Here’s something we learned at our grandma’s knee: if you’re going to make rice, you must do it properly. No bland white rice here; it’s Grandma’s Rice Dish all the way! The tender rice is packed with juicy beef, fatty, crispy bacon, tangy olives, ripe and bright tomatoes, and plenty of spices to make sure not a single bite is dull or dismal! Then the rice is covered in cheese (because no one can object to cheesy rice) and topped with breadcrumbs for contrast before being baked to perfection. You can eat Grandma’s Rice Dish as a full and filling meal, but you can also have it as the most wonderful side dish ever! It’s up to you!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
- 2 cups long-grain rice, cooked
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
- 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 7×11-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a large skillet, cook the beef, the onion, and the green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to break the beef up as it cooks.
Step 4 –Drain the fat from the skillet.
Step 5 –Stir the rice, the tomatoes, the corn, the olives, the bacon, the chili powder, the garlic powder, and the salt into the beef mixture and cook until heated through.
Step 6 –Stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted.
Step 7 –Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 8 –Sprinkle the top of the dish with the remaining cheese.
Step 9 –In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the butter.
Step 10 –Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese layer.
Step 11 –Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 12 –Serve.
