Spanish Beef and Rice Bake Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Spanish Beef and Rice Bake Recipe

This Spanish Beef and Rice Bake is one of the best Mexican dishes that comes together quickly on a busy night! It's one of our favorite family dinner recipes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Casserole, Ground Beef, mexican recipe, spanish rice

Servings:

Calories: 230kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (can also use ground turkey)
1/2 onion minced
1 green bell pepper minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 ounces)
1 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
ground black pepper to taste
1 can refried beans (15 ounce)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, lower heat to medium low heat. Stir in the onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, salsa, rice, chili sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Press down firmly into the pan, then spread refried beans on the top and sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and diced tomatoes.

Notes

HOW COULD I MAKE THIS RECIPE HEALTHIER?

This recipe for our Mexican Casserole is already pretty healthy, however there are a few things you could switch out, to make it even healthier.

–Switch the ground beef out for ground turkey. This is just a simple exchange, that is less greasy, and less fat. I use ground turkey in almost every recipe that calls for ground beef. It does taste a little lighter, but it is also a little easier on tender stomachs. Ground beef is definitely a cheaper alternative, but to me, a few dollars, is worth a happy stomach, and less meat grease.

-Substitute the Brown Sugar for Honey. This is an easy switch that won’t have much of a different taste in this recipe. You could even take out the brown sugar completely without replacing it.

It is only a small amount of brown sugar (1 teaspoon), so it won’t make much of a difference. Honey is still a sweetener, but it is a little more natural, so I feel better about it. Again, the brown sugar is totally optional.

-Use brown rice instead of white. Brown rice is also a little more natural than white rice. It contains all parts of the grain, while white rice has no grain, fiber, or much nutritional value at all.

Nutrition