This casserole recipe is the ultimate one-dish wonder. Made with rice, veggies, and ham—it's basically all of the dishes that comprise of a holiday feast in one pan.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 c. chicken broth
2 c. long grain white rice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
1 c. crushed buttery crackers, such as Ritz
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 c. whole milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 c. cubed ham
1 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Direction
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth, rice, soy sauce, and thyme to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low; simmer until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup of cheese, crackers, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
In a large stockpot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, poblano, onion, and black pepper; cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the flour; cook until the raw flour smell is gone, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1½ cups of cheese, sour cream, and salt. Stir in the rice mixture, ham, and peas. Pour the ham and rice mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the cracker crumb mixture.
Bake the casserole until it is bubbly and the topping is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with parsley. Serve immediately.