Rice And Bean Casserole

[purple]

I found this recipe last night in my recipe box so I thought I would try it since it sounded so easy.

I got it from a Western Family recipe card that I got in the store years ago. Its really easy and good! I don't know if the Western Family products are gluten-free but just your own gluten-free ones. This can be gluten-free/egg free/meat free/nut free/soy free/corn free(omit the corn/chips or sub them) and milk free (skip cheese) and still taste scrumptious (my alterations included)

Rice & Bean Casserole

1 15oz. can Western Family pinto beans (or any canned bean)

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 can 15.5oz Western Family corn, undrained

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups salsa (I used a can of Rotel tomatoes-undrained)

1 cup Western Family shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients, except cheese, together. Put into a 9"x13" casserole dish, cover and bake on 350 degrees, for 1-1 1/2 hours (I baked mine 1 1/2 hours and longer until rice was fluffy and fat). Make sure all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Sprinkle with cheese(or on 1/2 of it) and return to oven until cheese is melted. Serve with flour(gluten-free)tortillas and tortilla chips. (or eat with a spoon)

Tips:

Use as a side dish, main dish or add meat and extra salsa for a meaty main dish. Good for a pot luck. Should work great in a crock pot as long as the bottom doesn't stick.

Serve with your favorite taco veggies/toppings if desired.

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

Hi Purple,

The recipe sounds great! I would like to substitute brown rice for the white rice to get a little extra fiber. Do you know if I would need more liquid?

Thanks.

[purple]

Hi Purple,

The recipe sounds great! I would like to substitute brown rice for the white rice to get a little extra fiber. Do you know if I would need more liquid?

Thanks.

I was wondering the same thing. I want to make this again soon and try it with brown rice. We ate almost the whole casserole for lunch...no leftovers

I would add a bit more water and maybe add a little more cooking time. You could check it to see if the rice is not done and the water has absorbed, then just sprinkle on more water as needed.

[purple]

Hi Purple,

The recipe sounds great! I would like to substitute brown rice for the white rice to get a little extra fiber. Do you know if I would need more liquid?

Thanks.

My sister is on her way home from shopping(2 1/2 hour drive) so I asked her to stop by for lunch. I threw (recipe is so fast you really can throw it ) the casserole in the oven using the brown rice...I will let you know later how it turned out...gotta go make some fresh rice tortillas now for her to try too...

Ok, the results...

I baked it exactly like the first post, using brown rice and no extra water. I baked it 1 1/2 hours, checked and stirred it. Then I baked it 1/2 longer, checked and stirred it. I kept the foil off this time and baked it another 15 minutes. Turned out great!

[Lisa]

That's whats for dinner....Thanks!

[purple]

That's whats for dinner....Thanks!

You are welcome! My sister loved it and said she was going to make it tomorrow.

[purple]

That's whats for dinner....Thanks!

You are welcome! My sister loved it and said she was going to make it tomorrow.

I bet you could throw it in the pan the night before or the morning of and reduce the baking time. Next experiment...

And I gave my sister a gluten-free "smore" from the cookies I had stashed in the freezer from the recipe I posted on August 14th. I put the marsmallow on top of the frozen cookie and zapped it...So wonderful! I have learned so many great ideas from this board...Thank you- thank you!

[neesee]

I make a stove top version of this casserole frequently. I usually add ground beef and chilli seasonings to the mix. My favorite is the McCormicks tex mex mix. My family loves it! I'll have to try your oven version.

neesee

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

OK, this might be a double post, not sure what I did after I typed my message.

Anyway, thanks for experimenting with the brown rice. I think this will become a weekly dinner in our house. Also, we'll have leftovers since there's only 2 of us. I already have all of the ingredients in the cabinet.

Please keep posting easy recipes. I'm starting to cook more and need more of these easy ones.

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

OK, one more question on this. If I add chicken or ground turkey, does it need to be cooked before adding? Sorry to keep asking, but my cooking skills are minimal. I'm pretty good if I have an exact recipe, but when it comes to adding and substituting things, I'm generally lost. Thanks.

[purple]

OK, one more question on this. If I add chicken or ground turkey, does it need to be cooked before adding? Sorry to keep asking, but my cooking skills are minimal. I'm pretty good if I have an exact recipe, but when it comes to adding and substituting things, I'm generally lost. Thanks.

The ground meat should be cooked. You may need more tomatoes/salsa for flavor and liquid.

If using chicken strip tenders, just layer them on top. You could add some salsa/tomatoes on top of the chicken so it doesn't dry out. If you think the chicken strips are done and the rice is not, you could remove them from the casserole and add them back on before you melt the cheese. Baked chicken only takes about an hour more/less.

[lonewolf]

We had this for dinner the other night and 5 out of 6 of us loved it. I doubled the recipe and used frozen corn and a bit extra water. The leftovers made a great lunch the next day. I didn't even put cheese on it and it tasted great. Two of my kids put sour cream on theirs and really liked that.

[purple]

We had this for dinner the other night and 5 out of 6 of us loved it. I doubled the recipe and used frozen corn and a bit extra water. The leftovers made a great lunch the next day. I didn't even put cheese on it and it tasted great. Two of my kids put sour cream on theirs and really liked that.

GREAT! There are so many dishes like this, but this one is mix it, bake it, and forget it until its done. So easy and it only takes 1 pan unless you add ground meat. I like to scoop mine up with tortilla chips.

[purple]

FYI, I tried this casserole in the crock pot today. I used brown rice, about 20 oz. of canned flavored tomatoes, pureed a bit.

Set it on 350 and it was done in about 2 hours. Watch it b/c it soaked up the liquid just like it does in the oven. Adding cheese after serving. Oh, I added some already cooked chicken when the rice was done. Easy if you if don't have time to spend in the kitchen.