How to Steam Broccoli in a Rice Cooker

I recently was asked if I wanted to try the 4-20 Cup Rice and Hot Cereal Cooker from Hamilton Beach.  Naturally, I said, “Yes,” especially after I heard that I could make Shrimp and Grits in it!  I love to try new products and my husband had been telling me for a while that he wanted a rice cooker.  (Yes, this is a sponsored post.  However, the thoughts in this post are my own, as are the grammatical mistakes.)

So I got this pretty little, lightweight rice cooker and did what I typically do – I tried to make rice without thoroughly reading the directions.  (It might have been that I didn’t take a nap that day.)  Let’s just say, please read the directions before you make rice.  Also, don’t try to cook the rice in the steamer basket.  ‘Nough said.

After a little bit of trial and error, I figured out how to steam fresh broccoli.  Yea!  It is right in line with my goal of trying to increase my daily consumption of fruits and veggies.  (We need 9 servings per day.  NINE!)

Overcooked broccoli is not good broccoli.  Broccoli should be bright green once it has been cooked and still have a good texture.

How to Cook Broccoli in a Rice Cooker

Here’s how to do it.  These are really simple instructions.  Ready?  Add 2 cups of water into the cooking pot of the rice cooker.  Rinse broccoli florets (crowns) and place them in the nifty little steamer basket.  (You can use the basket as a colander, if you’d like.)

Put the colander into the rice cooker.

Place the cover on top, plug in the rice cooker, and push the STEAM COOK button and hold it until it hits the 3 minute mark.  Release the button and let it work for you.

Though it takes just 3 minutes to steam, it takes several minutes for the cooker to heat up to the right temperature.  So if you are planning on having steamed broccoli or any other steamed item for dinner, you need to be sure to allow for the rice cooker to “preheat.”

Season with a little salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Overall, using the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

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Some of the nice features of the 4-20 Cup Rice and Hot Cereal Cooker are:

• There’s no need to watch the pot.
• You can cook rice, steam vegetables, make soup, bake a cake, make maccaroni and cheese, cook grains, and so much more.
• It will keep your rice, soup, etc. warm once the cooking phase is complete.
• It cooks all varieties of white rice, including short- and long-grain rice.
• It’s great for oatmeal, grits, and cream of wheat.

I made the Lentil Soup for Rice Cooker recipe that is on the Hamilton Beach website.  It was easy to make and pretty hearty.

I also made the Pumpkin Spice Cake for Rice Cooker recipe.  The batter itself was quite good, but once it cooked – and it took longer in my rice cooker than what the directions stated – it came out a little rubbery. I suspect the rice cooker would be a great way to make a pudding cake.  You know, the kind with a layer of warm pudding beneath the cake layer.

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