Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole

Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole

from spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com
45 min
7 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 white onion, (diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1 pound ground beef, (lean or extra-lean )
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 envelope taco seasoning ((2 tablespoons))
  • 1 (14-ounce) jar chunky salsa, (mild or medium)
  • 1 cup minute rice, (uncooked)
  • 11/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, (divided)

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 375F°F.

  2. 2

    Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.

  3. 3

    In a large frying pan, cook white onion and garlic with olive oil over high heat until the onions have softened and the garlic is just starting to brown. Pour the onion mixture into the prepared baking dish.

  4. 4

    Using the same frying pan, cook ground beef over high heat. Break up beef into crumbles while baking. Be careful not to overcook, it shouldn’t be crispy.

  5. 5

    Once the meat has thoroughly cooked, drain off a bit of the grease and then pour it into the baking dish.

  6. 6

    Add corn, black beans, taco seasoning, salsa, uncooked minute rice, and 1 cup of shredded cheese to the baking dish and stir well to mix. Leave the remaining cheese for the top.

  7. 7

    Pour chicken broth over ingredients and mix well.

  8. 8

    Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

  9. 9

    Remove from the oven and check that the rice has softened. If not, place it back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes and check again. If the rice has softened, remove all foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over top of the casserole, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

  10. 10

    Serve hot.