Every layer of this layered Italian mushroom rice is packed with delicious flavors, melty cheese, and wholesome vegetables. This comforting, Italian-inspired dish is perfect for a cozy dinner or an impressive meal for guests.
Enjoy this layered rice with more simple and delicious recipes, like our air fryer eggplant pizza recipe or our super easy air fryer pizza naan recipe.
If you are a fan of the Italian cuisine and are looking for a way to spruce up your dinner – you will love this layerd Italian-style mushroom rice!
This Italian mushroom rice combines savoury stir-fried mushrooms with fluffy rice and roasted peppers – all layered with a flavorful tomato sauce and melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese! Are you ready to dive into these layers?
This recipe uses our flavorful simple Italian tomato sauce as it perfectly complemets the flavor of the roasted mushrooms and vegetables. This is the same sauce we use for our simple Italian tomato spaghetti recipe and we highly recommend using it for the best taste!
Whether you are hosting a dinner party or fancy a wholesome homemade meal – this dish is sure to impress!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Bursting with Italian flavors: Think savory mushrooms, roasted peppers, tangy tomato sauce, and melted cheese!
- Easy to prepare: Simple ingredients and minimal effort make this a great go-to dish.
- Perfect for leftovers: Use up leftover rice and tomato sauce and turn it into a hearty meal. Also great for meal prep!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Rice: you can use leftover rice (as long as it is not over a day old) or boil fresh rice. – Any type of rice works including wholegrain, basmati or jasmine rice.
- Mushrooms: you can use chestnut or button mushrooms, wash thoroughly before using in the stir-fry.
- Bell peppers: a mixture of red and green bell pepper.
- Red onions: chop onions, these are added with the peppers to be roasted and add flavor to this dish.
- Garlic: for flavor.
- Red chillies: optional but recommended to add spice to the stir-fried mushrooms.
- Seasoning: including salt, dried oregano and red pepper/chilli flakes.
- Balsamic vinegar: used to season the mushrooms (optional).
- Cheese: use a mixture of shredded/grated cheddar cheese (mild or mature) and mozzarella cheese for a varying range of flavor in this dish.
- Butter/oil: this is used to roast the peppers and onions and also make the stir-fried mushrooms.
- Tomato sauce: I recommend using a batch of our homemade classic Italian tomato sauce recipe or big batch tomato sauce recipe as it perfectly complements the stir-fried mushrooms and roasted peppers. Alternatively you can use store-bought tomato sauce – the more flavorful the sauce, the tastier the dish will be!
See recipe card for a full quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan: Use plant-based cheese to make this dish vegan-friendly.
- Vegetables: Mix and match vegetables in this dish as desired including roasted zucchini/courgette, eggplant/aubergine or spinach.
How to Make The Layered Mushroom Rice
Prepare the Mushrooms
Step 1: Heat mushrooms in a pan to roast. In a large pan, add sliced mushrooms
Step 2: Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become tender and soft. You will notice the mushrooms releasing their moisture (as per image).
Step 3: Add butter, garlic and red chillies and stir to combine and cook for a minute.
Step 4: Add balsamic vinegar, stir and cook for another minute. Once cooked, transfer mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
Roast the Peppers and Onions
Step 5: Roast the onions and peppers. Add a teaspoon of oil into the same pan, add the onions and peppers and cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until roasted, stirring frequently. Once roasted, remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the Layers and Bake
Step 6: Layer the dish with tomato sauce. In a serving dish, start by layering the dish with a large spoon of tomato sauce at the bottom.
Step 7: Sprinkle cheese. Sprinkle a handful of grated/shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
Step 8: Add a layer of hot/warmed rice – enough so you can cover the tomato sauce and cheese.
Step 9: Add a layer of stir-fried mushrooms on top of the rice.
Step 10: Sprinkle with more cheese. Mushrooms and cheese are a wonderful combination – the melted cheese and mushrooms combine to form a delicate and tasty layer!
Step 11: Add another layer of rice to cover the cheesy mushrooms.
