Vegetable-Rice Tart: Best Leftover Rice Recipe Ever

If you're a thrifty cook like me, you probably use a lot of rice. When I'm cooking it for a recipe, I often double the batch, because I know I'll be able to use the leftovers in a suitable dish soon. Day-old (or two, or three-day old) cooked rice is ideal in many recipes, like fried rice.

Recently, I needed to use a couple cups of already-cooked rice, and wasn't in the mood for something Asian, soup, or any of my other usual leftover rice recipes. So, I threw it on a puff pastry along with some vegetables and cheese, and came out with one of the most amazing leftover style dishes...ever.

It's essentially a vegetable-rice tart. One of the best things about it is it is extremely versatile, and can be made with whatever type and how much of rice, vegetables, and cheese you have on hand. It can also be loaded down, creating a gigantic, substantial main course, or made flat, for an appetizer or side dish. My family prefers the gigantic, substantial main course!

Below are ingredients and notes for creating the vegetable rice tart.

Ingredients

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
3 Cups cooked, seasoned rice
2-6 cups cooked vegetables (assorted)
Cheese (optional)
Oil or non-stick spray
Cornmeal (optional)

Directions

Begin by sautéing or otherwise cooking the vegetables until just tender. Add any seasonings you'd like to your cooked rice (salt, pepper, cayenne, a little bit of white wine, herbs, etc.) preheat oven at 400 degrees.

Roll out 3 of the thawed pastry sheets to flatten and extend the surface size. Place the rolled out pastry sheets on a large, oiled (and optionally sprinkled with corn meal) pizza or cookie tray. Overlap the edges, so the sheets form one large rectangle. Spread the rice evenly on the pastry rectangle. Place a layer of shredded cheese over the rice.

Next, place the vegetables on top of the rice, and use your hands to keep them in order (because the tart is free-form, there are no casserole dish sides for support) and lightly pack everything down. Place another layer of shredded cheese over the vegetables.

Now, roll out the remaining pastry sheets, making them the same length of the long end of the tart. Cut one of the pastry sheets lengthwise, and the others widthwise. Place them over the tart along their respective lengths, tucking the ends under the pastry bottom. Bake the tart at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Notes

You can skip the step of placing the remaining puff pastry sheets on top of the tart, only using half the box, saving the rest for another tart or recipe later. Or, you can opt to only use a portion of the pastry for the top. The pastry on top is one of the best parts, though. You can place it on plainly, or form a lattice, braid it, twist, or whatever you'd like. Although fancy embellishments are always nice, this particular tart looks and tastes impressive with the most minimal of efforts.

Another great thing about this recipe, is that it works well with any combination of vegetables, so whatever you happen to have on hand will work. It is particularly good with asparagus, leeks, peas, artichoke hearts, carrots, and spinach. But, anything goes.

Just keep in mind that while sauteing the vegetables, that the baking step alone may be enough for some types of vegetables, that will not need pre-cooking with the saute step. When using spinach, for example, I just place the uncooked leaves over the rice, either under or over the first layer of cheese.

A note about the pastry: Although the $5.00 price tag of the pastry may seem like an indulgence when you're shopping, remember the compact little box belies its true self. You get a lot of bang for your buck with just one box.

As exampled in this recipe, even using the entire box, it is possible to get an entire meal for several people for way under $10. It is very versatile as well, and can be used for impromptu pizzas, desserts, rolls, etc. So, having frozen puff pastry in your freezer is smart, and a very thrifty-smart idea!