My grandmother first served this decadent rice dish at a church potluck twenty years ago, and it’s been our family’s most requested side ever since. What makes this humble rice extraordinary is how the butter slowly melts into every grain, creating an unbelievably rich texture while the French onion soup infuses it with deep, savory flavor. With just five ingredients and minimal hands-on time, this recipe delivers maximum flavor with minimum effort.
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Why This Is The Recipe You Will Reach For
The science behind this dish is beautifully simple: as the rice cooks, it absorbs the flavorful liquid from the soups while the butter melts and distributes throughout. The covered baking period allows the rice to steam perfectly, while removing the foil for the final cooking creates a delightfully crisp top layer. This dual cooking method ensures perfectly cooked rice with exceptional flavor distribution.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Long grain white rice – Forms the foundation of the dish, cooking up fluffy and separate
- French onion soup (condensed) – Provides deep savory flavor and caramelized onion notes
- Beef consommé – Adds rich umami depth that enhances the overall flavor profile
- Worcestershire sauce – Introduces a subtle tang and complexity that balances the richness
- Butter (1 stick) – Creates incredible richness and helps the rice achieve its signature texture.
How to Make Stick of Butter Rice AKA Church Lady Rice
- Place rice, French onion soup, consommé, and Worcestershire sauce in a baking dish.
- Cut a stick of butter into slices and place them on the rice.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Irresistible Stick of Butter Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 10 ounces condensed French Onion soup 1 can
- 10 ounces beef consommé 1 can
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 ounces butter thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place 1 cup of rice, 1 can French Onion soup, 1 can beef consommé, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce in an 8 x 8-inch or 1-quart baking dish.
- Cut 1 stick of butter into about 9 thin slices and place the slices over the rice.
- Cover the dish with foil.
- Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
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Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
Thanks to all of you great cooks who sent in some interesting variations.
- With canned mushrooms – Use 1 can French onion soup or beef consommé and 1 can mushroom stems and pieces (do not drain).
- With mushroom soup and cheese – Substitute the French onion soup for a can of golden mushroom soup and a small can of onions. When almost done, grate cheddar cheese on top and return to oven.
- With pork chops – Place browned pork chops on top before baking. This gives you a wonderful one-pot meal. The French onion flavor in the pork chops is great. No need to add the butter as the fat from the pork chops will substitute.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Freezer: Freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 2 months
- Reheating: Microwave with 1 tablespoon of water per cup of rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through
Scaling the Recipe
- Half batch: Use an 8×8-inch dish and reduce cooking time to 35 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered
- Double batch: Use a larger baking dish and increase cooking time by approximately 15 minutes. Consider using 3/4 stick of butter instead of doubling it
More cooking tips for Stick of Butter Rice
- Want to make double the recipe? You may not need to double the time, but I would plan on adding 10 to 20% more time. You may also choose not to double up on the butter.
- Want to use brown rice? You will need to cook it much longer unless it is par-boiled brown rice. I would plan on cooking it twice as long.
- Can’t find condensed French onion soup? I think that regular French onion soup would work well.
- Want to cut down on salt? Swap out the beef consommé for 2 packets of sodium-free beef bouillon.
Looking for easy rice dishes? Check out these recipes
- How to Make Cajun Rice
- Red Beans and Rice Recipe
- Japanese Garlic Butter Fried Rice
- Homemade Rice Pilaf
- Cheese Risotto Instant Pot
- Chipotle Mexican Grill Cilantro Lime Rice
- Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
- Spanish Rice
- How to Make Pork Chops and Rice
- Italian Rice Balls with Meat
Serve Stick of Butter Rice with these main dishes
Be sure to take a look at more of my easy side dish recipes and the best budget-friendly meals.
I don’t have any French onion soup, just 1 can of consommé. I do have beef broth and cream of mushroom soup. Any suggestions on variations or substitutes, please. Thank you.
