Leftover Tuesday: Rice Pudding

In keeping with my unofficial theme of Spring Break Snacks this week, I decided to use leftover Tuesday to make a sweet breakfast.

I realize that this recipe may shock all of you foodies out there who cannot even imagine rice pudding made of anything but arborio rice, stirred lovingly in its pot until creamy and perfect. And I'll admit that rice pudding made this way is truly something special. But if you grew up in my house where your mom could turn the food budget on a dime, you may be familiar with this rice pudding stepbrother--a concoction made from leftover rice, milk, eggs, and sugar. It is not quite the superstar its arborio sibling is, but it is still delicious and, if you serve it for a lazy Tuesday morning breakfast, still something pretty special. (I craved it after every pregnancy/birth I ever experienced.) The other great thing about it is that you can use any varieties of rice, including brown rice (or probably even farro) to make it and in this way it can be a little more wholesome. And if that's not good enough for you, know this: it takes a mere 5 minutes to throw together. Take that foodie rice pudding.

Here's our cast of leftovers and staples (minus the milk, which I forgot; will there ever be a week when I don't forget something in the line up?):

Our final product was a little mushier than usual (though it still tasted great)--usually the rice grains maintain more of their shape/texture. I think there were 3 reasons for this. First, we were using basmati rice, which I think tends to fall apart easier. Second, it had been frozen, which breaks down the structure of foods a bit. Third, my daughter was stirring and she was fairly zealous about it.

Leftover Rice Pudding
Serves 4
Prep and cook time: 5-7 minutes
Cost: $.65
rice: .15, eggs: .30, milk: .10, sugar: .10

2 C cooked rice
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 C milk
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
splash vanilla
handful raisins, optional

Combine all ingredients (except vanilla and raisins) in a sauce pan. Heat on medium, stirring often. Eventually the mixture will come to a sort of gentle boil and begin to thicken (at this point, stir constantly). Once it is thick, you're done. Take it off the heat and add your splash of vanilla and raisins or other dried fruit if you wish.

You can serve this warm or cold. I like both, but cold is my favorite.

You can eat it for breakfast (though I must warn you it's not the most virtuous food choice in the world) or as dessert. If you're having it for breakfast, you can add raisins or other dried fruit. If you're having it for dessert, you can still add the dried fruit, but a dollop of whipped cream is a nice touch too.

PRINTABLE RECIPE