered bowl and nuke it that way. It makes no difference in the taste. Yep, a minute or two, assuming you have about one rice bowl’s volume of rice. I started doing this because I once bought at Trader Joe’s some frozen plain cooked Jasmine rice. It looked like they had done nothing more complex to the rice other than freeze it, and the end result was very good. If it was that simple, I thought, why not give it a try at home and see how it turns out. Turns out great, as I found out. And it saves lots of time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leftover-rice/522836.md?page=2)