What to do with leftover rice?

After eating out at an Asian restaurant or cooking the classic chicken and rice for dinner, you are bound to have some leftover rice in your fridge. You could warm it up in the microwave to have beside your next meal. But, this doesn’t have much flavor and simply doesn’t do the rice the justice it deserves.

Instead, you could whip up a nice fried rice that you could eat for any meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner. Fried rice is surprisingly fast and easy to make, and a great way to turn your aging leftovers into a scrumptious meal. 

Fried rice for breakfast?

Short answer, yes! Fried rice is a perfect meal to have in the morning. With a combination of carbs, protein and vegetables it gives you the nutrients you need to start your day off strong.

For me, fried rice is consistently part of my morning routine. As a cook in a sushi restaurant, I'd whip it up to start my morning shifts or take some rice home with me at the end of the day to have a delicious breakfast and the next. I simply can’t get enough! If your fried rice hasn’t made its way to your table at breakfast yet, I’d highly recommend it.

What to put in fried rice:

Fried rice will accommodate nearly any leftover you have in your fridge. Leftover chicken? Cut it up and put it into your rice. Leftover veggies? Cut them up and put them into your skillet.

Reduce food waste by simply utilizing everything in your fridge better. And with good storage methods, like with HuBee’s fridge containers, you can keep your leftovers for longer, too! I like to put my leftover rice in these containers because it’s quick and easy to wash them after using.

How can you keep more rice in your home?

By always having access to rice, you will consistently have meals on deck. And, rice is an inexpensive way to get your carbs. So, look into products like a rice container, so you can always have rice on deck to cook up with dinner. Cook up some extra to have as leftovers for your fried rice!

How to make fried rice:

Time: 5-10 minutes 

Ingredients:

• Leftover Rice
• Sesame Oil (all other cooking oils work too!)
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Tamari)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ⅓ Cup Bacon Bits 

• 2 Green Onions
• 2 eggs
• Sambal Oelek (This is preference, but crushed red pepper flakes or Sriracha work too, or, if you don’t like spice don’t put it in!)
• Vegetables of your choice
• Salt for taste

Instructions: 

1. Finely chop your vegetables. My preference is onions, carrots, and peas. Feel free to get creative! Pretty much any vegetable you have in your fridge from zucchini to bell peppers would be a nice compliment to your dish.
2. Warm up the oil in a skillet at medium heat. When it starts to sizzle, add the bacon bits right in until they are crispy. Transfer them to the side, but keep the skillet on the stove for the vegetables. The extra fat from the bacon will make everything taste devine. If you’re confident enough with your knife skills, you could chop the vegetables while the bacon cooks to save a little bit of time. 
3. Add the onions, carrots, peas and other vegetables to the pan. Stir until the onions start to become transparent and the carrots soften. 
4. Turn the heat down and crack the two eggs into your mixture of vegetables, and stir it up so the eggs don’t stick to the pan. If you’re worried about this, adding a little bit of oil or butter to the pan will do wonders. 
5. When the eggs are still slightly runny but beginning to cook, add in your leftover rice. Drizzle the soy sauce and rice vinegar evenly over the rice. If you’re into spice, you can add some sambal oelek or alternatives now. Mix everything up with your spatula so each grain gets a nice brown color. 
6. Put the bacon back in the pan, and continue to stir until the eggs are fully cooked and the rice is hot. Transfer to a bowl and add the green onions as a garnish. You are ready to eat!