RECIPES / SNACKS & SIDES
Rice Nuggets with Peas & Carrots
Cooked rice, peas, grated carrot and sharp cheddar, mixed in one bowl and baked into two dozen nuggets. They freeze, and children eat them without negotiation.
BY FELICITY KENNEDY
CO-FOUNDER AT 4SISTERS / SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
PREP
15 min
COOK
20 min
SERVES
2 dozen
RICE
White
A Snack Built From Leftover Rice
Three cups of cooked rice, some vegetables, an egg and cheese. That is the whole idea, and it is one of the most useful things you can do with rice that is already sitting in the refrigerator.
There is no shaping, no frying and no breadcrumb station. You mix everything in one bowl, scoop it onto parchment, and bake. Twenty minutes later you have two dozen nuggets that children will eat without negotiation and that adults keep taking off the tray as they cool.
The binder is doing quiet work. Two eggs plus half a cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese holds the rice together and keeps the inside soft, while the cheddar browns on the outside. That combination is why these do not come out dry the way plain baked rice balls do.
It calls for our Organic White Rice cooked and cooled. Brown rice works too and gives a firmer, nuttier nugget, though you may want a splash more yogurt to keep the mixture together.
TIP FROM THE FARM
The line about soaking the peas dry with paper towels is the most important sentence in the ingredient list. Frozen peas hold a surprising amount of water, and wet peas make a mixture that will not hold a scoop.
• 3 cups 4Sisters cooked White rice
• 1⁄2 cup fresh carrot, grated
• 1 cup frozen green peas, cooked in microwave while frozen until tender (soak up remaining moisture with paper towels)
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt or plain cottage cheese
• 1⁄2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsps. melted butter
• 1⁄4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1⁄4 tsp. onion powder
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Scoop mixture onto a parchment lined sheet pan with scoop that equals about 2 tbsps.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Serve warm as a snack alone or with a dip of your choice.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Can be frozen after cooled.
Two tablespoons per scoop. Bigger nuggets stay wet in the middle by the time the outside has coloured.
Serving Them
Warm, straight off the pan, with whatever dip is already in the house. Ranch and ketchup are the two that disappear fastest with children. A garlic yogurt or a sweet chilli sauce suits them better for adults.
They also travel well, which is the other reason we keep making them. Cooled nuggets go into a lunchbox without falling apart and are perfectly good at room temperature.
Their freezer note is worth taking seriously. Cool them completely, freeze them on the tray until firm, then bag them. From frozen they come back at 375 degrees in about 10 minutes and taste freshly baked.
Questions We Get
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, which is better?
Both are in their ingredient list and both work. Greek yogurt gives a slightly tangier nugget with a smoother inside. Cottage cheese gives a milder flavour and a little more texture. Use whichever is open.
Can I add other vegetables?
Yes, as long as you keep them dry and finely cut. Grated zucchini needs to be squeezed hard in a towel first, or it will water down the mixture. Corn, finely diced pepper and grated broccoli stem all behave well.
Why did mine spread instead of holding a shape?
Almost always moisture, and usually from the peas. Cook them from frozen with no added water, as the recipe says, then blot them properly. Rice that was still warm can do it too, so use cooled rice.
Are these good for toddlers?
They are soft, they are the right size to hold, and the vegetables are cooked through and finely grated. Cut them in half for very small children, and check the temperature in the middle, since they hold heat longer than they look like they should.
FEATURED POSTS
