Rainbow Rice & Egg Mini-Cake Box

Ingredients

Rice cakes

• 2½ cups (400 g) cooked white rice, fully chilled
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup (70 g) frozen peas
• 1 medium carrot (80 g), peeled and finely grated
• ½ cup (60 g) shredded mild cheddar
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp olive oil, for greasing 16 muffin wells

Dip and side

• ½ cup (115 g) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 large oranges, peeled, with membranes and seeds removed as needed

Equipment

Two standard muffin pans or one pan used in batches, mixing bowl, instant-read thermometer

Allergens and ingredient notes: Egg, milk. Choose portion and food cut sizes to suit the child’s eating skills.

Step by step

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 16 standard muffin wells with the olive oil. Cook peas according to their package, drain, and cool briefly. Use rice that was refrigerated promptly after cooking, never rice left out overnight.
2. Whisk eggs with garlic powder. Fold in cold rice, cooked peas, finely grated carrot, and cheddar. Break up rice clumps so the egg coats the grains evenly.
3. Divide among 16 wells, about ¼ cup each, and press gently. Bake 18–22 minutes, until set, lightly golden, and at least 160°F (71°C) in the center. Rest in the pans 10 minutes before loosening.
4. Mix yogurt with lemon juice. Refrigerate cakes promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours; keep the dip cold. Divide the oranges into suitable bite-size segments.
5. Pack 4 chilled cakes per box, with one quarter of the dip in a leakproof cup and one quarter of the prepared orange in a separate compartment.

The Devotti twist: Cooked rice becomes a tender little cake rather than a loose side, with cheddar binding the colorful vegetables into each bite.

How to pack

Pack cakes fully chilled and keep yogurt and orange away from them in separate sealed cups. Eat cold with a fork or fingers as appropriate. Use a chilled rice base that is still within its original storage limit.

Swaps and preferences

For fewer visible colors, replace peas with the same weight of well-drained cooked sweetcorn. Leave the dip plain by omitting lemon. For a dairy-free version, use suitable cheese and yogurt alternatives; the egg remains necessary for binding.

For cold lunches, pack fully chilled perishable food in an insulated bag with at least two cold sources. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and refrigerate on arrival when possible. Discard perishables left out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate within 2 hours and use the assembled components within 2 days, or within the rice’s original safe storage limit if sooner. Reheat cakes to 165°F (74°C) if serving hot. Timing assumes already-cooked rice.