Here is the recipe for baked rice with mushrooms, beef consomme, and butter that church ladies made for potlucks and “dinner on the ground.”

 

This Rice is a Southern Staple

Known as “church lady rice,” “mushroom rice” or “rice casserole,” this dish is a yummy Southern staple. Anyone who is older than 50 and who grew up attending church potlucks knows this rice very well. There would always be at least one (usually more) casserole dish of this rice at any picnic, potluck, or special event.

Is this baked rice easy to prepare?

Absolutely! This dish is super easy to make with only a few steps and mostly canned ingredients. All you really have to do is add the ingredients into a pan with some melted butter and bake. That’s it! Super easy AND super delicious!

Use REAL Butter for this Rice

Real butter is a key ingredient for this rice. Don’t be tempted to use margarine. It will “work,” but it won’t be as good as it will if real dairy butter is used. I use unsalted; there is plenty of sodium in the soup.

Make baked rice with mushrooms ahead of time.

The rice can be made early in the day (even the day before) and reheated just before serving. It reheats beautifully in the microwave or on a very low oven (250 F to 300 F) for 15 minutes or until heated through.

What type of rice works best in the baked rice casserole?

I am a fan of Uncle Ben’s converted (parboiled) rice and use it exclusively whenever white rice is called for in a recipe. It turns out perfectly every single time. It is a tad more expensive than store-brand rice or bulk rice in bags (Uncle Ben’s is in a box), but occasionally Publix will have it on sale BOGO. 

Do I need to stir the rice while cooking?

Nope, once you pop it into the oven, it’ll be good to cook for 30-40 minutes. You’re going to want to stir it loosely before you put it in the oven and once the ingredients have been mixed with the melted butter.

Are fresh or canned mushrooms best for this dish?

I truly believe that most sweet church ladies used canned mushrooms for this rice (and it was fabulous; trust me). If you are a stickler for making things “bigger and better,” use a carton of real mushrooms. Sauté them first in butter and then add them to the recipe. 

How long do you cook baked rice?

After you have melted the butter and added all of the ingredients on top of the butter and stirred loosely, make sure that your oven is set to 350F. I recommend baking this dish for 30-40 minutes. Make sure that you bake it until the top is golden brown. This dish is best when the top is a little bit crispy!

How can you make baked mushroom rice healthier?

If you have a rice cooker and want to make a healthy (but delicious) version of this rice, you are in luck!!! I share how to make it in this blog post: Easy French Onion Brown Rice in an Aroma Rice Cooker. You won’t believe how easy it is. If you don’t have an aroma rice cooker, I HIGHLY recommend it. You can find it here on amazon. It is one of my most used, favorite kitchen workhorses.

If you try this, I’d love to hear how you like it. If you have a version of this recipe that you love, feel free to share in the comments of this post. I try to reply quickly to everyone who writes!

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Baked Rice with Mushrooms

Yield: 12

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Southern "church lady rice" made with beef consomme, real butter, and mushrooms!

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Ingredients

• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1 cup long grain white rice (I use Uncle Ben's parboiled)
• 1 can Campbell's French onion soup
• 1 can Campbell's beef consomme
• 1 carton sliced mushrooms (or 8-oz canned sliced)

Instructions

1. Place stick of butter in 11 x 13 casserole dish.
2. Place in oven; turn temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Remove dish when butter is melted.
4. Add rice, soups, and mushrooms to dish atop melted butter.
5. Stir loosely with fork or spoon so that all rice is dispersed in liquid.
6. Place dish in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 127Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 24mgSodium 168mgCarbohydrates 7gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 1gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 3g