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Mexican Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

A big, cheesy pot of ground beef, rice, black beans, corn and peppers simmered in a Mexican-spiced tomato sauce. A hearty one-pot dinner ready in 30 minutes.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keyword: ground beef and rice casserole, mexican beef and rice, one pot beef and rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 5 generous servings
Calories: 701kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot with lid

Ingredients

Casserole

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 lb lean ground beef 500 g
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1 1/4 cups long grain white rice uncooked (see Note 1)
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 625 ml
  • 14 oz can corn kernels 400 g, drained (see Note 2)
  • 14 oz can black beans 400 g, drained (or other beans)
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup green onions sliced, divided
  • 2 cups shredded cheese 200 g, any melting cheese, divided

Mexican Spices

  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper see Note 3
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • 3 tsp ground coriander
  • 3 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until there's no raw meat left, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the Mexican spices and cook for 30 seconds, then add the bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and broth, then add the rice, corn and black beans.
  • Stir, bring to a simmer, then cover and turn the heat to medium-low so it bubbles gently. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Take off the lid and quickly stir in most of the green onions and half the cheese. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
  • Cover for 1 minute to melt the cheese, then take off the heat and serve straight away, topped with the remaining green onions.

Notes

  1. Rice: Works best with long grain white rice. Medium or short grain white, jasmine or basmati also work. It won't work as written with brown rice, wild rice, risotto or paella rice, or quinoa.
  2. Corn: 1 3/4 cups frozen corn can replace the can.
  3. Spice level: The cayenne is barely noticeable across all that rice. Increase it or leave it out to taste.
  4. Cheese: Anything that melts: cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Colby. Halve the cheese to lighten it (but don't skip it).
  5. Leftovers: Keep for 3 days in the fridge; reheat in the microwave.
  6. Nutrition: Estimated per (generous, about 2-cup) serving from the ingredients, using cheddar.

Nutrition

Serving: 460g | Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 65.8g | Protein: 40.4g | Fat: 30.6g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1344mg | Potassium: 1113mg | Fiber: 8.2g | Sugar: 7.8g
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