For the love of all things good, MAKE THIS RECIPE. Miles and I just finished dinner and we can’t stop talking about how good it was and how much food we just ate. I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD, but I can’t go to a Mexican restaurant and NOT order chips and more than one (okay more than two) margarita(s), so I usually just steer clear. This meal felt SO splurgy. Seriously, it’s hard to believe that it is completely and totally plan approved. Please look at the picture below, I got to eat 1/4 of that…1/4 of the entire pan! It was a ton of food, and totally in line with my “perfect portions” program.
I know I say this every time I post a recipe, but it’s true and needs to be a disclaimer. If I can make something, ANYONE can. I’m kind of an idiot in the kitchen, so I only do things that take the minimal amount of work. I don’t like to chop and I don’t like to clean, so again, it’s gotta be easy. This recipe is SO EASY. I got it from www.fitmomangelad.com. Feel like I always need to credit someone because obviously I’m not sitting at home creating my own recipes, I can barely cook pasta.
Beef and Brown Rice Taco Bake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Jalapeno, chopped (optional)
- 20 oz lean ground beef
- Red, yellow or green pepper,chopped
- 1-2 tsp fresh lime juice
- 2 T Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Thyme
- 2 tsp cumin (optional)
- 1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
- Hot Sauce (to taste – optional)
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce (low sodium)
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with EVOO, set aside.
- Boil brown rice in water on stovetop. Set aside
- In a 12” pan, spray with EVOO or cooking spray, add onion, garlic & jalapeno & sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes & add peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.
- Add lime juice and seasonings. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Remove from heat – add rice (see notes below), tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of cheese & hot sauce (if using) to the skillet and stir to mix well.
- Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with remaining Cheddar.
- Cover with foil & bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil & bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & edges are bubbling. Remove from oven & let cool for 10 minutes.
The only modifications I made to this recipe is that I bought pre-chopped onions from Whole Foods, because that shit hurts my eyes. I also bought brown rice that is in a microwaveable steam bag because I didn’t want to have to clean an extra pan. I didn’t use cilantro because it tastes like soap and is fucking disgusting. And I didn’t add jalapeños, and it was plenty spicy for me. Also, I had pre-cooked the meat during my meal prep for the week, so I took out an entire step. I did have to clean the pan afterwards, but it was totally worth it.
Bottom line, don’t be an idiot, make this ridiculously delicious, completely splurgy-feeling meal. I’m just looking out for my people.
