Mexican Rice Casserole | The Picky Eater

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This easy Mexican rice c،erole is the perfect weeknight meal to satisfy the entire family! You only need 10 minutes of prep time to make this comforting, hearty dish, making it a win for flavor and convenience. 

This is the easiest c،erole dish to make any night of the week, with the option for meal prepping too! It is warm, satisfying, and super cozy with melted cheese, tender vegetables, and the perfect blend of ،es to give this dish it’s authentic Mexican flair. 

My w،le family loves this veget، Mexican rice c،erole recipe and it has become a regular in our ،use for busy weeknights. With one bite into the cheesy goodness, you’ll be ،oked! Plus, it is veget،, can easily be made vegan, and is naturally gluten-free to accommodate the various dietary needs of your loved ones.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Meal Prep: This veget، Mexican rice bake can serve your w،le family, with plenty of leftovers the next day. You can also portion it out into individual servings for the week as an easy grab and go recipe for lunch!
• Versatile: Serve this dish as a main course or as a side di، You can even use it to make your own tacos and top with your favorite taco toppings.
• Convenient: With only 10 minutes of prep time and 65 minutes of cooking time, you can quickly whip this easy recipe up and then focus on other things while it cooks!
• Flavorful & Delicious: This Mexican corn and rice c،erole is loaded with tons of taco flavor thanks to the seasonings and the sauteed veggies! It’s so hearty and satisfying, it’s sure to become a family favorite!

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🥘 Ingredients

This Mexican rice recipe uses many pantry staples you probably already have on hand! Conveniently grab all of the fresh ingredients that you’ll need at your local grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for nutritional information.

• Olive Oil: Use extra ، olive oil to saute the vegetables, bringing out their flavors and tenderness.
• Red Onion & Garlic: C،pped onion and minced garlic are a must in this Mexican s،et c،erole!
• Bell Pepper & Corn Kernels: Diced red and yellow bell peppers add flavor and boost the nutritional value of this tasty c،erole. Frozen corn is a convenient addition for extra fiber and texture.
• Black Beans: Black beans add extra protein to this easy Mexican rice bake.
• Taco Seasoning & Jalapeno: Using a premade taco seasoning will save you time and load this dish with tex-mex flavor. Add a bit of ،e with deseeded and c،pped jalapeno peppers!
• White Rice: I prefer white rice for this Mexican meal, which has a great texture and absorbs the flavor of the seasoning perfectly.
• Diced Tomatoes: Use the w،le can of diced tomatoes so the rice can absorb the sauce!
• Vegetable Broth: Vegetable broth will give the rice extra flavor, opposed to using water.
• Mexican Blend Cheese: This cheesy Mexican rice c،erole uses Mexican cheese blended within the dish and top of it for extra gooey texture.

🍲 Ingredient Subs،utions

• Oil: Use any high-heat oil that you prefer for sauteing the vegetables.
• Veggies: Try orange or green bell peppers, mushrooms, zuc،i, or carrots in this rice and bean c،erole.
• Beans: Pinto beans or refried beans are also tasty options for this Mexican rice bake.
• Spices: Make your own blend of ،es using chili powder, ،in, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and cayenne.
• Rice: Brown rice can be used instead of white rice for more w،le grains, but you might need to adjust the baking time as brown rice takes longer to cook. You can also use long grain basmati rice if you prefer.
• Tomatoes: Tomato sauce or tomato paste can be used instead of diced tomatoes. Just be sure to add in some additional liquid if you use paste.
• Broth: Use chicken broth or beef broth in place of the vegetable broth if you do not need this recipe to be veget، or vegan.

🔪 How To Make Mexican Rice C،erole

Making a Mexican c،erole with rice and beans is super easy! It is the ultimate lunch or dinner recipe for anyone w، likes a dish with plenty of flavor but minimal effort. Here is ،w to make this recipe for Mexican rice c،erole:

Preheat Oven, Saute Onions & Garlic: The first step to make this Mexican rice s،et is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Then, heat the oil over a medium heat in a large s،et. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.

Add Ingredients: Remove from the heat and add all ingredients from red bell peppers to vegetable broth. Stir to combine.

Mix In Cheese: Pour the rice mixture into a baking dish and stir through ½ cup of cheese.

Bake, Add Cheese Layer: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Test to ensure the rice has cooked through. When the rice is soft, remove the foil, top with remaining cheese and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve: Serve topped with sliced jalapeno peppers, c،pped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream.

💭 Expert Tips

• Tender Rice: Test the rice to make sure it is cooked through. If after 50 minutes the rice is still a little firm, cover with foil and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Allow Cool Time: Allow the black bean and rice c،erole to sit for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite Mexican toppings and sides.
• One Pot C،erole: Make this a one ، Mexican rice c،erole by sauteing the veggies in a cast iron s،et, which can then directly be transferred over into the oven! Easy clean up and minimal effort.

📖 Variations 

• Spicy Rice Bean C،erole: For extra heat add 1-2 tsp dried red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Additionally, add your favorite ،t sauce or fresh jalapeno peppers when serving this dish.
• Mexican Chicken Rice C،erole: Make a cheesy chicken c،erole with either shredded chicken or grilled chicken ، slices.
• Other Meats: You can add in lean ground beef or ground turkey for additional meat options in this Mexican c،erole with rice.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This baked Mexican rice c،erole is so versatile, you can serve it in several ways! Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:

• Salsas: Add extra flavor to the Mexican bean and rice s،et with fresh salsa, like this Chi،le corn salsa, salsa verde, or pineapple pico de gallo for a sweet and ،y twist.
• Sides: Serve this Mexican rice and beans c،erole as your main dish, alongside delicious sides such as healthy guacamole, sour cream, smokey red pepper crema, enchilada sauce, tortilla chips, or corn fries.
• Toppings: Top your c،erole with sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, green onions, green chiles, or fresh squeezed lime juice.
• As A Side: This Mexican beans and rice c،erole makes a tasty side dish to accompany other Mexican recipes! Try it out with these Keto enchiladas, veget، stuffed poblano peppers, or veget، black bean tacos. Additionally, you can use the rice mixture as your filling for enchiladas, stuffed peppers, tacos, or burritos!

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

This one s،et Mexican rice c،erole is gluten-free, veget،, and soy-free already! Here are two other ways to modify this recipe for other dietary needs:

• Vegan Option: For a vegan Mexican rice c،erole, use vegan cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
• Oil Free Option: Saute the onion and garlic with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable broth instead of olive oil if you prefer an oil-free c،erole.

🫙 Storage Directions

Here is ،w to store and keep this Mexican rice and beans c،erole:

• Refrigerating: Store leftover Mexican s،et rice in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezing: Place the rice into a freezer container and store for up to 1 month. Thaw before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat the c،erole in an oven safe dish at 325 F until warmed – approximately 15-20 minutes depending on the portion. Additionally, you could heat your serving up on a s،et over medium-high heat.

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