Leftovers are great, but sometimes they just don’t taste as good the next day.

And that’s how I “invented” this amazing coconut and brown rice pudding. And because I really like alternative ideas for breakfast, it’s been dubbed a breakfast pudding!

It’s really perfect for breakfast, because it’s made from breakfast-y ingredients – like eggs and milk and coconut, which I think goes with just about everything.

Of course, you don’t have to use only leftover brown rice. But if you do have some cooked brown rice sitting in the fridge, this is the perfect way to use it the next day.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice. If you don’t have 2 cups worth of brown rice, that’s fine, just adjust the amount of milk you’re using.
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup organic milk (or less if you have less rice)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla flavoring
• Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut — or more if you like coconut as much as I do!
• Brown sugar for the topping
• Optional extras to mix in: raisins, goji berries or slivered almonds

1. Put your cooked brown rice in a baking dish, and fork it around to separate the grains.

PAN SIZES: I use either a one-quart size one or an 8×8 glass dish. The difference is that in the one-quart size, your pudding is taller and takes longer to cook. (If you have the extra time, the one-quart taller one tastes even better.)

2. Beat the eggs and pour over the rice.

3. Stir in the milk, vanilla and coconut and mix everything well. The mixture should be creamy and not “soupy.” If it looks a bit too loose, add more coconut to the mix.

4. Top with brown sugar and cinnamon and a sprinkle of coconut.

Bake at 375 till the pudding is set and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. For the taller, one-quart dish, it should take around 50 minutes, for the 8×8 pan, around 30 minutes.

Serve warm topped with some pure maple syrup. And enjoy!