Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole

Name: Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 cup Onion (diced); 1/2 cup Red bell pepper (diced); 3 cloves Garlic (minced); 1 lb Ground beef; 4 tbsp Tomato paste; 1 cup Rice (long grain, white); 2 1/4 cup Beef stock; 14 oz Corn; 14 oz Black beans; 1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded); 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese (shredded); 1 tbsp Chili powder; 1 tsp Oregano; 1 1/2 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Coriander; 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Kosher salt; 1/2 tsp Black pepper

This Mexican ground beef and rice casserole is a testament to how simple, affordable ingredients can come together to make a fabulous-tasting dish that will feed the family without breaking your wallet.

Mexican ground beef with rice with a serving on a dark plate.

Why You Will Love The Recipe

In just a few words: easy, fast, delicious, affordable. With food prices continuing to creep up, sometimes it’s important to find dishes that still deliver big flavor without breaking the bank. This is one of them.

You get spice-infused beef and rice, cheesy, melty goodness, wonderful pops of sweetness from the corn, the creaminess from the black beans, and a slight hint of heat. This dish hits all the right notes with all the flavors and all the textures.

This fabulous dish also sits on your table in less than an hour, which makes it a great recipe for weekday dinners without too much fuss.

And … if you have leftovers. Well, if you were to ask me if I wrapped some in a tortilla or perhaps used it as a tip with some chips, I wouldn’t lie to you. YES! And it was awesome! 🙂

If you’re kicking around some other Latin-flavored casserole dishes, take a look at our Frito Pie Casserole Recipe or perhaps our Chile Relleno Casserole. Those were pretty darn tasty as well.

Ingredients Needed

Nothing of the ordinary here. Now, we do use our own spices to make this dish. As a timesaver/option, you could use a packet of Taco seasoning mix. We do suggest, though, to use the spices. It’s better! 🙂

How To Make Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole

Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for approximately two minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up into smaller pieces.

Ground beef added to onions and red bell pepper in a skillet.

Continue to cook the ground beef until it’s almost done. Add the garlic and continue to cook until pink no longer remains. When the ground beef is done, add all the spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for one minute, combining well with a spatula.

Adding garlic to ground beef, red bell peppers, and onion in a skillet.

Add the broth and mix. Then add the rice, black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and chiles. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and tender. Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl. Remove the lid and add half the mixed cheese. Mix to combine. Smooth the top and add the remaining cheese. Cover for about a minute to melt the cheese.

Multiple ingredients being added to the Mexican ground beef mixture.

Adding cheese to the Mexican ground beef mixture.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately (or let it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow it to thicken up even more). Optionally, garnish with your favorites!

Mexican ground beef casserole with rice on a dark plate.

This dish delivers great textures and flavors while saving you a bit of coin feeding the family. It also is a great dish to ‘make ahead’ so you can have one sitting in the fridge or freezer, ready to pull out at a moment’s notice. This Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole recipe is a keeper!

Tips

Perfectly cooked rice within a casserole can be tricky, as it might not be quite done or mushy. Ensure you bring the mixture to a simmer before lowering the heat and covering it. This will allow the rice to cook evenly in the broth, absorbing all the spices and juices from the ground beef.

Use fresh garnishes on this casserole. Cilantro, jalapeno, green onions, radish, and sour cream make this dish sing!

You can serve this dish immediately, but allowing it to rest for 5-10 minutes allows the flavors to meld together. This will also thicken the dish a bit more, making for a more texturally pleasing bite.

Variations

For a vegetarian version of this dish, substitute ground beef for crumbled tofu or another plant-based alternative.

You can change the heat level on this dish in so many ways. Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper and some diced jalapenos into the mix if you want more fire.

This recipe used a mixture of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses. By all means, play around with the cheese. If you want a more stringy, stretchy cheese party, throw in some mozzarella. Cotija cheese will also bring a more authentic and amazing Mexican flavor.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?

Sure can. Prepare the dish up to the point before you add the final layer of cheese. Allow it to cool, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

Yes! Follow the steps for making this dish ahead of time (see above). Instead of refrigerating, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze. When you’re ready, thaw in the fridge overnight then bake until the casserole is heated through.

Can this dish be made healthier?

You could use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. You can also use brown rice vs white rice. Adding spinach or zucchini is a nice way of adding additional nutrients. Low-fat cheese will further reduce the calories. Any and all of these suggestions will make the dish healthier in some form or fashion.

Other Delicious Latin-Inspired Recipes

Borracha beans (drunken beans) in a dark bowl.

Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Chicken tortilla soup prepared on the stovetop

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe On The Stove Top

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