In India- we like our rice to be loose and fluffly (except in khichdi and in kheer). I do like the concept of rice casseroles but the mushiness of the rice and the egg didn’t work for me. This modification of flavoring and layering the rice similar to a biryani and skipping the egg works well for my family. The bottom layer gets a little crispy and the cheese and the flavors permeate the whole dish. This is another no-recipe recipe and prep time is less than 10 minutes (rice in rice cooker, the potatoes boil while  you make the sauce) – use whatever sauce you wish, enchilada sauce goes beaurifully with this too or butter chicken gravy. Use whichever vegetables you have available or even beans.

Layer in a large baking dish

1. Cooked rice (from 1 cup uncooked rice) with some olive oil or ghee or butter and salt.
2. Vegetables – I used boiled potatoes, green beans and corn
3. Sauce- I used my version of a vegetarian gravy- Brown 1 medium red onion with 1-2 tbsp of butter. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tbsp of flour and brown slightly for 1-2 minutes. While whisking, add 1 cup of vegetable stock. Boil for 2-5 minutes till thickened. Season with salt and pepper and any other flavors (I used dried Italian seasoning and 1 tsp of dried mustard). Add a few tbsp of heavy cream- taste for seasoning again.
4. Cheese and panko bread crumbs layer (moistened with olive oil and salt and pepper)

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes covered with foil and then without foil for 5 minutes to crisp the top