I would suggest that you use two clear soups. I would not use a cream of soup. I would use the consomme and the beef broth, and if you have a package of the lipton french onion soup mix, I would add that. Since I haven’t messed with the recipe any more than this, I can’t offer any additional suggestions. I hope you this works for you.
Thank you, I’ll give it a try that way. I’m sure it will be delicious. Thank you.
I make this with one cup of white rice, one can of consomme and 1 can of french onion. I only put in a few pats of butter, and I bake it in a pyrex dish at 400 with the lid on for 30 mins, then I take the lid off for another 30. When I take it out of the oven, I put the lid back on and the steam softens any dried particles. It is really good, thank you Stephanie.
I am glad you liked this, whenever I serve this, the dish never comes back empty!
This is a staple dish at holidays for my family. However, I actually brown my rice in a skillet and pour it and all the butter in a casserole dish, add 1 can of French onion soup and a can of beef broth and always add the mushroom of choice. I typically use button and baby portobello. I bake @350 for 1 hour.
My question – can this be prepared days in advanced and baked later
I personally would cook the dish fully and then reheat it. I am not sure how the liquid would soak into the rice before cooking. I may have interpreted your question incorrectly.
This recipe is a variation from a 1970s (or maybe earlier) recipe that I’ve had since then. We called it “Church Lady Rice”…LOL… The original recipe calls for 1 cup of uncooked white rice (I use Comet), 2 cans Campbell’s Beef Consommee soup, 1 onion, and 1 stick of margarine or unsalted butter. Chop the onion and saute it in the margarine or butter in a saucepan just until the onion begins to brown a bit. Put the cup of rice into an 8 x 8 square casserole dish (I love my Corningware) and pour in the 2 cans of soup. Then, pour the sauteed onions and butter mixture into the casserole dish. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for one hour. Whenever we had a luncheon at our family practice clinic, my co-workers would beg me to bring this dish, and I was always happy to. Sometimes, I added mushrooms — they’re good in it, too. There was never any left!
Yes! I would always do it this way, although I would add bell pepper, celery to the onion, and include worchestershire sauce and a few dashes of hot sauce.
I don’t have beef consomme, should I replace wit beef boullion oe au jus?
It would well with au jus. Beef bullion might be a little salty.
I make it with 1 stick butter, 1 can French onion soup, 1 8 oz.. can mushrooms stems & pieces (do not drain), 1 cup long grain rice, 1 beef bouillon cube! Cover & bake 350° 1-11/2 hrs. Delicious!
That sounds great too!
Thanks for sharing I had this once at a potluck dinner and I wondered how it was made.
What do you like to serve this with?
My Mom used to make this, the only difference was she used 1 can of Beef consomme Soup and one can of beef bouillon Soup One large can of sliced mushrooms stems and pieces And the stick of butter. I am so glad that you posted it because I have forgotten about this recipe now I’m going to try it your way With adding the French onion soup and the Worcestershire sauce
If you double the recipe would you double the amount of time to cook?
You may not need to double the time, but I would plan on adding 10 to 20% more time.
I always double the recipe and I never double the time… it gets done in the same amount of time. That is using white rice… if you use brown rice then double the time. It takes a lot longer to cook with brown rice.
I made just as directed and loved it, in the future will double or triple it and I think it will do fine!!!
I used to make this a few times a month until I tired of the fact that this recipe is “hit or miss” for me. I never know if the rice will turn out crunchy or soft. Do you have any ideas of what I can try to remedy this? I thought about possibly adding water??? Maybe leaving it covered during the entire hour of baking time??? Possibly cooking it in a rice cooker, and if so how to adapt the recipe to allow for this??? Any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I do this recipe in the microwave but with instant rice. Do everything the same, just use instant rice. 10 minutes in microwave, then stir it up. Then 8 more minutes. Stir once more and done. May want to only do 5 more minutes and check on it incase you’re microwave is a higher power.
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If I use brown rice are there any adjustments I need to make?
You will need to cook it much longer, unless it is par boiled rice I would plan on cooking it 2X longer.
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