Creamy Cheese Rice

Week 398. Fall 2023. I am 40 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like cinnamon and falling leaves and this is my life. This is the life I built.

Tom made his trout on Friday, the way he does every Friday, and the fish was perfect, and the kitchen smelled like lemon and capers, and I sat at the table and ate fish that my partner caught and cooked and served, and the being-served is still a wonder after all these years.

Mason is 12 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 10 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made French onion soup this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

French onion soup was the centerpiece of the week, but honestly the whole table came together because of what surrounded it — the simple, warm things I made without thinking, the way I’ve made them for years. This creamy cheese rice is one of those dishes: nothing fancy, nothing that requires a plan, just butter and warmth and something that makes the whole kitchen smell like home. It’s the kind of side that holds a meal together the same way a week like this holds a life together — quietly, steadily, without asking for credit.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Simmer the rice. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken broth, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then stir in the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18–20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Add the cream cheese. Remove the pan from heat. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir gently, letting the residual heat melt it into the rice. Continue stirring until fully incorporated and creamy.
Stir in cheddar and sour cream. Add the shredded cheddar and sour cream and fold everything together until the cheese is melted and the rice is smooth and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Rest and serve. Let the rice rest uncovered for 2–3 minutes to thicken slightly. Spoon into a serving dish, garnish with chives or parsley if desired, and serve warm alongside your main dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Cheese Rice — The Thread That Connects Every Version of Me