Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole

Sooooo I teased this crazy delicious one-pot meal a while back on my insta stories, and it got pushed back by my granola week - sorry for those who have been asking! 

It's worth the wait, though. I'm just telling ya. 

I can't say enough about this Mexican rice and beef casserole! Soft rice, rich beef, southwestern flair from the corn and beans, melty cheese, and topped off with all my favorite fixings. This dinner is sure to become something you'll want to make again and again, that's for sure! 

Life lately has been settling down a bit. After we moved, I felt like a chicken running with my head cut off all the time. And it was frustrating because I try my best to keep things at least somewhat organized. Our schedules are settling in a bit better, and life feels like I'm not strapped down to obligation after obligation every ten seconds. 

One thing that I did try to do was make some goals for the blog this year. All of them are going mostly according to plan - I'm not perfect, but I'm really proud of the little things I've tried to do to improve my blogging experience for you! My next project is getting this blog of mine updated. It has been a long process, and is still kicking me right in the trash, but I promise this year we'll get the blog updated for you guys. The recipes will keep coming, so hang in there, friends! 

This casserole is a game-changer. You can customize the heck out of it, if you'd like. But this way you see here is allll my favorite ways to doll it up, so I thought I'd pull out all the flavor stops for you I possibly could. 

First, you start off with the base: ground beef (you could do ground turkey or ground chicken here if you'd like), rice, onions, garlic, and then some corn and beans. It simmers away in a clear broth until the rice cooks right in the pan with all those flavors. 

Awesome, right?! 

Then comes the toppings. Oh my goodness, these toppings are my life. 

Melty cheese. We've tried this with the traditional cheddar, Monterrey, etc, and those have worked great, but I think this would be AWESOME with pepper jack. 

Okay, I think everything is awesome with pepper jack, so maybe my opinion is a little biased. 

Still, pepper jack all the things, my friends. 

After all that melty cheese, layer on the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and my favorite: 

GUAC the heck out of this casserole. 

Dinner is served, my friends. 

Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole

makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package taco seasoning 

1 cup white rice

1 cup chicken (or beef) broth

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 10oz can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies (mild)

1 cup corn kernels

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice (1 lime)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup guacamole

1 plum tomato, diced

2 green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 

method:

1. Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium high heat (one with a fitting lid). Add ground beef and onion. Cook until onions are translucent, then toss in the garlic. When the beef is cooked through, toss in the garlic and saute until fragrant. 

2. Stir in taco seasoning and cook for about a minute. Drain excess fat. 

3. Stir in rice, broth, beans, Ro*Tel, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until rice is fluffy (about 15 minutes). Stir in lime juice. 

4. Top with cheese and place lid back on until cheese has melted. Top with tomatoes, green onions, guacamole, and cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Adapted from: Damn Delicious