These zucchini mushroom croquettes are healthy bundles of joy. Oven baked, packed full of vegetables and nutty basmati rice. I’ve even snuck in a little low fat cheese to add a serve of dairy into the recipe.
This recipe is the result of a challenge from Tilda, to create a healthy rice dish. Tilda sent me a few packets of their two minute Steamed Basmati Rice, which comes in ready to heat pouches. As Basmati rice is a very healthy grain, gluten free, low in fat, low in sodium and contains no cholesterol, creating a healthy dish wasn’t going to be a challenge.
The challenge was me. Unknown to Tilda, I don’t buy/use pre-cooked items like rice. I’m a make it from scratch kind of gal, I just don’t do pre-cooked. I have never understood why people do, as cooking a staple like rice is second nature to me. This is the perfect example of why I love working with brands, I get to work with a product I would never have thought of using.
I also discovered something about Mac and Josh I didn’t know. They can’t cook rice!
After receiving some packets of two minute Tilda Steamed Basmati Rice to play with, I stood at my kitchen bench looking down at this product that I would have never in a million years placed in my trolley. There it was, on my kitchen bench, smiling up at me in all its gorgeous blue packaging and challenging me to cook with it.
As my mind wandered and ideas of how to use the rice flowed in and out of my brain, Mac walked into the kitchen and asked what I had in my hands.
“It’s pre-cooked Basmati rice from Tilda”
“Cool”
“Errr, I’m not so sure if it is cool or not yet, you know I don’t buy this stuff”
“I wish we had this last time you went away”
I give Mac a confused look “what do you mean?”
“Josh and I had to Google how to cook rice”
To which I just shook my head.
It seems the two grown males in my family can’t cook rice to save their lives. The last time I went away they attempted to cook some rice to go with a curry and ended up with a pot of mush. This then resulted with them “Googling” how to cook rice (we are still in debate over why they didn’t just read the instructions on the packet, but that is another story all together). On second attempt they promptly stuffed it up again and gave up on the whole rice cooking scenario. Curry and salad anyone?
I’m heading away again next week for a fortnight. Guess what……….. I have invested in a few packets of Tilda’s ready to heat Basmati rice to get them through.
You see, after putting my preconceived ideas aside and trying the rice, it’s actually quite good. On top of that it’s quick, just two minutes in the microwave and one less pot to wash up.
Oven Baked Zucchini Mushroom Croquettes
And that brings me back to the oven baked zucchini mushroom croquettes. I wanted something that was nutritious. Something packed with vegetables. Something that both adults and kids would enjoy. And of course, in my usual style, something a little out of the box when it comes to rice.
By using low fat cheese and low fat evaporated milk in this recipe you keep the fat content down, but are still including dairy. I’ve used mushrooms and zucchini, as they are my favourite vegetables. Zucchinis are low in calories and high in Vitamin C. Mushrooms are basically a wonder food and I have already mentioned the benefits of Basmati rice.
I made both small snack sized zucchini mushroom croquettes and larger ones suitable for a main meal. They are both fantastic in their own right, but I am a little in love with the mini ones as a snack. The recipe would make probably a hundred of the mini ones. I say make them up and freeze them to have on hand. Just put them in the oven to cook straight from the freezer when needed.
Oven Baked Zucchini Mushroom Croquettes
Ingredients
- 250 grams Tilda Pure Basmati Steamed Rice
- 3 zucchinis
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of your choice
- 250 grams button mushrooms finely diced
- 60 grams (¾ cup) low fat cheese, grated
- 125 ml (½ cup) low fat evaporated milk
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
- 200 grams (3 ½ cups) fresh breadcrumbs (gluten free or normal)
- 1 bunch fresh thyme finely chopped (discard woody stems)
Instructions
- Pre heat oven 190°C (375°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Remove Tilda Pure Basmati Rice from the packet and crumble the rice in to a large bowl, getting rid of any clumps and lumps of rice.
- In a heavy based pan heat olive oil and add onions, and sauté over a medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are cooked and not releasing any more liquid.
- Remove pan from heat and allow onion/mushroom mixture to cool while you prepare zucchinis.
- Finely grate zucchinis and squeeze out extra liquid. Add zucchinis to bowl with the rice.
- In a small pot place cheese and evaporated milk. Stir over low heat until cheese has melted and remove from heat.
- Add mushrooms and parsley and to rice mixture, mix well. Add cheese sauce, mix well, taste and season with salt and pepper. Then add in beaten egg and mix until combined.
- In another large bowl mix fresh breadcrumbs and thyme.
- For large croquettes: Take roughly a ¼ cup of mixture and form into a ball (the mixture is quite wet). Then place in the breadcrumb and coat well. Place coated ball on to lined over tray. Continue with the rest of the mixture
- For small croquettes: Take a tablespoon of mixture form in to a desired shape and coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a lined oven tray. Continue with rest of the mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
I have made the zucchini mushroom croquettes vegetarian, but by adding some low fat bacon I think these guys would be elevated to another level. If you add a couple of slice of finely chopped short cut bacon (fat removed), this would add another dimension to them and still be quite healthy.
Some fun Basmati facts
To this day Basmati is harvested by hand to ensure none of the precious grains are lost.
Basmati is similar to Champagne, it can only be grown in one area, the Himalayan Foothills.
Basmati is known as the “Prince of Rice” and means “The Fragrant One” due to its fragrant aroma.
Nearly half the World’s population eat rice as part of their staple diet.
Tilda Rice products are available at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets nationally. RRP for two minute Tilda Steamed Basmati Rice pouch is $3.35.
Sara xxx
Belly Rumbles would like to acknowledge its partnership Tilda for this post. This recipe was created, developed and photographed by Sara McCleary.
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Ann
How long do you cook these in the oven for?
Sara
HI Ann
Apologies for that, we are in the process of moving our recipes over to another platform which will (eventually) be better for readers. Seems w had a glitch and part of the recipe fell off.
Cook them for 35-40 minutes. But what you want them to be is golden and crunchy when you take them out of the oven. All the ingredients in the croquettes are already cooked. What we are after is CRUNCH 😉
Hope you enjoy.
Cheers Sara
Helen | Grab Your Fork
I’m the same. I would never buy pre-cooked rice but this idea is a clever one.
Christina Taylor
Its a different type of Zucchini dish I ever taste… So delicious & mouth-watering… Keep sharing more nice dishes dear!!!
John | heneedsfood
You know, Dean came home with packs of pre-cooked rice some time ago and it seriously stopped me in my tracks. Kind of like discovering a packet of pre-chopped vegetables in the fridge. You could probably imagine what kind of face I pulled. Whilst that was the last time we saw such packet items in this house, I do understand the convenience of it all, despite the higher price.
As for your gorgeous croquettes, hand me a plate of those and I’d happily dunk each one into a bowl of thick egg mayo. Yum!
THE HUNGRY MUM
These look ten types of delish! Me and ‘shrooms are BFFs yet the gals aren’t so sure. Bet I could serve these up to change their minds 🙂
Amanda | Chew Town
Love the sound of these baked croquettes! They look so delicious I want to pop about 100 in my mouth right now!
Diana
These courgette mushroom croquettes look amazing! I love ready made rice, it’s very handy!
lisa
Oh my gosh — these look so good!
Mark, Compass & Fork
Those zucchini croquettes look delicious and so healthy. Love the color and crunch.
Ariana Omipi
These look so amazing and my mouth is literally watering!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Oh yum, these sound right up my street. Can’t beat a crispy little croquette!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
These would make a great party food. I love that they are oven baked too.
Tania @ COOKTORIA
I love zucchini and I am always on a lookout for a tasty zucchini recipe.These croquettes look scrumptious and I am saving this recipe for later.
Rebecca Hubbell
These look amazing! I love how soft they look on the inside with the perfect amount of crisp on the outside!
Lucy
I can’t believe these are baked and not fried! They look so golden brown and crunchy. Love the combination of zucchini and mushrooms. Yum!
Kaitie
Those look delicious! They would be PERFECT as an appetizer or a starter to any meal so they really stand out! 🙂
lisa
These croquettes are so lovely! I definitely want these in my oven!
Rebekah | Kitchen Gidget
That conversation about trying to cook rice is hilarious! These look absolutely crispy and delicious.
Renee
Hahaha! I love the fact that they googled how to cook rice instead of reading the instructions on the packet. Like you, I don’t often buy the conveniently pre-cooked version because it’s so easy to make it, but I can definitely see this coming in handy for the rice impaired!
Brian Jones
Not an idea I have come across before but it sounds great, a bit of sweet chili sauce to dip them in and I’d be away I reckon 🙂
Elizabeth
Mmm these sound lovely! I love those ready made rice sachets – so handy to have in the pantry.