Cheesy Bolognese Rice Bake (2024)

Scale

For the bolognese sauce –

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 500g/1lb ground beef mince
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced (or grated)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tin plum tomatoes (roughly 400g/14oz)
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

For the rice –

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (for greasing your oven dish)

For the cheesy bechamel sauce –

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons plain flour (use gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version)
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup to scatter on top of the bake
• Black pepper
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes

Optional, to serve –

• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

Equipment –

• Oven-proof baking dish (either a small rectangular, roughly 28cm/11″ x 18cm/7″ or a small square 21cm/8″ x 21cm/8″ dish). If you have a larger dish, I’d double the amount of bolognese as you may find it becomes a very thin layer.

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1. Make the bolognese sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced onion, carrot, celery and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften up nicely. Add the crushed garlic, stir for another minute and then add the ground beef mince. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon and cook until brown. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, the tin of tomatoes, 1/4 cup of red wine, dried thyme and the chilli flakes and fish sauce if you’re using them. Stir, then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until it’s lovely and thick.
2. Cook the rice. While the bolognese sauce is simmering, add 1 cup of rice to a pot you have a lid for, then add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of cold water. Set the pot over medium heat. When you start seeing foamy bubbles on top, turn the heat right down and pop the lid on for 12 minutes. After that, remove the rice from the heat and let it sit with the lid still on for another 10 minutes to finish steaming and cooking. Leave it to cool slightly before adding the other rice ingredients. PRO TIP: If you don’t have a pot with a lid, use a wooden board or a dinner plate, just be careful when you remove it if you use a plate as it will be hot.
3. Make the cheesy bechamel sauce. You can do this while the rice and bolognese are cooking. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, then add 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk into a thick paste (roux) and cook and stir for another couple of minutes so the raw flour cooks. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Keep pouring and whisking as the sauce thickens up. Once it’s thick, remove from the heat and add 1 cup of grated cheese, a good grind of black pepper and the chilli flakes. Stir as the cheese melts into the sauce. Taste, and season with salt if needed (this will depend on the saltiness of the cheese you use).
4. Mix the rice. Once your rice has cooled slightly, add 1 tablespoon of melted butter, the crushed garlic, ½ cup of grated parmesan and the whisked egg to it, and mix really well so that every grain is coated. PRO TIP: Make sure your rice isn’t steaming hot when you do this – if it is, your egg may scramble.
5. Assemble and bake. Grease your oven dish with butter or olive oil and heat your oven to 180C/360F fan. Transfer the rice to the dish and use the back of a spatula to press it out onto an even layer that covers the entire base of the dish. Press down to flatten it into the dish. Spoon the bolognese sauce on top, again using a spatula to press it right into the edges and all over the rice. Finish by pouring the cheesy bechamel sauce on top, using the back of a spoon to smooth it over the bolognese layer. Scatter over the remaining cheese, then transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The top should be deeply golden brown and you should see the sauce bubbling up the sides. At this point, carefully remove it from the oven.
6. Slice and serve. Leave it to cool for about 10 minutes, then dollop over the basil pesto and fresh basil leaves if you’re using them, then slice and serve while the cheese is gooey and molten.

PREP AHEAD: Every element of this bake can be made ahead of time (and makes assembly even easier). The bolognese will keep well for 5 days in the fridge, the cheesy bechamel will be fine for 4 days, and the cooked rice will keep well for 2 days (don’t mix it with the egg and cheese until you want to bake it though). You can either make the separate elements, then assemble and bake later, or assemble the whole thing, pop it (covered) in the fridge, and bake it within 2 days.

INGREDIENT NOTES: To add more vegetables, I often stir a couple of big handfuls of spinach leaves into the bolognese sauce once it’s nearly finished (or throw in some frozen spinach). You can also layer in spinach leaves when you assemble the bake – I like to put it on top of the rice layer, then pour the bolognese on top.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I like a fresh arugula (rocket) salad on the side (just drizzle a couple of handfuls of arugula with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper). You could also serve this with fresh bread, like this soft focaccia or rosemary parmesan bread, with roasted garlic butter or confit garlic on the side.