Creamy and Dreamy Rice Pudding

I had a yen the other night for rice pudding, so I searched online for a recipe. My criteria was that it had to be easy and quick, and I had to have all the ingredients on hand, 'cause I wasn't up to going to the store. This recipe was the clear winner.

I had everything I needed: I bought the Arborio rice awhile back with the intention of making risotto, but I haven't tried that yet. And I always have cinnamon and vanilla extract on hand. (Notice everything is from Trader Joe's. Love that store!)

It was super easy to make. Just prepare the rice with water, butter and a dash of salt. Then combine it with milk (the recipe called for whole milk, but I used 1 percent and it was fine), sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. (If I'd had any raisins in the pantry, I would have put some in.)

One problem, though, was that Bitsy kept distracting me, wanting to play with her ball, and I let the milk boil over. Twice. Really gotta watch that. It made a bit of a mess, and the smell of burned milk stunk up the house, but it wasn't a disaster.

I halved the recipe since I wasn't sure if Erik would want any and I didn't want to get stuck with too much. Not that I would let any of it go to waste!

It came out pretty good. I'm sure it will be even better the next time I make it—I always get better with practice!

I topped it with a little extra cinnamon. Whipped cream would have been good too, but I didn't have enough cream on hand.

What I love about rice pudding—aside from the sweet, creamy goodness—is it's versatility. It can be served warm or cold, for breakfast or dessert, with raisins or without. Simply perfect.

Do you have a favorite way to prepare rice pudding? Or another quick and easy dish that you'd like to share?