Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Mexican Rice Casserole

I was in the mood for a Mexican-inspired, rice-based casserole. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 small onions
3 cloves garlic
2 cups brown rice
1 box of Campbell's concentrated beef broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup black beans 
1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper

Toppings:
sour cream
cilantro
green onions
tomatoes
avocado with lime
salsa or pico de gallo

Directions:
Fry up the ground beef as per usual. Add finely chopped onion and garlic towards the end of the frying process. Lightly salt.

While waiting for the beef, rinse the brown rice thoroughly.

Layer a 9x13 pan:
ground beef mixture
rinsed brown rice (lightly salt it)
pour the beef broth (I used 1 1/2 cups total) over the rice
add the full can of crushed tomatoes
sprinkle black beans and corn on top (lightly salt again)
add any other vegetables you prefer at this point

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until rice is done. I needed about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Remove foil, top with shredded cheese. Broil.

Add toppings to taste.

Notes:
This can be made in a Dutch Oven as a one-pot meal.