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.
Serving8
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 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
Equipment
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
Calories: 230 kcal · Carbohydrates: 26 g · Protein: 18 g · Fat: 6 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 42 mg · Sodium: 904 mg · Potassium: 486 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 460 IU · Vitamin C: 22 mg · Calcium: 101 mg · Iron: 3 mg