Spanish Rice Bake Recipe

4
15 mins
60 mins

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup chile sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Step 1

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2) Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and transfer beef to a large pot over medium low heat.. Stir in the onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

3) Let this simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then transport this to a 2-quart casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese.

4) Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
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REVIEWS: (660)

This is a wonderful dish. It can be served as a side to any meat. Just a trick regarding the rice, a rice expert once told me that if you rinse your rice in cold water at least three times, then let it sit in cold water for about 1 hour, the rice will not stick. It also will cook better because it absorbs some of the water and puffs out. It works, my rice is separate and cooks easily every time, even with the cheapest rice.

I was impressed and thought this was very good!!! My husband however, thought it was too sweet. So next time, I'll omit the brown sugar and reduce the amount of chili sauce by half, replacing the rest with tomato sauce. A little tip for those that those that had a problem with the rice taking longer to cook or that it wasn't finished, it could be from stirring it around too often while the rice is cooking. I did not lift the lid from the pan while it simmered to prevent the steam from escaping (which is what cooks the rice) and it came out perfectly. Also, there's no sense in browing the meat and transferring it to another pot. Just start off browning the meat in a large pot and adding all of the other ingredients as directed.

This has become a staple in our home, we have it every 2-3 weeks. I typically try and use brown rice because it's healthier and sometimes use the Asian style chili sauce for its sweetness (to suit the kids' taste). We love this, thank you! **updated comments: why dirty 3 pans? Make it in a dutch oven or similar cast iron pan, brown the meat in it, throw all the other ingredients in, let it cook and then throw the whole thing in the oven. 1 dish to wash!

Delish and easy! I followed the advice of other reviewers and used salsa instead of chili sauce. To make it simpler (with less clean-up), I cooked everything in one pot and served it right out of the pot. Instead of baking it with cheese on top, I garnished each serving with a dollop of fat free sour cream. This recipe is a keeper! By the way, don't touch the rice while it's cooking. Just put the lid on the pot and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or else it will get gluey.

I made this rice last night and being from Costa Rica, (where we eat rice with just about every meal) the reason why people are experiencing some difficulties with cooking the rice is because the recipe calls for medium low heat, and the only way you can get the rice to cook all the way is by cooking it in just LOW heat. Cooked mine in low heat for about 40 mins added 1.5 cups of medium salsa instead of the water, and a can of corn and once I placed all the ingredients in the casserole dish before baking it I put a layer of refried beans and sprinkle the cheese. I also added some taco seasoning, cumin, and some fresh garlic when I cooked the meat, since i find that the meat picks up all the flavors when you brown it (I will never brown any meat without spices, is like showering without soap!)

This is so delicious! I used a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes which worked really well, with the smaller can it was a bit too dry. I used chili powder instead of chili sauce. I have made this recipe at least 5 times and it's always great.

I will definitely make this again, but I have a few comments. It is sweet, but that's okay. My rice wasn't done after 30 mins., so I had to add 1/4 cup of water and 10 more mins. of cooking. I'll add more water at the beginning next time. I agree that this is even better the second day; it's a great "make ahead" dish.

Great recipe that I make often!!! I use extra tomatoes instead of chili sauce and add cayenne pepper for a little kick.

LOVED THIS RECIPE! Per previous reviews, added extra cheese at the end and the sour cream for topping it all off is a must have. Easy and tatsy sum this one up. Will be making again!!

YUM! Good one Melodie! I added kidney beans and a couple of cloves of garlic. I agree with another reviewer about the cilantro - use the freshest you can get. Leftovers are wonderful (if you have any) as the flavors meld together. I'll definitely make this again and again!

The aromas filled my entire home while I made this dish and the whole time the kids were begging for it to be done. Even my husband who tends to not like dishes like this really enjoyed it and told me to keep this recipe. I didn't change much at all. I added about twice as much sugar, cilantro and cheese. I also added a bit of chopped green onion to the top. More importantly, I never lifted the lid once while it was simmering on the stove for 30 minutes, it made the rice just perfect! ***Next time though I am going to do all the steps in my large skillet to save clean up time. There is no reason to use 3 separate dishes, it makes a bigger mess than necessary.

Delicious and easy recipe when you don't have a whole lot of energy. I added more spice than was called for, as I am a fan of cumin. I also had a problem with the rice not being done after 30 min, so I would go ahead and add 1/4-1/3 cup extra water and at least 10 more minutes to the cooking time on the stove. Other than that, it is really good.

This has become a staple at our house. The only change I've made is to add a bit more water. Also, don't bother with putting it into a casserole dish -- take the lid off, add the cheese, and turn the heat off. Let the cheese melt, then serve it right from the skillet. One less dish to wash!

This was very tasty. I wasn't sure how it would turn out because it looked really runny at first, but once the rice cooked a lot of the moisture was absorbed. My husband hates rice, and he even didn't mind this dish. (I put sour cream on the table for him to mask the rice.) I also added green onion to the top (after adding the cheese) before cooking in the oven. This also added a nice flavour. I will definitely make this again! Although my husband only found this "ok," that is definitely saying something since he absolutely hates rice dishes!

My family loved this! I followed the recipe exactly, for once in my life, and it turned out fabulous! It's going in the recipe book for sure :)

This was delicious! So very close to the spanish rice my Mom used to make. I think a bit more water and maybe 5 more minutes of simmering as the rice needed a tad more cooking. I also added a tsp of hot sauce for zing. I would highly recommend the chile sauce instead of salsa. A dab of sour cream on top sets it off. I found no reason to change anything other that what I listed as the recipe is wonderful and a keeper.