Perfect Brown Rice

Brown rice isn't bad if it is cooked right, and besides it is better for you! However, it is a pain.  In all my years of cooking I have NEVER perfected it on the stovetop.  It always ends up a big too crunchy for my liking.  But several years ago I found a recipe for brown rice that you bake in the oven. The bonus?  It works EVERY time.  I have never had it fail (unless I failed to follow the directions).  But there is one tiny problem with this recipe.  It takes an hour to cook.  Who has that kind of time?  I don't!  So I solved the problem by doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling this recipe.  I bake all the rice at once and then freeze it in the portion size that I want.  Freezing the rice doesn't change its consistency at all.  Because it is brown rice it hold up well.  So here is this simple, but wonderful recipe...

Foolproof Oven-Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. butter or oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 375 and move a rack to the middle position.  Spread the rice into an 8 inch square glass (or stoneware) baking dish.  You can use a 9 by 13 pan if you are doubling the recipe.  In a saucepan on the stove, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil.  Once it boils, pour it over the rice.  Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil.  Bake for one hour until tender.  Remove from the over and uncover.  Fluff the rice with a fork.  You can serve immediately or once it completely cools package it and freeze it.