This easy rice bake combines uncooked rice, diced ham, and baby lima beans for a filling family dinner. Parboil the beans on the stovetop, then use some of their reserved broth to cook the rice in the oven.
10 servings. About 65 minutes from start to finish.
Real Talk
I was inspired by RecipeTin's Baked Fried Rice to make something that speaks to my Southern soul. My kids like this with ham or smoked sausage. This updated ham version uses more meat and beans, with a quick stovetop step before everything goes into the baking dish.
Why This Recipe Works
- Start with uncooked rice. There is no need to cook and cool the rice ahead of time.
- Ham, beans, and rice make a filling dinner. This version uses 2 pounds of diced ham and a 32-ounce bag of baby lima beans.
- Put leftover ham to work. This is another way to use it alongside our split pea soup.
- Use the broth twice. Parboil the beans in chicken broth, then measure out some of that reserved liquid to cook the rice.
- Most of the cooking happens in the oven. Once the beans are prepared and the dish is assembled, cover and bake.
What You'll Need
Ham: Use 2 pounds of diced ham. Packaged diced ham or leftover cooked ham works for this version.
Baby lima beans: Use a 32-ounce bag of frozen baby lima beans. Bring them to a boil in the broth, then strain before adding them to the baking dish.
Chicken broth: Start with 4 cups for the beans. Reserve the liquid when draining, then measure exactly 2 cups for the rice bake. Those 2 cups come from the original 4 cups; they are not an additional broth ingredient.
Rice, butter, and seasonings: Use 1 ½ cups of uncooked long-grain white rice and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the butter to the saucepan with the beans and broth. Season the rice bake with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
How to Make Easy Rice Bake with Baby Lima Beans and Ham
Step 1: Prepare the beans and reserve the broth
Preheat the oven to 390°F. Add the frozen baby lima beans, 4 cups of chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a saucepan and bring to a boil, allowing about 10 minutes to reach that point. As soon as the broth boils, immediately drain the beans through a strainer set over a large bowl, catching the broth. Measure 2 cups of the reserved broth for the baking dish.
Measure the broth after straining. Start with 4 cups in the saucepan, but add only 2 cups of the reserved broth to the baking dish.
Step 2: Prepare the baking dish
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add 2 cups of the reserved broth, the salt, pepper, bay leaf, and red wine vinegar, and mix to combine.
Step 3: Layer the rice and beans
Add rice and spread out in an even layer.
Add the parboiled, drained baby lima beans in an even layer over the rice.
Step 4: Add the ham and bake
Spread the 2 pounds of diced ham in an even layer over the beans. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Step 5: Rest, then fluff
Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 10 minutes. Uncover, remove the bay leaf, and fluff the rice before serving.
Goes Great With
With the ham, beans, and rice together, this can be dinner on its own. Smaller portions can also be served alongside one of these pot roasts.
Smoked Sausage Option
Use 16–24 ounces of sliced smoked sausage instead of the ham. No browning is needed; layer the sliced sausage over the beans and follow the same baking and resting instructions.
FAQs
- Can I use canned lima beans? Use frozen baby lima beans for this method. The stovetop preparation and baking instructions are written for frozen beans.
- Can I use dried lima beans? For this method, no. Dried beans take much longer to cook and would absorb too much liquid.
- Can I use a different size baking dish? Kinda like baking a cake, changing to a different size pan will definitely change the result. I have not tested other pan sizes, so I cannot advise on the result you can expect.
- Can I use brown rice? This updated version is written for long-grain white rice. Brown rice needs a different amount of liquid and a longer baking time, so it is not a direct substitution.
📖 Recipe
Easy Rice Bake with Ham and Baby Lima Beans
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth for parboiling; reserve 2 cups of the cooking broth for the rice bake
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice uncooked
- 32 oz. frozen baby lima beans
- 2 lb. diced ham
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- nonstick cooking spray for the baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the frozen baby lima beans, 4 cups of chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, allowing about 10 minutes to reach that point.
- As soon as the broth reaches a boil, immediately drain the beans through a strainer set over a large bowl, catching the broth. Measure exactly 2 cups of the reserved broth for the rice bake. Do not add all of the cooking broth to the baking dish.
- Add the 2 cups of reserved broth, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and red wine vinegar to the prepared baking dish and mix to combine. Add the uncooked rice and spread it into an even layer. Layer the drained beans over the rice, then spread the diced ham evenly over the beans.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Uncover, remove the bay leaf, and fluff the rice before serving.
Rebecca
For such a simple easy recipe it is packed with flavor! One of my new favorites!
Lynne Essig
U didn’t add the ham in the ingredients
Gary White
Thank you! Done.