This Campbell's beef consomme rice recipe, also known as "stick of butter rice," is one of my favorite dishes of all time. With only 5 ingredients and minimal prep work, it's a great side dish to enjoy for a weeknight meal, or it's elegant enough to add to your holiday table.
Give it a try--I bet it'll become a favorite for your family too!
This is one of those retro recipes that became popular when people started adding condensed soup to their dishes. It's one that stuck for our family, and a dish my grandmother, Mimi, would always have to go alongside our prime rib at Christmastime.
To me, Christmas dinners would be incomplete without this flavorful rice on the dinner table.
For years I didn't realize how easy "Mimi's brown rice" is to make. The rich flavors of mushrooms and beef consomme make it seem like it's tricky, but in reality it's super simple, making it an ideal side not just for Christmas but all throughout the year.
That's why I make this simple side dish on the regular to serve with beef, chicken, or pork.
At Christmas, we always have this rice side dish along with my mom's cheesy broccoli casserole recipe to go with our prime rib. But, if you're wanting it on a random weeknight, try it with my rosemary and Dijon pork chops or herb-crusted salmon.
It's the perfect side dish to liven up your meal. Now, let's get to it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this French onion rice:
- long grain rice
- can of beef consommé
- can of French onion soup
- sliced fresh mushrooms
- salted butter
- fresh parsley (optional)
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the uncooked rice in the baking dish in a single layer.
- Next, add the beef consommé and French onion soups over the top of the rice.
- Then, arrange the mushrooms in an even layer on top of the mixture in the baking pan.
- Finally, dot the pats of butter over the mushrooms. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Hint: To avoid mushy rice, rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear.
Substitutions
Here are some alternative ingredient options in case you need to make a swap:
- Mushrooms - For this recipe, I used regular white button mushrooms. Feel free to use sliced baby bella (crimini), chopped portabella, or a gourmet mushroom mix.
- Butter - If you only have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the mixture.
- Soups - Double up on two cans of beef consommé or two cans of French onion if you'd like.
- Parsley - Instead of parsley, add fresh thyme, oregano, or rosemary if you prefer.
Variations
Check out these variations to this stick of butter rice recipe:
- Spicy - Add a little crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to give this rice a little kick.
- Less Butter - Reduce the amount of butter to ¼ cup and replace with ¼ cup vegetable or olive oil.
- Super Onion - Add some caramelized onions to the rice before it cooks for an ultra French onion flavor.
- French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole - Add boneless skinless chicken breasts to the casserole dish and bake as directed.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:
- dry measuring cup
- fine wire-mesh strainer
- 2-quart baking dish
- paring knife
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Tasty Tip
Be sure to cover the casserole dish tightly so that no liquid will escape during cooking.
Frequently asked questions
Beef broth or stock is not as concentrated as consommé and therefore isn't as rich in flavor.
You can--just make sure you dilute it if you're using the concentrated version from a can. It's great as an au jus dip for roast beef.
Because beef consomme soup is richer and more intense than beef broth, it adds a really robust savory flavor to the rice.
Nope! That's what makes this rice dish so rich and delicious--adding water would make it liquid-y and bland.
Yes! Cover the rice while it bakes so that the liquid doesn't evaporate.
Rinse the rice first before cooking. That'll remove the starch from the grain and prevent mushiness.
Related
Looking for other great recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this French onion soup rice:
🍽Get the recipe
Mimi's French Onion and Consommé Rice with Mushrooms
Equipment
- dry measuring cup
- fine wire-mesh strainer
- 2-quart baking dish
- paring knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed French onion soup
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed beef consommé
- 1 (12-ounce) container sliced fresh mushrooms
- ½ cup salted butter, sliced into small pieces
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add the rice and spread in an even layer.
- Pour in the French onion soup and consommé.
- Top the mixture with an even layer of mushrooms.
- Top the mushrooms evenly with the butter. Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Video
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these things in mind for this recipe regarding food safety.
- Don't leave the rice sitting out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Never leave cooking food unattended. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on the rice as it cooks.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Mira says
Made this last night and the flavors are incredible! The consomme really makes such a difference - so much richer than regular rice. My family couldn't stop going back for seconds. Definitely adding this to our regular rotation!
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! Thanks so much for your note Mira. So glad it was a hit!
Tina says
This is such a classic comfort food recipe. I thought this was super hard to make, but turns out, it isn't!
AshleyFreeman says
Right?! It's so easy!