Easy Broccoli Cheddar Rice For Baby-led Weaning
Why I Love this Cheddar Rice Recipe
Creamy cheddar rice is one of my go-to side dishes for baby-led weaning. I accidentally discovered this recipe when I got frustrated because my kids refused to eat anything I made.
After trying to give them a million meals all week with no success, I poured some shredded cheddar cheese into some rice and served it hot. They absolutely loved it.
Over the years, I’ve tweaked the recipe and added a few things to make it more appealing. It’s so simple to cook, and it makes a great side dish that babies and toddlers will love.
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The benefit of cheese for babies and toddlers
Cheese has many health benefits. It is high in protein, calcium, and phosphorous. These are all the major nutrients required to develop strong bones.
The best type of cheese for babies is those that have been pasteurized to remove bacteria. It’s also advised to not give unpasteurized cheeses like Brie and blue cheese to babies. These cheeses can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites (source)
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Ingredients for Creamy Cheddar Rice
- 1 cup rice (white rice)
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- ¼ tsp garlic
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (more if you like it extra cheesy)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets (optional)
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Cooking Directions
- In a medium-sized pot, add your rice.
- Add in your chicken broth and garlic
- Bring rice to a boil on medium heat then reduce to low heat.
- Cook until the rice is soft and can be squished between your fingers.
- Add your cheese and stir until melted.
- Serve
Creamy Cheddar Rice For Baby-led Weaning
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice 2 cups (white rice)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ tsp garlic
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (more if you like it extra cheesy)
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, add your rice.
- Add in your chicken broth and garlic
- Bring rice to a boil on medium heat then reduce to low heat.
- Cook until the rice is soft and can be squished between your fingers.
- Add your cheese and stir until melted.
- Serve
Recipe Substitutions for this BLW Rice Recipe
You can use brown rice
- You can use Brown rice for this recipe if you don’t feed your kids white rice. Just double the amount of chicken broth for each cup of brown rice you use. Keep adding broth until the rice is soft enough to squish.
Make your own chicken broth
- Don’t have chicken broth at home? No need to run to the store. Simply melt one bouillon cube and mix it in 1 cup of water. You can also use powdered bouillon if that’s what you have. You’d need 1 tsp of bouillon powder to 1 cup of water.
Use vegan cheese
Not everyone can tolerate cheese. I’m lactose intolerant but my kids are not. So sometimes I need to cook meals with vegan cheese so everyone can enjoy it without issues.
Make it from a box
When I’m in a hurry, I’ll sometimes use a prepackaged creamy cheddar rice-a-Roni like this one from Amazon. I’m a mom of two little kids so don’t judge me. Whatever I can do to make life easier is what I do.
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Recipe Variations
Add broccoli to give your rice some texture. You can shred the broccoli in the rice if your kids struggle to eat their vegetables. They won’t even notice the green in there because of the creamy taste of the cheddar rice.
Make it a complete meal
- Add vegetables like carrots and broccoli for extra nutrition. Serving vegetables with every meal will help expose your baby or toddler to more varieties of food. This will help reduce picky eating in the future.
- Add a side of protein like chicken, beef, or pork. I prefer chicken because it’s lean and better for the environment. There are also a million ways you can prepare it to make it more interesting.
FAQs About Rice for Baby-led Weaning
Check out this detailed article I wrote on the most popular questions about giving rice to babies and toddlers
Storage Tips
This recipe can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge before it starts to lose its creamy cheddar taste. I’ve found that it tastes better when eaten hot right out of the stove.
Did you make this baby-led weaning recipe?
Let me know in the comments how it turned out!
