We all have a few kitchen appliances that we believe are only made to serve one purpose and hence, they remain underutilized. A rice cooker is one of them.
In addition to helping you cook the perfect rice, every time, the electrical pot can be used to prepare a wide variety of foods that can even impress a finicky eater.
Also, it will make cooking a lot easier and quicker. Here are a few recipes that you should try to experience the magic yourself:
1. Pancakes
Do you often have midweek cravings for piping hot pancakes, slathered in butter or topped with maple syrup and some fresh berries, but have to settle for the store-bought ones because you can’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen on a weekday morning?
Stop curbing your cravings and use a rice cooker the next time you want to eat freshly made pancakes on a weekday morning. While a pancake made in the rice cooker will be thicker than a traditional one, it will taste the same and will be big enough that you will only need one to satisfy your craving.
Here is the recipe that you can follow:
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: 2 cups
- Eggs: 2 large
- White sugar (granulated): 2 tablespoons
- Milk: 1 ½ cups
- Baking powder: 2 ½ teaspoons
Recipe
Add milk and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until they are well blended. Now add all the remaining ingredients and mix until they are just combined; just like you do while making pancakes the traditional way.
Grease the rice cooker from inside and then pour in the batter. Cover the rice cooker and set it to cook for 45 minutes. The cooking time can vary according to the type and size of your rice cooker, so it is advised to check your pancake periodically; it will leave the edges when it’s ready.
You can use a toothpick to confirm if it has completely cooked from inside or your hand; it will be firm, but bouncy.
Turn off the rice cooker and let the pancake cool for a few minutes before flipping over. Drizzle maple syrup, top with fresh berries and enjoy!
2. Vegetable Frittata
Are you a person who cannot eat anything for breakfast, but eggs?
If yes, then take a look at how you can cook vegetable frittata in a rice cooker.
This recipe is also great for days when you have to make breakfast for many people, but you are short on time.
Ingredients
- Eggs: 6 large
- Yellow or red pepper: 1 small
- Potato: 1 small, peeled and finely julienned
- Zucchini: 1 small, cut into thin slices
- Olive oil: 1 + 1 tablespoon
- Garlic: 1 clove, whole
- Cheese (optional): 2 tablespoons, grated
- Salt and black pepper: to taste
Recipe
The first step of making frittata is to sauté the vegetables – you can do this separately in a small frying pan or in the rice cooker.
Add a tablespoon of oil and let it heat up a bit. Now add the garlic clove and cook until it turns light brown. Remove the garlic from the oil and add vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Take out the vegetables and set aside. If you are doing it in the rice cooker, turn it off after this step and let it cool down a bit before proceeding.
Grease the inside of the cooker with the remaining olive oil. In a bowl, whisk eggs with salt, pepper, and cheese and add them to the rice cooker. Add vegetables and give it a stir. Cover the rice cooker and turn it on; use the settings that you use for rice.
Your frittata will be ready in one cooking cycle.
3. Tomato Soup
Take a look at how you can make delicious and hearty tomato soup in a rice cooker:
Ingredients
- Diced tomatoes (with juice): One 28 oz. can
- Red lentils: 1 cup
- Onion: 1 small, diced
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Italian seasoning: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: To taste
- Black or red pepper: To taste
- Broth or water: 4 cups
- Butter (optional): 1 tablespoon
Recipe
Add all the ingredients, except butter, in a rice cooker. Stir, cover, and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes; check in between to see if it’s ready.
Add butter and blend using an immersion blender. Your delicious tomato soup is ready!
4. Beer Braised Ribs
Now you don’t have to visit a smokehouse to eat ribs – with this simple and fuss-free recipe, you can make them at home whenever you want.
Ingredients
- Baby back rib rack: 1, cut into 4 pieces
- Seasoning salt (any): 1 teaspoon
- Barbecue sauce: 1 ½ cups
- Beer: 12 ounces
- Stock: 1 cup
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Recipe
Wash the ribs and pat them dry. Rub salt over the ribs to season.
Turn on the rice cooker and add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the ribs and cook until the meat side gets brown.
Now add the remaining ingredients, cover the rice cooker and let the cook ribs for an hour. Your beer braised baby back ribs are ready – they are so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone,
5. Chicken Chili
This popular fall/winter comfort food can be quickly made in a rice cooker, making it an ideal recipe for days when you are short on time or don’t feel like cooking.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken: 1 lb
- Kidney beans: 1 can
- Black beans: 1 can
- Tomato sauce (plain): 1 cup
- Tomato paste: 1 tablespoon
- Chili powder: 1 tablespoon
- Dried oregano: 2 teaspoons
- Chili seasoning (any): ½ packet
- Salt and pepper: To taste
Recipe
Turn on the rice cooker, add ground chicken and cook until it’s done.
When the chicken is fully cooked through, remove the excess fat, and add all the remaining ingredients. Let the ingredients cook for one full cycle. Your delicious chicken chili is ready to be served!
6. Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
Ever thought you could make pizza bread in a rice cooker? We bet, you didn’t!
Here’s how you can make this extremely delicious and ridiculously easy recipe:
Ingredients
- Biscuit dough (pre-made): 1 packet
- Parmesan cheese (grated): As required
- Mozzarella cheese (grated): As required
- Dried oregano: 1 teaspoon
- Olive oil: 1 to 2 teaspoons
- Marinara sauce: For serving
Recipe
Stuff each round of biscuit dough with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese and form small balls. Brush the balls with olive oil and sprinkle dried oregano and parmesan cheese on top.
Layer the stuffed balls into the rice cooker, adding some more oregano and parmesan between the layers.
Cover and cook for 2 hours or 2 white rice cycles. Take out the pizza bread and serve with marinara sauce.
7. Veggie Pasta
This yummy pasta recipe is literally a lifesaver when you have unexpected guests or mid-night hunger attacks.
Ingredients
- Pasta (any): 16 oz.
- Pasta sauce (any): 48 oz.
- Water: 3 cups
- Frozen mixed vegetables: 16 -20 oz.
- Spinach leaves (fresh or frozen): 1 cup, cut
- Parmesan cheese: To taste
Recipe
Thaw or microwave frozen vegetables and then add them to the rice cooker along with pasta and pasta sauce. Mix, cover, and cook for one white rice cycle; stir the ingredients once, half-way through.
Transfer the pasta to serving bowls, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve!
Who knew rice cooker is actually one of the most versatile kitchen appliances?
If you don’t own a rice cooker yet, it’s time to invest in one. Try out these recipes and once you get the hang of it, put on your creative hat and create and start experimenting; that’s what the pros do!
Rhonda grew up with parents who gardened, hunted, fished, canned, and preserved food. Her mother was a professional cook and Rhonda credits her teaching everything from how to make homemade biscuits and gravy to what kind of meals to serve for different occasions. In the kitchen, Rhonda uses a mix of old-fashioned country cooking and up-to-date fads in the kitchen, often experimenting with replacing higher-calorie or fat ingredients with healthier options that still retain the delicious flavors of the originals.