Texas Rice Casserole
A hearty casserole combining ground beef, bacon, and cheese with fluffy rice, perfect for family dinners.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking dish For baking the casserole.
- Saucepan For cooking the rice.
- Skillet For frying the bacon and meat.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 cup water
- 2 cup uncooked long grain white rice Rinsed before cooking.
- 1.5 pound ground beef
- 6 slice bacon Cooked until crispy.
- 1 onion Chopped.
- 0.5 green bell pepper Chopped.
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and adjust the shelf to the bottom third. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside to prevent sticking.
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water, repeating the process 2 more times to remove excess starch for fluffier rice.
- In a saucepan with a lid, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed rice, stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for about 18-20 minutes until cooked.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy, which should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon, leaving 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon once cooled for later use.
- In the same skillet, cook the ground beef, green pepper, and onion in the reserved drippings. Season with salt and pepper, cooking until the beef is browned, usually about 7-10 minutes.
- Combine the cooked beef mixture and rice in the prepared baking dish. Add the diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and mix well until all ingredients are combined.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese on top. For extra flavor, you can mix in a dash of hot sauce or chili flakes at this point.
- Cover the dish with foil, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray on one side to prevent sticking to the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the casserole is heated through.
Notes
For an extra kick, consider adding a dash of hot sauce or chili flakes to the beef mixture before baking.