Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to take a minute to honor a special vegetable that oftentimes gets overlooked. Known for its richness in nutrients and antioxidants, superb deliciousness, and Southern ties, let’s go ahead and celebrate with an Ode-to-Okra Bake. Woo-hoo! This dish gives the heart-healthy veggie the spotlight and adds in a few more tender veggies, fluffy rice, and Cajun seasoning to really make this a fun and tasty time. Who knew we were missing out on something so amazing?! Here’s to the Ode-to-Okra Bake… may we never again forget how yummy it is!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced, plus 2 cloves garlic, pressed, divided
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh okra, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 French bread slices, cut 1-inch-thick
- 2 (8.5-ounce) pouches microwavable basmati rice
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Use the extra butter to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until it is golden-brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the onion, the celery, the bell pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the minced garlic to the flour mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the tomatoes and their juices, the vegetable broth, the okra, the corn, the Cajun seasoning, and the black pepper to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 6 –Reduce the heat to medium and cook the okra mixture, stirring occasionally, until it has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Step 7 –In a small bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and the remaining pressed garlic and mix to combine.
Step 8 –Brush both sides of the French bread slices with the garlic-butter and place them on a baking sheet.
Step 9 –Bake the coated bread slices, flipping once, until they are lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side.
Step 10 –Place the toasted bread slices in a food processor and process until they are coarsely crumbled.
Step 11 –Microwave the rice pouches on high power, according to the package directions, until they are slightly undercooked, about 2 minutes.
Step 12 –Spoon the rice into the prepared baking dish and top with the okra mixture and the breadcrumbs.
Step 13 –Bake the okra bake until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 14 –Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the okra bake stand, about 10 minutes.
Step 15 –Serve.
