This very colorful, vibrant and festive baked rice pilaf is PERFECT for any celebration. Packed with Christmassy flavors, it’s as simple as mixing a pile of lovely ingredients with rice in an oven dish, pouring over hot stock and popping into the oven. Drizzle with lots of zingy green tahini sauce, feta and pomegranate seeds to serve.

Ever since I realized how truly foolproof baking rice is, I have become OBSESSED with it. This cheesy, garlicky life-changing loaded baked rice was my first introduction to the joys of baked rice, and this lovely, very festive version is wonderful for any celebration.

This one is heavily inspired by pilaf rice, with a very Christmassy twist. We’ve got dried cranberries, apricots and vibrant pistachios baked with the rice itself, so they transfer their lovely flavor into every bite. Then after it’s baked, we’re topping it with a VERY vibrant green tahini sauce, (which helps to cut through the sweetness of the dried fruit) along with creamy feta, juicy pomegranate seeds and sage.

This truly is SUCH a wonderful recipe that pairs perfectly with a whole host of things (hello lamb koftas, herby roast chicken, honey harissa chicken or whole roasted cauliflower) and makes such a statement at the table when you’re entertaining.

While this is a brilliant side to introduce to your holiday menu, it’s also a great way to use up leftovers. Stir through shredded cooked chicken (or turkey), stuffing balls or any leftover roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

• Rice. Use long-grain rice here, like basmati.
• Dried fruit. I’m using dried cranberries and dried apricots, but you can play around based on what you like. Dried mango, figs, sultanas or raisins work well too.
• Pistachios. I LOVE the festive color these bring, but you can swap them for almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts if you like.
• Leek. You can swap the leek for an onion, or shallot.
• Stock. I’m using chicken stock, but vegetable stock is fine too. Make sure it’s hot when you add it, or your rice will take a lot longer to cook.
• The toppings. I’ve gone for creamy feta, pomegranate seeds, sage and my favorite green tahini sauce. I love the color and vibrancy these bring to the rice, but you can play around. Chili flakes, basil, parsley or tahini yogurt sauce are great options. You could also drizzle the rice with basil pesto, sundried tomato pesto or chili oil.

How to make it

Add your rice, seasoning, dried cranberries, apricots, leeks, garlic, pistachios and hot stock to an oven dish. Stir, then cover tightly with aluminum foil and pop into the oven.

While it cooks, make your green tahini sauce and prep the toppings. Remove from the oven, then fluff up the rice with your fork. Drizzle with the green tahini sauce, then scatter with feta, pomegranate seeds and sage and enjoy.

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