How to Make Leftover Rice 10x Better

When you cook at home, there are almost always going to be leftovers, which most of the time is a good thing. So many tasty bits and bobs can get worked into things like frittatas, sandwiches, fried rice and more. But sometimes, you get a little tired of your go-to leftover ideas. And in those moments, social media is your best friend. One of our favorite food follows, Carolina Gelen, always has fresh, creative ideas to share and this time she's here to give our leftover rice a glow-up.

We all have our favorite uses for leftover rice. Depending on our mood and what else is in the fridge, we've repurposed the grain in chicken and rice soup, stuffed bell peppers, onigiri, rice pudding and so many stir fries. But Gelen skipped all of those classics and went outside the box with her crispy ketchup rice, which is one of the recipes you'll find in her new cookbook, Pass the Plate.

Related: 42 Stunning Rice Bowl Recipes For Whatever Leftovers You Have On Hand

How to Make Catherine Gelen's Ketchup Rice

Right off the bat, Gelen addresses the obvious skepticism attached to mixing ketchup with rice. She says she's a “mustard gal” herself, but she still prefers this method for using up her leftover rice. In terms of creative pantry-friendly recipes, this one is truly one we never saw coming.

Gelen assures viewers that any type of rice will do the trick for her recipe, as the rice is at least a day old and has been stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. She starts by tossing day-old rice into a mixing bowl, then she adds “a few healthy drizzles of ketchup,” a dash of garlic powder, some hot sauce and a bit of salt to taste. She mixes it all together until well combined, then she coats a hot skillet with butter and evenly disperses the mixture across the skillet's surface.

As the pan heats up the rice, Gelen says to fight the urge to stir. Letting the rice cook in the pan sears it on the bottom, making it caramelized and crunchy, much like tahdig, the crispy Middle Eastern rice dish. Once the bottom is cooked and crispy, you flip the rice and repeat the process on the other side. Slide the crispy rice cake out of the pan and you're ready to serve.

Gelen takes her recipe one step further by topping the ketchup rice with a fried egg cooked to perfection. At this point in the video we're 100% sold and are walking toward the fridge to grab the ketchup. “It’s a little sweet and a little tart,” Gelen says. We believe that and can't wait to give it a try in our kitchen.

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