Description
A hearty, one-dish comfort meal featuring seasoned ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice topped with melted cheddar cheese and baked until golden and bubbly.
Ingredients
For the Beef Mixture:
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I prefer 85/15 for the best flavor without too much grease)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced (adds lovely color and gentle crunch)
- 1 medium tomato, chopped (use a firm, ripe tomato for best texture)
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (the secret to deep, savory flavor)
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (drain about half the liquid first)
- 1 tablespoon minced onion (or use fresh if you prefer)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (fresh or jarred both work beautifully)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For Assembly:
- 2 cups cooked rice (leftover rice works perfectly here!)
- ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (don’t skimp on this – it’s the golden, bubbly crown)
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Mine’s slow so I start this first while I dig around for ingredients.
Dump the ground beef in your skillet over medium-high heat. Break it up with whatever spoon you grabbed. Takes maybe 5-7 minutes. If there’s a puddle of grease, drain some off.
Pro Tip: Let it get brown and crispy in spots. That’s where the flavor lives.
Toss in the bell pepper, tomato, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir it around for 5 minutes or so until the pepper isn’t totally raw. This is when it starts smelling good and people wander into the kitchen.
Add the canned tomatoes (remember to dump out half the liquid), onion, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 10 minutes. You want it saucy but not soupy.
Pro Tip: Taste it now. Add more salt if it’s bland. This is your only chance.
Mix in the rice. It should soak up all the good stuff. If your rice was cold from the fridge, this is when it becomes edible again.
Dump everything in your baking dish. Spread it around somewhat evenly – doesn’t have to be perfect. Put the cheese on top. Don’t be stingy.
Stick it in the oven for 45 minutes. It’s done when the cheese is melted and getting golden and everything’s bubbling. The smell will make everyone ask when dinner’s ready every five minutes.
Notes
Use day-old rice if you have it – it holds its shape better and won’t get mushy during the long bake time. If you’re starting with fresh rice, let it cool completely before adding it to your beef mixture. For extra flavor depth, add a splash of beef broth to the simmering mixture.
Common mistake to avoid: Don’t overbrown your ground beef to the point of dryness. We want it cooked through but still juicy. If your family loves extra cheese (and who doesn’t?), save a little extra to sprinkle on halfway through baking for extra gooey goodness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 45mg