When I’m looking for an easy side dish, or meatless main dish, to serve with dinner, Tex Mex Rice Cakes are perfect. I always have these ingredients on hand so they come together quickly and the kids love foods they can pick up with their hands and dip into salsa, ketchup, or guacamole.
Hand a kid something they can eat with their little paws and you have an instant winner! Not only are these Tex Mex Rice Cakes easy to make with leftover brown rice, a great choice for vegetarians, but also great for toddlers! For this Rewind Wednesday I’m digging into the Weelicious archives to share a classic that’s just as popular with our family today as it was the first time we made it years ago.
Our family loves eating brown rice, so I always try to keep a big bowl of it in the refrigerator. It’s a nutritious, healthy and versatile base for so many dishes. On nights when I’m stumped as to what to make for dinner, I make these Tex-Mex Rice Cakes. Since I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand, it only takes me minutes to prepare. The best part is that I can make a few extra for Kenya’s school lunch the next day. I just pop a couple in his Lap Top Lunch Box and we’re both happy!
Watch this Tex Mex Rice Cakes video for how to make this simple yet tasty dish to add to your favorite dinners. Leftovers are great for packing in school lunch, or freezing for another day, too!
Tex Mex Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the rice, bread crumbs, cheese, corn, cilantro and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add to the rice mixture and mix to combine well.
- Measure 1/4 cup mixture at a time and shape into patties.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- To Freeze: Prepare the recipe through Step 3, place the patties in a single layer on a tray and freeze for 30 minutes, or until frozen through. Transfer to a zip top bag or other freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and follow the recipe directions starting with Step 4.
Do these need to be refrigerated? Thanks!
Yes, refrigerated in an airtight container if you have leftovers 🙂
Yes you can freeze them after cooking! Defrost overnight in the fridge, then rewarm in the oven or microwave before serving!
can you prepare all steps cool and freeze. using this recipe for a toddler going to school. so I wanted to know if it could be cooked frozen then warmed up for lunch????
So great to hear these were a hit! I hope your dinners with your son get easier and easier! Just keep offering foods and he’ll get there!
I have hit the wall with my 18-month-old and dinner. Trying for months to get him to eat anything other than chicken nuggets and cream cheese. I can’t tell you how many ‘toddler friendly’ means I’ve made in the past month that have been met with shouts of ‘No!’ and being thrown violently on the floor. I was making this and I just kept thinking, “Why am I making this? My kid hates rice. He’s not going to eat this, there’s no way.”
And then he ate it. He ate like, a lot of it. My husband and I were competely speechless. I never comment on the web, but I needed to say thank you, because I see lots of variations of this in our future!
Great idea to use up any veggies you have on hand!
My little guy loves these! I sub browned ground chicken for the corn since he doesn’t care for corn and add any diced veggies that are in the fridge. Thanks for this idea!!! He gets meat, rice and veggies all in one (or two or three) patties.
The egg helps everything stick together. I haven’t tested it in this recipe, but I have had success with the “flax egg” in the past. Mix 1 tablespoons ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons water. Let me know if you try it!