Mexican Rice Casserole

Once again, I hit the jack pot on one of my favorite recipe blogs, For the Love of Cooking.  I made a few tweaks here and there, and in the end this dish got a thumbs up.

OK, catch your breath.  It looks like a ton of ingredients, but mostly they are just spices.

Mexican Rice Casserole
by www.trainermomma.com
adapted from For the Love of Cooking

1 1/2  cups brown rice, prepare per instructions
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced (or a few Tb of onion powder)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
3-4 Tb fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, reduced-fat (I mixed some Monterey Jack in there, too)
3-4 tomatoes, sliced thickly

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare rice according to instructions.

In a large skillet (I mean large!)  over medium high heat, brown ground beef.  Cook beef for about 4 minutes then add the onion and all of the seasonings.  Stir until well combined for about 8-10 more minutes until onion is tender and meat is done.  Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.

To the beef and onion mixture, add the cooked rice, black beans, tomato sauce, and some cilantro (save the rest for garnishing).  Mix ingredients thoroughly.

Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour the meat/rice mixture into the dish and spread it evenly.  Place the tomato slices on top and cover with cheddar cheese (I left a section without the tomatoes for those - ahem, the Doc - who won't eat cooked tomatoes).

Spray a piece of tin foil with cooking spray (to avoid the cheese sticking to it) and cover the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.  Remove tin foil.  Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Remove from oven and top with remaining cilantro.  Let it sit for a few minutes, then slice it up.

Add a little salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, or guac and WHOA.  You are in the dinero, senorita!

Makes 12 servings.  222 calories per serving.

Find a printable version of this recipe here.

Like this?  Want more?  Subscribe to Trainer Momma's RSS feed by clicking here.  Thanks!