Taco Casserole with Spanish Brown Rice

My family could eat Mexican food nearly every night. I love that, traditionally, Mexican food is very healthy and "real" food (beans, rice, protein, fresh veggies, lard, escabeche . . . . yummmm) and I feel great serving it to them. I've been augmenting some family favorites to make my recipes more nourishing and am excited to share one of our new favorites below!

I made a double batch of this; one for dinner and one for the freezer, and it was a big hit!

Spanish Brown Rice

• 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2-2/3 cup)
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (I used coconut; olive oil would also work great)
• 1 Tablespoon sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
• 1 mild serrano chile, seeded and diced (optional)

Over low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, saute in vegetable oil all vegetables and tomatoes until onion is translucent. Add salt and chili powder and saute until spicy and fragrant.

Stir in the brown rice, stirring to evenly combine vegetables and allowing rice to soak up any extra liquid. A bit of browning is okay (yummy, actually!)

Serve as is alongside your favorite Mexican food, or use as directed below in a casserole.

Taco Casserole

• One batch of Spanish Brown Rice (see recipe above)
• 1-1/2 lb ground beef*
• 2 cups of cooked kidney beans
• One packet of taco seasoning (I use McCormick because it is the only store-bought variety that is only spices with no MSG - and you can buy it in bulk at Costco! You can also make your own! Use about 1 Tablespoon)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1-1/2 cup Mexican mix shredded cheese

In a large skillet, brown meat. Once meat is browned, add taco seasoning and kidney beans, stirring to combine. Add water and lower heat, simmering until water is incorporated. Remove from heat.

In a 13"x9"x2" pan, place Spanish Rice in the bottom of the pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with meat and bean mixture. Allow to cool (if freezing, if cooking immediately, don't worry about waiting to cool) and sprinkle shredded cheese on top in an even layer.


Please excuse the picture. Browned beef and bean combinations just don't photograph well, but I can assure you, it is yummy!

Either cook immediately in a 350 Fahrenheit degree oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is browned on top.

Or, cover and freeze (do not bake at this time) with freezer-duty aluminum foil. Defrost and bake as indicated.

*You can also substitute any other protein of your choice - lentils, chicken, shrimp, etc.

Serve with your favorite toppings and serving options, including
guacamole
salsa
cortido
escabeche (which I'm hoping to make homemade and lacto-fermented this summer!)
sour cream
extra cheese
chopped green onions, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.
tortillas or tortilla chips

Enjoy!