Round Two Rice Pudding

In my experience there are two types of rice pudding...the good kind, and the even better kind. I can't remember ever tasting a rice pudding I didn't like. I like some better than others ~ for example, I will eat Kozy Shack's rice pudding found in the refrigerated pudding section of the grocery store, but it doesn't compare to home made rice pudding. Some rice puddings taste like vanilla pudding with rice and cinnamon added. Some have raisins, some are heavily spiced with nutmeg. Others are more like a layer of rice topped with a layer of custard...That is my favorite kind.

My grandmother used to make rice pudding as a way to use up leftover rice. In my house I look forward to rice leftovers so I can make my Round Two Rice Pudding. I routinely plan extra rice into my menu plan just so I can make this comforting dish. And I'll let you in on a little secret...I usually don't eat it for dessert. My favorite way to eat this custard style rice pudding is as a cold breakfast dish.

Let me take you on a journey to The Best Rice Pudding You'll Ever Eat...

I start by whisking 4 eggs in a 3 quart casserole dish.

I add one cup of sugar and whisk it again.

Next comes the previously cooked (and cooled) white rice. I use about 2 cups of rice, less if I don't have that much leftover. If you like more custard and less rice use about 1 1/2 cups. If you like a lot of rice use up to 3 cups of rice (any more than than and it turns into a rice block). If I was using raisins I would add them at this time. I'm not a big fan of cooked raisins, so I leave them out.

I stir in 4 cups of milk. Of course whole milk gives a richer custard, but I almost never have that in the house so I just use the 1/2% milk I have on hand and it always tastes wonderful!

I add a generous teaspoon of vanilla (really about a teaspoon and a half). And I give everything a gentle stir to combine all the ingredients.

I sprinkle nutmeg all over the top. If I had to give a measurement I would estimate about 1/2 teaspoon.

Then I sprinkle cinnamon on top of that. I would estimate another 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Now it's ready to go into a 325 degree oven for anywhere from 70 - 90 minutes. I don't know why there is such a big variation on the time, but I just start checking it at 70 minutes and then about every 5 minutes until it looks like the center is setting up. You'll know it's done when a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean. This one took 85 minutes.

I wish you could smell this...nutmeg, cinnamon, mmmm...I put this on my cold porch in hopes it will cool soon so I can break into it and scoop out a dish ~ just so I can take a picture of it for the blog...but I'll eat it 'cuz it's calling my name!!

Round Two Rice Pudding Recipe:

4 whole eggs

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 cups white rice, cooked and cooled

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a 3 quart glass casserole dish, whisk eggs. Add sugar and whisk again. Stir in rice, milk and vanilla. Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

Bake for 70 - 90 minutes, until center seems set and knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy warm or cold.

Refrigerate leftovers.

What is the taste tester's bottom line?

This is a recipe my gandmother used, so I would say it has passed the generational taste test. My mother is 85 and now lives 3 hours away, but when she lived down the street from me I would bring her a big dish of this every time I made it because it is one of her favorites too.

The bottom line: Always make more rice than you plan to use.