Taco Rice Bake

Robby has been loving chicken and rice lately, Jim and I are looking for something a little different and this dish hit the spot for ALL of us! After one bite Jim declared he could eat this everyday. That says a lot. I made this in a 9×9 dish but next time will double the recipe and make it in a 9×13 dish. I will also be adding in a can of black beans next time. Corn would also be a terrific addition but sadly Robby cannot have ANY corn what so ever so I’ll add that ingredient as an option for you! I used a spicy mango habanero salsa but any salsa will work, if you use a salsa that is not spicy but you want to add a kick feel free to add some sliced fresh jalapeño rings to the meat and onion mixture.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef (can use ground Turkey or ground Chicken)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 packet taco seasoning (I used gluten free)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
2 cups cooked white rice
1-2 cups Mexican cheese (how ever much you like)
1/4 cup water
1 can of black beans -optional
1 can of drained corn-optional
1 sliced jalapeño-optional

DIRECTIONS

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef in a pan breaking up the beef as it cooks. add the chopped onion and jalapeño if using. When cooked through drain the grease and add the taco seasoning and water.
In a large bowl add the cooked rice, salsa, half of the cheese , corn and black beans if you are adding them. Mix well. When the ground beef is cooked through add the ground beef to the rice mixture and mix again.
Add the mixture into a greased 9×9 baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with a salad!

Enjoy!