One-Pan Veggie Pizza Rice Recipe

"One-pan" and "pizza" are three words that make a home cook smile, guaranteeing plenty of crowd-pleasing, cheesy flavor with minimal effort and little clean-up. This one-pan veggie pizza rice recipe combines the sauciness and stretchiness of pizza, the heartiness of a rice dish, and a simple method to create a dish that might go straight to the top of your meal rotation list. In this skillet, we call on some favorite veggie pizza toppings — mushroom, bell pepper, and garlic — and give them a quick saute to soften them before we add the liquid and rice. Once that is cooked to perfection, we add the cheese layer, and voila, we have created pizza rice. Best of all, you can serve it straight from the skillet, meaning only one pan and 1 utensil to clean: This recipe is a cook's dream in more ways than one.

One of my favorite things about this easy vegetarian recipe is how versatile it is. You can use any of your favorite veggies, and can alternatively add sausage and pepperoni if you want a meat-lovers pizza rice. Leftovers hold up great if kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and grab mushrooms, a red bell pepper, garlic, and optional fresh basil for topping. You can use any type of mushroom variety, but white button or cremini mushrooms (aka mini bellas) work best. Head to the dairy aisle for shredded Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. Hit up the dry goods area for long-grain white rice, vegetable broth, and pizza sauce. If you're feeling fancy, make your own pizza sauce. Then check your condiment cabinet for olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened and lightly browned.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the rice and stir to coat, toasting for 2 minutes.

Add the pizza sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Stir, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and stir in the Parmesan.

Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve straight from the skillet.

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This is a simple, weeknight-friendly recipe, but there are a few things you can look out for to ensure the best results, and we have some tips to make sure your veggie pizza rice comes out perfectly. To start, a wide stainless-steel pan is ideal for this recipe. Acidic ingredients like tomato sauce can strip the seasoning from a cast iron pan, which may result in a slight metallic taste, so we recommend that you don't use a cast iron pan here. The second best choice is a non-stick pan, if you have one that can safely go higher than medium heat. 

Before you start cooking, make sure you rinse the rice to ensure it is clean, just like you would rinse produce. You'll need to stir the rice occasionally so it doesn't stick to the pan, but if you stir it too frequently, the rice can become gummy. The cooking time may vary based on the brand of rice, so be sure to consult the package instructions. If the pan is looking dry, add ¼ cup or more of water or broth, so the rice is fluffy and not sticky. Let the dish sit uncovered for a few minutes before you serve it, so it has a chance to thicken up.

If you want to make a few changes to this recipe based on your preferences or in order to use up ingredients that you have in your kitchen, we can offer some suitable ingredient swaps. You can use brown rice instead of white, but the cooking time will be quite a bit longer. Check your package, but expect it to be at least 20 more minutes, and you'll need to add a little more broth. We don't recommend that you use short-grain rice, because the final dish will end up mushy. 

When it comes to switching up the veggies, you have lots of options. Other aromatics would add great flavor. You can try ¼ cup of diced onions, 2 diced leeks, or 1 diced shallot bulb. Other bell pepper colors are a nice addition. You can also add chopped asparagus and chopped broccoli for a bit of green freshness and crunch. Green peas, spinach, or chopped kale are good options for adding both color and health benefits. They should be added in the last 10 minutes of the cooking time, before you add the cheese. Instead of mozzarella, use provolone for a sharper flavor, and Pecorino Romano can stand in for Parmesan and offer a more pungent bite.

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