Easy Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole Recipe
Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole is a hearty and delicious casserole dish that’s almost like a taco in a baking dish. Perfect for a weeknight meal, and it will feed the whole family. This easy Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole recipe will become a favorite dinner.
As far as casserole recipes go, this one is so easy to make. It also is extremely flexible; it’s easy to make it for more or less people. You can also substitute ingredients for what’s on hand or preferred tastes. The flavors come from a simple spice blend you will create yourself. It’s so easy and much better than prepackaged taco seasoning. It’s actually something that, if you make a little extra, you can use in many other dishes. It keeps well in an airtight container for months. So double or triple the spice mixture and keep some on hand as one of your pantry staples.
What You Need For The Recipe
- Spice Blend: This is the key to the flavor in the Mexican Ground Beef and Rice Casserole Recipe. Combine equal parts of smoked paprika, dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, and ancho chile powder (can’t find ancho; substitute another chili powder).
- Poblano Peppers: These mild green chiles bring just enough heat to the dish but not so much they will turn off your more heat-adverse eaters.
- Tri-Colored Sweet Peppers: I like using mini sweet peppers; the flavor is terrific, and they look great in the dish. Remove the stem and seeds and cutting them into thin, whole, round slices.
- Garlic: Every savory dish needs garlic. Add 2-3 cloves, minced.
- Black Beans: You can use a traditional black bean, but pinto beans could also work. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, double the beans and leave out the meat if you like.
- Rice: I like using Jasmine rice in the dish. Adding a little spice mix to the rice while it cooks is an excellent way to flavor it.
- Scallions (green onions): Use the whole scallion; the whites go in the dish, and the green tops make a nice garnish.
- Ground Beef: Here, you can use lean ground beef or, if you prefer, substitute a ground turkey or ground chicken. A plant-based meat substitute could work as well.
- Flour Tortillas: Slicing and browning them on top, add a crunch. Crumbled tortilla chips would also work.
- Cheese: Shredded pepper jack cheese melts nicely, and the flavor is good with the dish. If you are not a fan of pepper jack, try queso blanco cheese or even cheddar cheese.
- Sour Cream: A nice dollop on the top of cool sour cream complements the dish perfectly.
Step-By-Step How To Guide
- Step 1: Make the Spice Blend; if you want just enough for this recipe, combine the following: 1-1/2 teaspoon each smoked paprika, dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, and ancho chile powder.
- Step 2: In a small pot, combine 1 cup of jasmine rice with one tablespoon of the spice blend you made above, with a big pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Cook on the stove according to the directions on the rice package.
- Step 3: Cut the flour tortilla into strips and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Step 4: In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Step 5: Add the poblano peppers and the sweet peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Step 6: Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Step 7: Add the tomato paste and the remaining spice mixture and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Step 8: Add the beans and 1 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 9: In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the rice and shredded cheese and stir to combine.
- Step 10: Spoon the ground beef mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the tortilla strips and bake in the oven at 400° F for about 15-20 minutes. The tortillas should turn golden brown.
Tips For Success
Tip 1 — Make the spice blend. Although you could use a prepackaged taco seasoning, the flavors will not be the same. The seasoning blend is one of the keys to this delicious Mexican ground beef casserole.
Tip 2 — If the tortilla strips brown too quickly and the cheese has not melted enough (you want nice, gooey, melty cheese), cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Tip 3 — Along with the sour cream, if you want to top it with your favorite taco toppings (lettuce and pico de Gallo) to make this a taco night dish.
Give this tasty Mexican ground beef casserole a try the next time you want to shake up Taco Tuesday. It’s filled with simple ingredients, and if you have any, store leftovers for another easy meal.
For more casserole recipes, check out my A New Take On Top Classic Winter Casserole Recipes.
Mexican Ground Beef And Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 1 15 oz can of black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup large diced poblano peppers remove stems and seeds
- 1 cup diced sweet peppers remove stems and seeds
- 4 scallions chopped with whites and greens separated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 2 flour tortillas
- sour cream
Instructions
- Make the Spice Blend; if you want just enough for this recipe, combine the following: 1-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, and ancho chile powder.
- In a small pot, combine 1 cup of jasmine rice with one tablespoon of the spice blend you made above, with a big pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Cook on the stove according to the directions on the rice package.
- Cut the flour tortilla into strips and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add the poblano peppers and the sweet peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and the remaining spice mixture and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add the beans and 1 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the rice and shredded cheese and stir to combine.
- Spoon the ground beef mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the tortilla strips and bake in the oven at 400° F for about 15-20 minutes. The tortillas should turn golden brown.
- Spoon onto a plate top with scallion greens and sour cream.
