Cheesy Beef and Rice Delight (Print Page)
One-dish bake of ground beef, rice, tomatoes and cheddar, ready in about an hour.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
→ Grains
06 - 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
→ Liquids
07 - 2 cups beef broth
08 - 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
→ Dairy
09 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 - 1/2 cup sour cream
→ Spices and Seasonings
11 - 1 tsp paprika
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
14 - 1 tsp salt, adjusted to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned, breaking it apart into crumbles as it cooks. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
03 - Add the chopped onion, diced bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet with the beef. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
04 - Stir in the uncooked rice, frozen corn if using, paprika, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, allowing the seasonings to bloom and coat the grains evenly.
05 - Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the beef broth. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
06 - Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and the sour cream until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
07 - Transfer the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese uniformly across the top.
08 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the liquid and cook through.
09 - Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese topping is bubbly, golden, and the rice is fully tender.
10 - Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving to allow the layers to set and the flavors to meld.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It uses uncooked rice that absorbs all the savory broth and tomato juices right in the oven, so every bite is infused with flavor.
- The sour cream folded into the filling makes it impossibly creamy without needing a separate sauce.
- One skillet and one baking dish mean cleanup is almost nonexistent.
02 -
- Resist the urge to peek by removing the foil early because the rice needs that sealed steam environment to cook through properly.
- If your casserole seems soupy after the full bake time, cover it again and give it five more minutes since oven temperatures can vary widely.
03 -
- Shred the cheese yourself from a block rather than using pre shredded bags because the anti caking agents on packaged cheese prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Letting the casserole rest those five minutes is not optional because it is the difference between a neat scoop and a soupy mess on the plate.