For those of you that have trouble boiling water, this “set it and forget it” recipe might be for you. Just don’t tell anyone it was made in the rice cooker!
You truly can’t mess this arroz con leche, or rice pudding, up, and if you do, please don’t blame it on me. With only five ingredients (six, if you count water as an ingredient), it is truly a you problem if you are not able to impress your family for Sansgibing, or Thanksgiving in Latinx.
Ingredients, measurements and prices (This recipe can feed four-six people, depending on how big or small your portions are.)
- 1/2 cup of rice, washed ($1.99)
- 2-2 1/2 cups of water (free from your Brita)
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks, depending on how much cinnamon you like ($1.69)
- 1 can of evaporated milk ($1.39)
- 1 can of condensed milk ($3.69)
- 1-2 capfuls of vanilla extract ($3.79)
- Powdered cinnamon ($8.99) or pumpkin pie spice ($6.99) (to be used as a topping)
(Total price: $21.54)
This recipe calls for ingredients such as rice, cinnamon, vanilla extract and more.
Chelsea Pujols | The Montclarion
Cooking Instructions
Step One:
Wash your rice. You can do this in the bowl part of the rice cooker to save time on doing the dishes later if the bowl on your rice cooker is detachable. If not, make someone else do the dishes for you! (Preferably an annoying little sibling.)
I recommend washing the rice three times to make sure all the extra starch is removed, but you can do it as many times as you’d like. To wash your rice, just rinse it in water and then strain it. By the third wash, the water should be somewhat clear.
Step Two:
Add 2-2 1/2 cups of water and 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks to your washed rice.
Step Three:
Put your bowl back into your rice cooker, turn it on, and set it to “cook.” This is your cue to watch some Tik Toks or read some of my other articles. (I highly recommend the second option.)
Let the dish cook in the rice cooker with the rest of the ingredients for 10-15 minutes.
Cheslea Pujols | The Montclarion
Step Four:
If your rice is not as cooked as you’d like it to be, you can add a little more water. After your rice is done cooking, add your cans of evaporated and condensed milk, and stir.
Your rice should not be completely dry yet, unless you like the wet cement vibe in your food. You can also add raisins, but I am a normal and sane human being, so I chose to omit them from the recipe altogether. You’re welcome.
When the rice is done cooking, stir in your evaporated and condensed milk.
Chelsea Pujols | The Montclarion
Step Five:
Add your vanilla extract to taste. I like a lot of vanilla, so I added two capfuls of it. Stir again to make sure all of your ingredients are fully incorporated and to get a nice arm workout. We multitask here at The Montclarion!
Step Six:
If your rice cooker doesn’t automatically go to the “warm” setting, turn it on and let those ingredients heat up for about 10-15 minutes. If you haven’t read my other articles already, now would be the time to do so.
Step Seven:
Eat the arroz con leche directly from the rice cooker bowl as you stand in your kitchen wondering what demon has possessed you to make arroz con leche in a rice cooker. I personally blame Christopher Colombus, not just for this unconventional creation, but for everything. If you know, you know.
Just kidding! (Maybe.) You can serve this arroz con leche or rice pudding in bowls or cute mugs if you’d like to be a bit more festive. You can then top it with a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon or if you’d really like to be basic: add some pumpkin pie spice. This can be eaten warm or can be refrigerated and it is entirely up to you, but if you added raisins, just throw it away. The whole thing. Yes, even the rice cooker.
This creamy arroz con leche will make you melt as you eat it bundled in your winter clothes.
Chelsea Pujols | The Montclarion
This recipe is perfect for giving your Latina mom a heart attack or impressing your white friends. My own Latina mom was personally very skeptical, giving me an “mhmm” when I told her I was genius for coming up with this idea, but we aren’t in the emergency room so I consider this a success.
Happy early sansgibing!
