Rice Bake

Ingredients

• 100 g long-grain rice
• 300 ml pint water
• salt and pepper
• 225 g cooked ham, diced
• 4 hard- boiled eggs, chopped
• 225 g Cheddar cheese, diced
• bunch of parsley, chopped

The White Sauce :

• 50 g butter or margarine
• 50 g plain flour
• 600 ml milk
• salt and pepper

Cooking Process

1. Cook the rice as normal.
2. Mix together the ham , eggs , cheddar , parsley and seasoning , reserving a little parsley to garnish.
3. For the white sauce , melt the butter or margarine over a low heat.
4. Add the flour , cook for 2 minutes , stirring constantly , then gradually add the milk and stir until the sauce boil and thickens.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Add the seasoning.
6. Pour some of the sauce into a baking dish , followed by a layer of ham mixture , then a layer of rice. Continue layering in this fashion until all the ingredients are used up. Finish with a layer of sauce .
7. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 30 minutes until golden .
8. Garnish with the reserved parsley , and serve hot with a green salad.

Bon Apetite!