When it comes to weeknight dinners, it can be hard to come up with tasty ideas for a full meal…you’ve either got ideas for the entrées, but not the sides, or vice versa. Here, we’ve got an amazing, creamy, nutrient-packed side dish that will have everyone reaching for seconds. Instead of making rice by itself – butter and salt can do a lot for rice, but we’re taking it even further with this recipe – we’re adding lots of spinach and tons of flavor. It doesn’t get better than this!

Taking barely any longer than it takes to make rice as your normally would, we start by toasting the rice and garlic to give it a little extra flavor. Add the onions and water and cook as you typically would (pretty easy so far, right?), then at the end stir in your cheese, spinach and heavy cream.

The rice goes from bland to amazing in a matter of minutes, with deliciously melted cheese and creaminess for days. This side dish is, without a doubt, a new favorite and we know we’ll be making it often in the weeks to come!