Cheesy Beef And Rice Delight (Printable Version)
Savory ground beef, fluffy rice, and gooey cheese baked to golden perfection for a comforting family meal.
# What You'll 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 nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned, breaking it apart with a spoon into crumbles. 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 white rice, frozen corn if using, paprika, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt. Continue cooking for 1 minute to toast the rice and bloom the spices.
05 - Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the beef broth. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. 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 into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese uniformly over the top.
08 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden and the rice is tender.
09 - Remove the casserole from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes to allow the layers to set before scooping and serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- Everything cooks in one skillet before baking, which means you are not stuck washing a mountain of dishes after dinner.
- Uncooked rice absorbs the broth and tomato juices right in the oven, so every grain is packed with savory flavor instead of tasting like an afterthought.
- The sour cream stirred in at the end makes the filling impossibly creamy without needing a separate sauce.
02 -
- Do not skip the foil cover during the first 25 minutes, because the rice needs that trapped steam to cook properly and will stay crunchy without it.
- Take the casserole out of the oven the moment the rice feels tender, because the residual heat will continue cooking it and overdone rice turns mushy quickly.
03 -
- Let the skillet mixture cool for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring in the sour cream, because adding it while the mixture is at a full boil can cause the dairy to separate and look grainy.
- Press the rice down gently into the liquid in the baking dish before topping with cheese, because any rice sitting above the liquid line will not cook through and will have an unpleasant crunch.