Texas Tornado Bake
This casserole is so easy to make (especially if you use frozen pre-cooked rice) and it’s stick-to-your-ribs satisfying and very tasty!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice pre-cooked or made from 1 1/2 dry rice
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 oz. spinach coarsely chopped (unless using baby spinach)
- 2 cups fire-roasted salsa (look for brands with no added sugar)
- 4 veggie burgers thawed and crumbled or chopped, or use 1 lb. pre-cooked ground chicken, turkey, or beef
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese or a combination of the two
- 1 cup low fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or use any variety) for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the rice now, if starting with dry.
- Heat a large heavy skillet, over medium-high heat, add the oil, and when it is hot, add the bell peppers and onions. Sauté them, stirring occasionally, for 6 – 8 minutes until they are tender and starting to brown.
- Stir in the spinach, cover and steam it for about 2 minutes until it is wilted. Remove it from the heat.
- Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Spread the rice evenly in the bottom of the dish. Top it evenly with the sautéed vegetables, 1 cup of salsa, the crumbled veggie burgers, the remaining salsa, and the cheese.
- Cover it with foil (sprayed with cooking oil to prevent the cheese from sticking) and bake it for 30 minutes, uncovering it after 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
- Cool the casserole for 10 minutes, if time allows, and cut it into squares to serve it, topped with sour cream, if desired. Or cover it tightly and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months (can be frozen whole or cut up in pieces and frozen that way, so that you can thaw only as much as desired).
Slow Cooker Directions
- Place 1 cup of dry rice, 2 cups of water or broth, and all the other ingredients except the sour cream in the slow cooker. (If you wish, you may reserve 1/2 cup of cheese to use as a topping.) Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours (adding the reserved cheese 15 - 30 minutes before serving). (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Chop the bell pepper, onion, and spinach, cook the rice if necessary, thaw and crumble or chop the veggie burgers or cook the ground meat and refrigerate, shred the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, or fully prepare and refrigerate or freeze the dish.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Serve it with hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.
Tip: If you plan to freeze a casserole, completely cool it first, uncovered, to avoid condensation.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 318, Total Fat: 11g, 17%; Saturated Fat: 5g, 24.5%; Cholesterol: 22mg, 7.5%; Sodium: 718mg, 30%; Total Carbohydrate: 39g, 13%; Dietary Fiber: 6g, 23%; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 16g
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