Spanish Rice Bake

By CandyH

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (can use ground turkey)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (I use red)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes (like fire-roasted)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 cup chile sauce (love enchilada sauce)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne if desired (or a few dashes of hot sauce)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (Monterrey Jack works great also)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Details

Adapted from allrecipes.com

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,(or until the rice is done) 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.