Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives

Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives is perfect vegetarian comfort food!  Topped with fresh tomatoes, it’s especially wonderful in the late summer!

I have loved this recipe for many years.  It’s inspired by one that first appeared in the classic Moosewood Cookbook published in 1977.  The author, Mollie Katzen, reissued the cookbook in 1992 with lighter versions of all the dishes from the original that were heavy on eggs, cheese, dairy and other calorie-laden ingredients.  The updated version of the recipe kept the cheese (which I also did).  However, feel free to substitute light or fat-free versions.

Her version was called “Bulgarian Pepper Casserole” and because of the name, it wasn’t a big seller with my personal chef clients.  Bell peppers, especially green bell peppers, can be a little difficult for some people to handle.  Once I changed the name to be more descriptive and swapped zucchini for the green bell pepper, it’s now a hit!

Tips for cooking brown rice:

• My favorite way to cook brown rice is to get a large saucepan of water boiling, add some salt then the rice and simply boil it until it is tender—I don’t even measure.
• Drain thoroughly in a sieve and the result will be beautiful, fluffy brown rice.
• When I cook brown rice at home, I always cook extra so that I can freeze it and have it available when needed.

Pitting Kalamata olives can be labor-intensive, but they are available pitted.  When purchasing “pitted” Kalamata olives, I treat them as though they still have the pit.  I never take for granted that the mechanical pitting process got all the pits—I look each one over.

This vegetable casserole is easily prepped ahead of time–up to a day before serving.  Place the tomatoes and olives over the top just prior to baking.

A light soup or crisp green salad pairs perfectly with this tasty Brown Rice and Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives!  Enjoy!

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Yield: 2-3

Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives

Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives is perfect vegetarian comfort food!  Topped with fresh tomatoes, it's especially wonderful in the late summer!

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Brown Rice and Summer Vegetable Casserole with Feta and Black Olives is perfect vegetarian comfort food!  Topped with fresh tomatoes, it's especially wonderful in the late summer!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking dish
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese (light is fine)
• 2/3 cup feta cheese (reduced fat or fat-free is fine)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, sliced
• 10 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 or 9-inch by 5-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped bell pepper and continue cooking 8-10 minutes or until bell pepper begins to soften.
4. Add the zucchini and cook 2-3 minutes more or until zucchini begins to soften.
5. Stir in garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, oregano, dill and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Set aside to cool slightly.
6. In a large bowl, combine vegetables, brown rice, ricotta and feta cheeses, lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
7. Place tomato slices over the top then sprinkle with halved Kalamata olives.
8. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until hot throughout.
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD: Can be assembled 1-2 days in advance without the tomatoes. Top with tomatoes right before baking.

Prep time does not include cooking the brown rice. I like to make a big batch at a time and freeze it so I always have it on hand.

Nutrition Information

Yield

2

Serving Size

2-3
Amount Per Serving Calories 650Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 70mgSodium 806mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 10gSugar 13gProtein 26g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.