Savory Rice Pudding

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into slivers
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juice, coarsely pureed
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 6 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch sugar
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups creme fraiche
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
• 6 cups cooked long-grain rice (2 cups raw)

Recipe

• 1 for tomato sauce.
• 2 heat oil in a medium saucepan.
• 3 saute the onion and garlic until softened and slightly browned.
• 4 add tomatoes and chile strips and cook for another 5 minute.
• 5 season with oregano, bay leaves, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
• 6 simmer for 20 min., until slightly thickened.
• 7 for the cream sauce.
• 8 stir creme fraiche and yogurt together. season with salt and pepper.
• 9 to assemble.
• 10 preheat oven to 350.
• 11 butter a large(3 qt.) baking dish.
• 12 toss the monterey jack and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.
• 13 spoon half the rice into a dish and smooth evenly.
• 14 cover with half the tomato sauce and then half the cream sauce.
• 15 spread half thecheese over the cream sauce.
• 16 repeat with the remaining rice, sauce,and cream.
• 17 reserve the remainig cheese.
• 18 lightly cover the casserole with foil and bake 30 minutes,until heated through.
• 19 uncover and sprinkle with reserved cheese.
• 20 return the uncovered casserole to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, or until cheese melts.