I almost feel silly posting a recipe for plain rice, but this method seriously changed my life. It's absolutely foolproof, and it comes out perfect every time. I haven't bothered to cook rice on the stovetop once since I tried it in the oven, nor have I pulled out my rice cooker. I can't believe I ever felt compelled to purchase a rice cooker, anyway. I think I just wanted it because it was cute and red and on sale at Target.
If there was ever a doubt, Alton Brown proved his genius here. I altered the quantities in his recipe a little bit, but it's largely just copied from the Food Network web site.
Baked Brown Rice
Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe
1 1/2 cups brown rice (any variety)
2 1/3 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tsp. olive oil (try sesame oil instead!)
1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using salty broth)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bring water to a boil on the stove. Combine rice, oil, and salt in an 8" oven-safe dish. Pour boiling water into the dish, stir, and cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour.
I usually double the recipe and freeze some of it in individual portions. It makes meal prep really easy when I'm short on time (which is basically always).
