Cowboy Rice Casserole
Cowboy Rice Casserole takes spicy chorizo and combines it with rice, peppers and all of your favorite tex-mix seasonings. Guaranteed to satisfy all your hungry ranch hands!
Cowboy Rice Casserole
I love spicy food. We eat a ton of Mexican food here at The Buttered Home. We just can’t seem to get enough. For a few years now, Big D and I have been totally hooked on Chorizo.
I look for all kinds of ways to use it when cooking. Chorizo eggs, Chorizo queso, you name it, we love it. We even have a delicious MEXICAN UNSTUFFED CABBAGE casserole that has chorizo for that extra flavor.
When I started thinking about some of my favorite casseroles, I immediately thought of any rice casserole that we like to make and eat. Rice makes it filling and adds a bit of texture to a creamy type casserole. So the Cowboy Rice Casserole was born.
I combined our love of Chorizo and rice casserole and made it with all kinds of kicking peppers and beans and corn to make it interesting.
What Makes it a Cowboy Casserole?
Quite simply, it is what goes in it. Most definitely, the tomatoes, beef and corn. These are all staple favorites of Cowboys from the old West days that still hold true today.
How do you make Cowboy Rice Casserole?
Its easy. Its a little work on the front side to cook your onions and peppers and brown the chorizo, but it is so worth it. Let’s show you how.
~ Ingredients ~
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 pound beef chorizo
- 1 & 1/2 cups rice, uncooked
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
~ Method ~
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute Peppers and onions in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, careful not to burn. Add ground beef and chorizo and brown well. Drain.
- In a large casserole dish, add peppers, onions and beef and chorizo mixture to pan. Add Broth , beans, corn, rice , tomatoes and chili powder. Mix well. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and cook for 1.5 hours until rice is done.
- Remove foil and top with cheese. Return to oven to melt. Enjoy!
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Tips and Tricks
It probably needs to cook a bit longer. An hour and a half us usually enough time with the amount of liquid in the recipe but ovens tend to vary as well as different brands of rice. Put it in a bit longer and if all of the liquid is gone, add about 1/4 of a cup more. Cook in 10 minute increments until rice is good and tender.
This is one of those recipes you can totally make your own. Adding ingredients such as different types of beans, cheese, rice and vegetables can be used to make it new and different. We love to serve it with sour cream and salsa.
Once it cools to room temperature you can store in an airtight container for up to a week. It also freezes well for up to a month but I would not freeze uncooked.
Supper so fine.
One thing I really love about casseroles is that most times you can mix them up, pop them in the oven and forget (almost!) about them. As long as you set your kitchen timer, all will be well. Haha! Easy meals like this Cowboy Rice Casserole and this Sheet Pan Bourbon Steak with Brussels and Sweet Potatoes will satisfy even the hungry men in your life.
This casserole is so hearty and filling it is perfect for a weeknight meal or for food gifting. It freezes beautifully. So it totally can be made ahead of time and frozen for supper later in the week.
Making meals ahead for your family or for loved ones as gifts can be a truly freeing experience. Having time to spend with one another makes recipes like this pure gold. It enables you to have supper on the table for your family in an easy way so you can spend more time catching up instead of cooking!
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Cowboy Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 small poblano pepper seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 pound beef chorizo
- 1 & 1/2 cups rice uncooked
- 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can whole kernel corn drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Saute Peppers and onions in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, careful not to burn. Add ground beef and chorizo and brown well. Drain.
- In a large casserole dish, add peppers, onions and beef and chorizo mixture to pan. Add Broth , beans, corn, rice , tomatoes and chili powder. Mix well. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and cook for 1.5 hours until rice is done.
- Remove foil and top with cheese. Return to oven to melt. Enjoy!
