Lower-Sodium Beef and Mushroom Rice-A-Roni
Recipes

Lower-Sodium Beef and Mushroom Rice-A-Roni

Sarah

My sons love this dish, even with mushrooms added. By chopping them finely, they don’t stand out in the final dish, but add a deep flavor.

Rice-A-Roni is made with rice and thin pasta, like vermicelli (which is tiny pieces). However, I have found that orzo pasta works even better and has a better texture. Compared to actual Rice-A-Roni, this serves bigger portions and is healthier.

Ingredients For Commercial Beef Rice-A-Roni:

RICE, WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, ONIONS*, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, CARROTS*, SUGAR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CARAMEL COLOR, BEEF BROTH*, NATURAL FLAVOR, HYDROLYZED CORN, WHEAT, AND SOY PROTEIN, GARLIC*, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, CHICKEN FAT, DISODIUM INOSINATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, NIACIN, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, TOMATOES*, SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK (MILK, SUGAR), FOLIC ACID, RIBOFLAVIN.
*DRIED.

Ask yourself why it needs wheat flour. Soy protein? Sugar? MSG? Caramel Color? Hydrolyzed Corn? Soy protein again? Yeast extract? Chicken fat? Sweetened condensed milk? It doesn’t need any of that!

Unlike the commercial stuff, this is a one-pan meal made with clean ingredients. It is full of rich flavor but not a salt fest. It also doesn’t cause my face to turn red from yeast extract (a niacin flush).

Lower-Sodium Handcrafted Beef and Mushroom Rice-A-Roni

Ingredients:
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pound hamburger, preferably grass-fed
  • 8-ounces white mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tsp granulated onion
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 Tbsp dried parsley
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • ½ cup orzo pasta
  • 3½ cups lower-sodium beef broth
Instructions:

In a heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Cook the meat and mushrooms until well done.

Ass the rice and orzo, and sauté for about 2 minutes or until pasta is golden brown.

Add the seasonings, broth, and soy sauce, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir every couple of minutes – in the last 5 minutes, you may need to turn the heat down to low.

Let sit off the burner for 5 minutes, then stir well.

Makes 4 servings.
Notes:
Use whatever beef broth you enjoy. I use ones without yeast extract or MSG. Keep it simple. You can always add more salt if needed.

~Sarah