One Pan Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole
This Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole is cooked in one pan and uses basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry and fridge. Ready in just 30 minutes, you will want to put this recipe into rotation!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 15oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained
- 1 15oz can corn kernels, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- Scallions and parsley or cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large lidded skillet, over medium high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Then, stir in the taco seasoning and continue cooking until the beef is browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and sauté until softened. Then, add the rice, tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn kernels and chicken broth. Give it a good stir and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir the butter and half of the cheese and top with the remaining half. Cover and continue cooking until the cheese has melted.
- Garnish with the herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutions:
Ground beef - You can use ground chicken, turkey or pork instead. Chorizo will also work! Veggies - Other vegetables, like diced carrots, can be used too. Black beans - Used whatever canned or cooked beans you have on hand. Rice - This recipe was developed using long grain rice. You can probably get away with using medium or short grain, but the texture of the dish might change. Don't use brown rice because that would require more liquid and cooking times would change. Cheese - Use whatever cheese you like that melts well. I always recommend grating/shredding your own cheese, but - for this dish - I like the convenience of buying the "Mexican Blend" pre-packaged shredded cheese.Leftovers:
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge, stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Just make sure you wait for the beef and rice casserole to cool down completely before refrigerating or freezing. Reheat refrigerated leftovers in the microwave.Freezing:
Freeze in an airtight container or tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in the oven, adding more broth if needed. You can top with more cheese to recreate the cheesy experience!Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 447kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 500mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g