Spanish Rice Bake

Every Saturday since May I've been visiting the local farmer's market. Surprisingly, my favorite find is a local farm selling grass-fed beef. At minimally higher price than I'd pay at the supermarket for much poorer quality of meat, I can have fresh, healthy, Virginia beef. So all of a sudden I'm inspired to cook more meat. (I usually shy away from red meat dishes- I have a hard time with industrial beef- it's just not that good for you.) So far I've only purchased their ground beef, but I love it! It looks and tastes so much better. I'm already dreading saying goodbye to my farmer friends at the end of summer. I'll have to stock up and fill my freezer come fall if I want beef to last me through the winter.


This dish is true comfort food. Easy to prepare and satisfying to serve. You have flexibility with how much beef you want to add. In an effort to be less carnivorous, I usually only use half a pound and I don't miss the extra meat. I'm sure this Spanish Rice Bake will become tradition in my future family (children are somewhere in our horizon). Sure to please kids and husbands alike.

INGREDIENTS

1/2-1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup brown rice (Cook according to package directions)

1/2 cup chile sauce or prepared salsa

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

pinch ground black pepper

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Brown the ground beef along with the onions, bell pepper, and garlic in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and return to the stove top over medium low heat. Stir in the tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce/salsa, salt, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

3. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked. Transport to a 9x9 pan or casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese.

4. Bake at 375 F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)