Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The combination of seasoned rice, savoury beef-tomato sauce and a rich, creamy cheese topping hits all the favourite comfort-food notes.
It’s versatile: you can make components ahead of time, assemble when you’re ready, and it’s freezer-friendly too.
Great for feeding a family or producing leftovers for lunch the next day.
If you want gluten-free, you can swap the flour in the béchamel with a gluten-free version and you’re there.

Ingredients

(Tip: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.)

For the Bolognese sauce

Olive oil
Ground beef
Garlic, crushed
Onion, finely diced
Celery stick, finely diced
Carrot, finely diced or grated
Dried thyme
Chilli flakes (optional)
Tomato paste
Canned plum tomatoes
Red wine
Fish sauce (optional)

For the rice base

Long-grain rice
Salt
Egg, whisked
Garlic (crushed)
Butter
Grated Parmesan
Butter or olive oil (for greasing the dish)

For the cheesy béchamel sauce

Butter
Plain flour (or gluten-free flour)
Whole milk
Grated cheddar cheese (plus extra to scatter on top)
Black pepper
Chilli flakes (optional)

Optional to serve

Fresh basil pesto
Fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat your oven to about 180 °C (fan) / 360 °F. Grease the baking dish with butter or olive oil.
Make the Bolognese sauce: In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened. Add garlic and stir one minute. Add the ground beef, break it up, and brown. Then stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, red wine, dried thyme and chilli flakes/fish sauce if using. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
Cook the rice: While the sauce is simmering, place the rice and salt into a pot with water. Bring to simmering bubbles, then turn the heat right down, cover with a lid and cook according to rice instructions (for example ~12 minutes), then remove from heat and let it sit covered ~10 minutes. Let it cool slightly before proceeding.
Prepare the rice base: Once cooled a bit, mix the rice with melted butter, crushed garlic, the grated Parmesan and the whisked egg. Press this mixture into the base of your greased baking dish, flattening evenly.
Assemble the layers: Spoon the Bolognese sauce over the rice base, spreading it evenly and pressing into the edges. Then pour the cheesy béchamel sauce over the top, smooth it out, and scatter the remaining grated cheese across the surface.
Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake ~30 minutes, until the top is golden, bubbling and the edges look crisp.
Rest & serve: Remove from the oven and let it rest ~10 minutes before slicing. If you like, add dollops of fresh basil pesto and scatter basil leaves before serving.

Servings and timing

Yield: Approximately 6 servings. Total time: ~1 hour (including prep). Cooking time: ~30 minutes in the oven after layering.
Prep time: ~30 minutes (including making the three components and assembling).

Variations

Swap beef for ground turkey or chicken to lighten it a bit.
Use brown rice or jasmine rice instead of long-grain—just adjust cooking time accordingly.
Stir some fresh spinach or frozen chopped spinach into the Bolognese sauce for extra veg.
Use a mix of cheeses (cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella) for different melt-and-flavour profiles.
For extra flavour, add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or a splash of balsamic vinegar into the sauce.
Turn into a vegetarian version by using lentils or textured vegetable protein instead of meat, and vegetable stock.
Make it spicy by adding more chilli flakes or diced fresh chilli to the sauce.

Storage/Reheating

Fridge: Cover and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
Freezer: You can freeze individual portions—cool completely first, then wrap and freeze up to 1–2 months.
Reheating: From fridge: reheat in a 180 °C oven until warmed through (about 15–20 minutes) or microwave individual portions until hot. From frozen: thaw overnight in fridge, then bake or microwave until piping hot.
When reheating, cover with foil initially to prevent over-browning, then uncover in the last few minutes if you’d like the top crisp again.

FAQs

What kind of rice should I use for the base?

Long-grain white rice (such as basmati) works well because it cooks evenly and gives a good texture. You can use jasmine or short-grain rice, or even brown rice—but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time and water accordingly.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes — you can make the three components (rice base, Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce) in advance. The Bolognese will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, the béchamel for up to 4 days, and the cooked rice for up to 2 days (don’t mix in egg/cheese until ready to assemble). Once assembled (in the baking dish), you can cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes — swap the plain flour in the béchamel for a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch alternative. Use rice that is naturally gluten-free and ensure any stock or sauces you use are gluten-free certified.

What size baking dish should I use?

A small rectangular baking dish around 28×18 cm (11″×7″) or a square dish about 21×21 cm (8″×8″) is ideal. If you use a larger dish, you may need to double the sauce amount to avoid a thin layer.

Can I use leftover cooked rice?

Yes — leftover cooked rice can work, though you should still mix it with the butter, garlic, Parmesan and egg before pressing into the dish. Make sure the rice isn’t too hot when adding the egg or the egg may scramble.

Is there a vegetarian version?

Yes — you can replace the meat with lentils, mushrooms or a plant-based mince alternative. Use vegetable stock in the sauce, and skip the fish sauce. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

What can I serve with this bake?

A fresh green salad with a simple vinaigrette works nicely to balance the richness. Steamed or roasted greens such as broccoli, green beans or asparagus are also good. Garlic bread or focaccia are nice if you want something more indulgent.

How do I get a crisp edge on the rice base?

Press the rice mixture firmly into the base of the dish so it’s evenly spread and compact. When baking, some of the edges will crisp naturally. If you want extra crispiness, you can slide the dish into the oven just for a few extra minutes uncovered at the end.

My top layer cheese is browning too fast—what should I do?

If your oven tends to brown the top too quickly, cover loosely with foil for part of the bake time, then remove the foil for the last 5–10 minutes to allow browning. Alternatively, use a mixture of cheeses that melt but brown more slowly (cheddar + mild mozzarella).

Can I scale this up or down for more or fewer servings?

Yes — simply multiply or divide the ingredients proportionally. If you increase the size significantly, ensure your baking dish has enough depth and increase baking time slightly until the dish is hot and bubbling throughout.

Conclusion

This Cheesy Bolognese Rice Bake gives you the best of comfort food—rich, meaty sauce, creamy cheese, and satisfying rice—without the need for pasta sheets or layered lasagne. It’s flexible, family-friendly and ideal for make-ahead cooking. Whether for a cosy weeknight dinner or a weekend meal prep, this dish delivers flavour and ease in one tray. Enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Servings and timing

Variations

Storage/Reheating

FAQs

What kind of rice should I use for the base?

Can I make this ahead of time?

Can I make this gluten-free?

What size baking dish should I use?

Can I use leftover cooked rice?

Is there a vegetarian version?

What can I serve with this bake?

How do I get a crisp edge on the rice base?

My top layer cheese is browning too fast—what should I do?

Can I scale this up or down for more or fewer servings?

Conclusion

Cheesy Bolognese Rice Bake

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition