Sign Up for the Recipe Publishing Newsletter
Creamy Easy Mexican Rice Casserole
Rice is of course one of the staple foods of Mexican cuisine, much as it is in many other cuisines around the world (including, increasingly, American cuisine). It's a grain which offers almost unlimited versatility; it can be paired with just about anything either as a side dish or as is the case in this Mexican rice casserole recipe, an entrée in its own right.
Like other casseroles, this is an easy to prepare dish which definitely falls into the category of comfort food. The creamy flavors of cheese and sour cream (or Greek style yogurt, if you'd prefer to keep the fat content of the dish a little lower without sacrificing the rich mouth feel of sour cream), the tender yet slightly chewy brown rice and the zip of green chili and jalapeno make this one casserole which is more well rounded than most.
Even children will enjoy this Mexican-style casserole, though you may need to take the heat down a notch or two to make sure that it is not too spicy for their tastes. However, if you're interested in making this dish a little more on the spicy side, you can even mix in a little bit of hot sauce to the other ingredients before baking (chipotle sauce is especially good, since its smoky flavor really adds a whole new level of complexity to the dish) as well as increasing the amount of hot peppers in the recipe.
Mexican Rice Casserole with Corn, Sour Cream, and Cheese
Ingredients -
6 cups rice, cooked (brown rice is best, but white rice will do in a pinch)
1 ¾ cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen, not canned if at all possible)
1 medium red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 4-oz can fire roasted green chilies, diced
1-2 jalapenos, minced (remove seeds for milder heat level)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 ½ cups sour cream (Mexican sour cream is best; Greek yogurt may be substituted as well)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, to taste
Preparation:
For the purposes of this recipe, we will assume that you have already cooked the rice (you can even cook it a day ahead of time to make this recipe even easier to make). Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and then start by chopping your vegetables and heating a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green chilies, jalapeno and corn and cook for another minute, then add the spices and cook for one more minute, then mix with the rice, sour cream and cheese (as well as hot sauce, if using). Pour mixture into a 2-3 quart baking or casserole dish and bake, uncovered for 45-60 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve hot.
(Serves 6)
Photo Description:
Casserole is something which is universally popular in its nearly countless varieties. Rice makes a wonderful base for casseroles of all types and as you can see in this recipe, it is a natural for Mexican-inspired flavors. Rice makes a great partner for spicy ingredients like jalapenos and fire roasted green chilies, since it can absorb a lot of the heat while doing a great job of conveying their savory flavors.
This casserole recipe also allows for quite a bit of creativity on the part of the cook; feel free to experiment with different ingredients if you like - as many parents already know, casseroles are a great way to trick children into eating their vegetables. While this Mexican rice and corn casserole can be made with white rice, it will taste far better if you use brown rice; the heartier, slightly nutty flavor and somewhat chewier texture of this grain will make for a much more satisfying single-dish meal. No matter how you mix things up from the basic formula, however, you are all but guaranteed to wind up with a winner of a meal.
Photo by:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/megabeth/3888143646/
