Sponsored Post: Mexican Beef and Brown Rice Bake
We’ve been shooting our second cookbook the past few weeks so it’s been an exceptionally busy time; leaving little room for dinner prep. I assumed I wouldn’t have to worry too much about the meal since I’d be bringing home large quantities of food every day from our shoots but, alas, all my best laid plans have a grenade lobbed at them by my daughter. On the first night after shooting, she looked at the shoot leftovers, looked at me and then said, “Are eating that again?!” I guess she has a point. We’ve been testing most of the cookbook recipes so voraciously that, I have to admit, I kind of need a break from them as well. Instead I’m relying on my pantry.
We’re always preaching the importance of a well-stocked pantry and I realize it can sound a little nauseating but, during weeks like this, I really could kiss the staples piled high behind my pantry doors. I’m also keen to have a variety of quick-cooking grains like Minute Rice Ready to Serve Whole Grain Brown Rice Cups because I live in fear of my daughter saying, “I’m hungry” an hour after dinner. Am I the only one who has a kid that does that? I find having the heft of a grain helps keep her satisfied, and layering them in a casserole is a fun way to tackle dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 Minute Rice® Ready to Serve Whole Grain Brown Rice Cups
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups prepared tomato salsa
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp green onions, chopped
Method
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add ground beef, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, cinnamon and salt and cook; stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is browned and cooked through. Drain fat. Stir in black beans and 2 tbsp (30 mL) water; cook for 5 minutes or until water evaporates.
Transfer to greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Layer corn, rice, salsa and cheese over beef mixture.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. Garnish with green onions.
- Make-ahead: Assemble the casserole the night before or in the morning for a stress-free mealtime.
- Omit beef and add seasonings to black bean mixture for a vegetarian option.
- Having a well-stocked pantry is always a good idea and including ingredients like these cups or other quick-cooking rice varieties from Minute Rice means you’re always just a few minutes away from a weekday win. Let us know if you try this recipe! You can share it with us (on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) and use hashtag #WeekdayWin – we love to see your food shots!
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
1 Comment
Diane
May 02, 12:49Although I am retired and have extra time in which to prepare meals, I was excited to see and try your Mexican beef and brown rice bake…for an easy meal for myself and my husband. And I was REALLY excited at the thought of sharing it with my daughter who works outside of the home and is incredibly busy and hard pressed to find quick, nutritious meals to feed her family. However I was GREATLY disappointed when I went shopping for the ingredients and discovered that the ‘processed’ rice cups recommended in the recipe contained MSG and colouring. So very disappointing that health is sacrificed for convenience. That being said, I am still trying out your recipe today, but using instant brown rice instead of those. Might take a little extra time…but my family’s health is so worth the extra 10 minutes it will take. Thanks for listening.