140.2…Mexican Rice Casserole
I know I’ve mentioned it before but I love casseroles. I love putting a bunch of ingredients in one dish and baking it. I love that when the dish is baking away in the oven, I can wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen so that after we eat, all the work is done.
Last night was one of the magical casserole nights. I prepared all the ingredients, popped them in the casserole dish and dinner was done.
And it was Mexican food so my husband was thrilled. And it tasted good to boot. Kudos to me.
Mexican Rice Casserole (Serves 6)
Slightly adapted from For The Love Of Cooking
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of dry white rice, then prepare per instructions
1 tsp of olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
2 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 fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz tomato sauce 8 oz salsa
3-4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (divided)
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 tomatoes, sliced thickly
Sour cream (topping)
Salsa (topping)
Guacamole (topping)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions.
While the rice is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes then add the diced onion and all of the seasonings. Stir until well combined and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the onion is tender. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for an additional 60 seconds. Add the cooked rice, drained and rinsed black beans, tomato sauce and a bit of cilantro (reserving some for garnishing) to the beef and onion mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, taste and re-season if needed.
Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour the rice mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly. Place the tomato slices on top of the rice mixture then top with cheddar cheese.
Spray a piece of tin foil with cooking spray (so the cheese won't stick) and cover the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Top with a dollop of sour cream and the remaining chopped cilantro.
Good thing we liked it. There was a ton of it left!
Breakfast this morning was pineapple Chobani yogurt, Coconut-Sour Cherry Granola and strawberries.
After taking the kids to school I went to Cardio Muscle class. I will be sore for sure. Love that feeling!
After my workout I met Dina at Starbucks for a quick coffee before running a bunch of errands.
Lunch was fish tacos at Wahoo’s.
Tonight is looking like leftovers from last night’s dinner since it made so much. I’m not mad about it. It was really good. Here’s to hoping it reheats well!
Do you have a certain day set aside for running errands? Monday is my favorite day to go!
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