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Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole

Name: Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: One 6 ounce package of Long Grain and Wild Rice (I use Uncle Ben's); ¼ cup butter, melted; 1 tablespoon chopped onion; 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry; 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese; ¾ teaspoon dry mustard; ½ teaspoon salt

posted by Liz Berg on December 28, 2018 (updated 6/12/23)

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This Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole is an easy, flavorful side dish with spinach, long grain and wild rice, and loads of Monterey jack cheese!

With this semi-homemade recipe, it takes very little effort to make a hearty, tasty side dish! Rice Casseroles like this are simple enough for a weeknight, but also perfect for company.

Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole baked in a white baking dish.

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5 Serving Suggestions:

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7 Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole

Why You Must Make

Yeah, we all need shortcuts. I’ve shared a few doctored-up cake mix recipes that come together quickly and always get rave reviews, like my Kahlua Cake and Lemon Bundt Cake. This Cream Cheese Tea Roll is a family favorite that starts with frozen bread dough.

Though I tend to cook from scratch, when company is coming for dinner, using an easy recipe like this cheesy spinach rice casserole is welcome.
Plus all the ingredients are readily available, it’s simple to make, and it’s cheesy and delicious!!

Rice Casserole Ingredients on a sheet pan with labels.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Salt
Box of Long Grain and Wild Rice – 6 oz box, I used Uncle Ben’s brand.
Butter – For making the rice mix and melted butter for the casserole
Onion – Chopped
Frozen Chopped Spinach – 10-ounce box, defrosted and squeezed dry
Monterey Jack Cheese – Shredded
Dry Mustard – For a subtle flavor boost. The casserole does not taste like mustard.

How to Make

Add spinach, onions, seasonings to a bowl.

Expert Tips

This easy rice casserole is pretty self-explanatory. But here are a few tips and reminders.

Remember to defrost your spinach a day ahead of time so you aren’t delayed when it’s time to mix up the ingredients.
Follow the directions of the box of rice to make that portion of the recipe. No need to let the rice cool before mixing.
I used Monterey Jack cheese in my version of this Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole, but if you’d prefer Swiss or Cheddar, almost any other melty cheese would work well.
If you’d like, sprinkle some extra cheese on top during the last 10 minutes of baking for an extra cheesy topping!
The original recipe called for 2 boxes of spinach, but I only added one. If you’d like more veggies and fewer carbs per serving, feel free to add a second box.
PRO-Tip – Use a potato ricer to squeeze the liquid out of the defrosted spinach. Note that my resident dish washer hates to clean that. Another alternative is to use your hands to squeeze dry the spinach. I do this over a colander in case I drop some of the spinach.

Unbaked Cheesy Spinach Rice Casserole in a ceramic dish.

Serving Suggestions:

The flavors are relatively neutral, meaning there are no strong flavors to compete with an entree. Since rice is a carbohydrate, you probably wouldn’t serve this with a pasta dish, but here are a few recommendations.