RECIPES / COMFORT FOOD
Tomato Rice with Toasted Cheese
Jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth, folded through fire roasted tomatoes, then broiled under sharp cheddar and mozzarella until the top blisters.
BY MERYL KENNEDY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT 4SISTERS / SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
PREP
15 min
COOK
40 min
SERVES
6
RICE
Jasmine
Why Cook Rice in Broth Instead of Water?
Because rice is mostly a sponge. Whatever liquid goes into the pot is what the grain tastes like an hour later, and water tastes like nothing. This recipe uses chicken broth twice for exactly that reason.
The first use is in the rice itself. Four cups of chicken broth replace the water our Jasmine White Rice would normally cook in, so every grain arrives already seasoned before it meets a tomato. Jasmine is the right variety here because it is aromatic to begin with and it stays fluffy enough to fold into a sauce without turning to porridge.
The second thing worth understanding is the straining. The tomatoes get drained, then smashed slightly and cooked down until the juice reduces. That is two separate steps aimed at the same problem: fire roasted tomatoes carry a lot of water, and if it ends up in the dish you get soup with cheese on top instead of a bake you can spoon.
The finish is a broil, not a bake. Three minutes on the top shelf, which is long enough to melt the cheddar and blister the mozzarella and not long enough to dry the rice underneath.
TIP FROM THE FARM
Their ingredient list includes both the four cups of broth for cooking the rice and the rice itself as a cooked ingredient. Cook the rice first as its own step and the rest of the recipe moves quickly.
• 3 cups cooked 4Sisters Jasmine rice, cook according to pkg directions using chicken broth instead of water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• 2 tbsps. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsps. minced garlic
• 2 – 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. salt
• Chessy Topping:
• 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1 pkg. Fresh mozzarella balls
• Extra:
• Pepperoni – quartered and topped with cheese, if desired
Directions
1. Cook the rice according to package directions using chicken broth instead of water.
2. Strain the 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes.
3. While rice is cooking and tomatoes are straining, in a heavy pan or Dutch oven, sauté the onions until tender on medium heat. Then add the strained tomatoes, slightly smash the tomatoes, and continue to cook until juice is reduced.
4. Stir 3 cups of the cooked 4Sisters Jasmine rice into the onion and tomato mixture.
5. Transfer the mixture to an oven safe dish or keep in Dutch oven.
6. Top with shredded cheddar, then mozzarella balls. Add quartered pepperoni pieces at this point, if desired.
7. Broil on the top shelf of the oven for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly blistered.
Cheddar first, then the mozzarella balls on top. The cheddar melts into the rice and the mozzarella is what blisters.
Serving It
This goes to the table in whatever it was broiled in. A Dutch oven holds heat well enough that the last spoonful is as good as the first, and the recipe explicitly lets you skip the transfer, which is one fewer dish.
As written it is a main course for six with a green salad. It also works as a side for roast chicken or sausages, in which case it stretches to eight. The pepperoni option in their ingredient list pushes it towards pizza territory and children tend to vote for it.
Leftovers reheat better in a low oven than a microwave, covered, with a splash of broth stirred through to loosen the rice.
Questions We Get
Can I use regular diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted?
You can, and the dish will be noticeably milder. Fire roasted tomatoes are charred before canning, which is where the smoky depth in this recipe comes from. If you only have plain diced tomatoes, cook them down a little longer and add a pinch of smoked paprika.
Do I have to broil it, or can I bake it?
The recipe calls for a broil, and three minutes under direct heat is what blisters the mozzarella. Baking at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes will melt the cheese but leaves it pale and dries the rice more. If your broiler runs hot, watch it the whole time; three minutes is not an exaggeration.
What is the salt doing if the broth is already salted?
Balancing the tomatoes rather than the rice. If you are using a salted broth, taste the tomato mixture before you add the full teaspoon. Their rice is cooked in broth, so it arrives seasoned already.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Take it up to the point where the rice is stirred into the tomato mixture, cool it and refrigerate for up to two days. Bring it back to room temperature, top with the cheese and broil just before serving so the topping is fresh.
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