Mexican Layered Beef Casserole
You will want to start off this recipe by toasting the rice until it is a deep golden color. I know it can be tempting to skip this step but it really does add lots of flavor, as well as break down the cell wall so that the rice will cook evenly with the beef. It does make a difference in the finished dish. Add the tomatoes , broth and put it straight into 8 inch baking dish.
Using the same skillet brown the beef (for the best nutrition make sure to use grass fed and finished beef), onion, with spices, and tomato sauce. After cooked and slightly thickened add to top of rice. Then you will want to layer the beans that are rinsed, and the shredded cheese ( I recommend taking the time to shred your own cheese instead of buying the cheese already shredded, as they add cornstarch and additives to keep the cheese from sticking together after its shredded).
Lastly top with thawed frozen fire roasted corn ( I get this at Trader Joes but I am sure other grocery stores carry a version as well). Make sure you cover the dish for the first part of cooking and then uncover at the end to give it a nice crisp top.
This dish takes about an hour and half start to finish but the hands on time is really only about 30 minutes, and is choke full of delicious flavor.
We served the casserole with sour cream, limes, and avocados.
Mexican Layered Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 3/4 cup long-grain rice
- 1 10oz Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound 85 percent grass fed ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed
- 6 oz Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup frozen fire-roasted corn
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch baking dish. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer rice to prepared dish. Stir tomatoes and their juice, broth, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper into rice.
- Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels. Add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepperto skilet and cook over medium hetat until beef is no longer pink and vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauceand cook until slightly thickendm, avbout 2 mintues.
- Add beef mixture to dish and spread evenly over rice. Layer beans, then cheese, and finally corn. Spray aluminum foil wiht cooking spray and cover dish tightly iwth foil. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 60-70 mintues. Uncover, sprinkle with scallions, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooks Country 2014