Step 12: Repeat with more tomato sauce, cheese and rice. Top with more tomato sauce and use a spoon to spread the sauce over the rice. Then sprinkle a bit more cheese and add another layer of rice.
Step 13: Top with roasted peppers, cheese and a sprinkle of herbs and grill for 2-3 minutes. Add the roasted peppers and onions and spread over the rice. Then sprinkle a final helping of cheese and a sprinkle of dried oregano. Place in an oven, grill or air fryer and grill for 2-3 minutes, to allow the cheese to melt into the layers. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Prepare ingredients in advance: it helps to keep ingredients prepared so this dish comes together easily, including the mushroom stir-fry, peppers and having your sauce and rice ready (and hot if you are using pre-boiled rice).
- Add layers in this: It may seem like a lot of layers but it all comes together beautifully – the cheese, mushrooms, sauce, rice and peppers – it will be worth it in the end!
- Grill for a few minutes. Grilling helps to melt the cheese into the rice, mushrooms and peppers – giving you a perfect symphony of flavours and textures!
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How to Serve This Layered Italian Mushroom Rice
This layered Italian mushroom rice is incredibly satisfying and best served fresh!
This Italian layered rice dish goes well with our crispy sourdough garlic bread slices, and our cheesy, mouth-watering jalapeño poppers and refreshing beet and pomegranate salad.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Brown rice adds extra fiber and a nuttier flavor.
Yes! You can add cooked lentils chickpeas or tofu for extra protein.
Yes, all the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free. Be sure to always double check packaging to make sure no gluten cross contamination occurs (e.g. for cheese).
Suggested Appetizer Recipes
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Layered Italian Mushroom Rice
Ingredients
Stir-fried mushrooms
- 200 g Mushrooms chestnut or button, 200g (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- ½ teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 Red chillies chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
Roasted peppers
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 1 Red bell pepper chopped
- 1 Green bell pepper chopped
- 1 Red onion (small) chopped
Ingredients for layering
- 3 ½ cups of boiled rice
- 1 ½ - 2 cups spaghetti/tomato sauce homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated/shredded, (more or less as desired)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated/shredded, (more or less as desired)
Instructions
Mushroom stir-fry for the rice
- Heat mushrooms in a pan to roast. In a large pan, add sliced mushrooms and cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become tender (see image 2)
- Once cooked the mushrooms will become tender and soften. You will notice the mushrooms softening and releasing their moisture.
- Add butter, garlic and red chillies and stir to combine and cook for a minute.
- Add balsamic vinegar stir and cook for another minute. Once cooked, transfer mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.
Roasted peppers and onions
- Heat a teaspoon of oil into the same pan and add the onions and peppers.
- Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until roasted, stirring frequently.
- Once roasted, remove from heat and set aside.
Layering the rice
- In a large serving dish, start by layering the dish with a large spoon of tomato sauce at the bottom.
- Sprinkle a handful of grated/shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
- Add a layer of rice – enough so you can cover the tomato sauce and cheese.
- Add a layer of stir-fried mushrooms on top of the rice.
- Sprinkle with more cheese.
- Add another layer of rice to cover the cheesy mushrooms
- Repeat again by topping with more tomato sauce and then another layer of rice (you can use a spoon to spread the sauce over the rice). Sprinkle more cheese and another layer of rice.
- Add the roasted peppers and onions and spread over the rice, sprinkle a final helping of cheese and a pinch of dried oregano. Place in an oven, grill or air-fryer and grill for 2-3 minutes, to allow the cheese to melt into the layers. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Prepare ingredients in advance: it helps to keep ingredients prepared so this dish comes together easily, including the mushroom stir-fry, peppers and having your sauce and rice ready (and hot if you are using pre-boiled rice).
- Add layers in this: It may seem like a lot of layers but it all comes together beautifully – the cheese, mushrooms, sauce, rice and peppers – it will be worth it in the end!
- Grill for a few minutes: Grilling helps to melt the cheese into the rice, mushrooms and peppers – giving you a perfect symphony of flavours and textures!
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