Yummy Ricey Meaty Casserole

A few days ago it became Dinner Time and I had no idea what to cook. I decided to create an Original Vanessa Concoction out of a few things I had laying around the kitchen and it was delicious! Michael and I finished an entire 13X9 pan full of it!

Here's the recipe, although I never measure any spices unless I'm baking, so everything is "to taste"

1 pound ground beef (you could use turkey if you like to be healthy about it)
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies (12 oz.)
1 can tomato sauce (the small size, I forget how many oz.)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup water
3/4 cup white rice
cumin
salt
pepper
garlic powder
paprika
grated colby jack cheese, enough to cover the top with a good layer

Preheat your oven to 375.

Brown the meat and onion in a pan. Season to taste with spices. (I made mine like a weak taco filling, just enough spices to flavor the meat, not enough to make it taste like tacos.) Drain excess fat and set aside.

In a 13X9 inch baking dish, mix together the rice, water, tomato sauce, Ro-Tel, and meat. Cover the mixture with a healthy layer of cheese. I think I used about a cup and a half, but like I said, I don't measure.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is getting browned and all excess moisture has evaporated. Serve hot.

You could garnish with fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips for a crunchy addition. We did not have anything resembling that in the kitchen at the time, or I would have.

I really thought this recipe would have had some leftovers considering it was just the two of us, but I'm preggers and eating a lot lately and Mike works hard and burns a lot of calories. We each ate two bowls full, so I guess you could say it makes four servings. It would feed a family of four if you added a salad or vegetable on the side and maybe some refried beans as well.

I will definitely make this again. It was very easy and VERY good!