Delicious chili-flavored ground beef is layered atop a brown rice base and topped with spicy pepper jack cheese.
This little concoction came about by necessity.
My husband and I were at home one day, and basically blew off our chores and grocery shopping in favor of staying in all day, watching movies and TV.
As a result, we had very few food items in the fridge for me to work with, but, in this case, the result was an absolutely delicious meal that has become a staple recipe for me!
Chili rice is a melange of ground beef, vegetables, chili spices, and cheese atop a bed of soft and fluffy brown rice....it is a scrumptious way to enjoy the taste of chili, minus the beans, in casserole form!
Spicy No-Bean Chili Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups freshly cooked brown rice
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 small jalapeno chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup zucchini chopped
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- several grinds black pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1-2 cups pepper jack cheese
- 10 Kalamata olives sliced
- 2 scallions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Begin cooking the beef in a deep skillet.
- Add in the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and zucchini. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Add in the spices and the tomatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
- Season to taste and stir in the cilantro or parsley.
- Fill the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with the cooked rice, and top with the ground beef mixture. Mix everything slightly, but I like the rice to be the base, so I don't mix it too much.
- Top with the grated cheese (I like it cheesy, so I usually add about two lightly packed cups), and scatter the olives on top of the cheese.
- Bake the casserole for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes, top with the scallions, and enjoy!
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Pia
I cannot seem to be able to connect with the rice recipe. Could you tell me how many cups of uncooked rice this recipe calls for. Thank you and looking forward to trying.
Lauren
I'm sorry about that Pia.You need 2-3 cups of cooked long-grain brown rice for this dish. 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions!