This simple recipe for a cheesy beef and rice casserole is a family favorite. It’s quick and easy to make with ground beef, leftover rice, a can of tomatoes, and plenty of cheese, and everyone loves it. It cooks entirely in one pan, so there’s no extra dishes to wash.
There’s no cream of mushroom soup in it. Most versions of this recipe lean on a can of condensed soup for the creamy part, while this one uses diced tomatoes and cheese instead. It’s naturally gluten-free, mild enough for kids, and feeds a crowd easily.
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I rely on ground beef for a lot of meals, so I buy the family pack, and I use the last pound after we’ve made kefta kebabs or honey habanero tacos.
Rice is the same story. I cook a big batch in my rice cooker rather than a little at a time. You can make fresh rice for this, just like homemade fried rice, but it works better with leftover rice.
This rice cooker makes perfect rice every time. Set it and forget it, and it works great to steam veggies and other foods, too!
Yes, that includes the rice you have remaining after your Chinese or Thai takeout. If you have leftover taco meat sitting in a container, that works too, and it saves you the browning step entirely.
Why This One Skips the Canned Soup
Most cheesy ground beef and rice casserole recipes start with a can of condensed soup. That can does two jobs in those recipes.
It adds liquid, and the starch in it thickens as the dish heats so nothing runs on the plate. A can of diced tomatoes with its juices does the first job just as well, and the cheese and the rice together do the second.
The rice matters more than people expect. Cooked rice that has been in the fridge has firmed up, and firm grains soak up the tomato liquid without falling apart. That thickens the sauce, adds flavor to the rice, and keeps it from turning into soup.
How to Make Easy Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole
Brown a pound of ground beef in a heavy pan. I use a ceramic-coated cast iron pan because it holds heat evenly and keeps the food warm on the table.
While the beef browns, dice your onion and add it to the pan. It cooks with the beef and absorbs its flavor, as well.
Mince the garlic and chop the red bell pepper, then set them aside on your cutting board.
When the beef has no pink left and the onion has gone translucent, drain the grease off. Do NOT skip this, or it pools on top later.
Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until you can smell it.
Add the red pepper and stir. Wait until this step to add it, because it keeps a little crunch instead of going limp.
Add the can of diced tomatoes with all its juices, the chili powder, the salt, and the pepper. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced and the pan looks saucy rather than watery.
Stir in the cooked rice and half a cup of the cheese. Keep it simmering gently while the rice heats all the way through.
Top your casserole with the rest of the cheese, cover, and remove it from the heat. Wait three minutes for it to melt, then serve it straight from the pan.
Can I Use Leftover Rice in This Casserole?
Yes, and it’s better with leftover rice than with fresh. Rice that has spent a night in the fridge has firmed up, so it holds its shape when it cooks with the tomatoes instead of going soft.
Leftover rice from your takeout earlier in the week works great. So does the container of rice you made on Sunday with no plan for it.
What If I Don’t Have Cooked Rice?
You can still make this recipe with a few changes. Use a second can of diced tomatoes and add 3/4 cup of uncooked rice when the tomatoes go in.
The rice cooks in the dish, so add about ten minutes to the simmer time and keep the pan covered until it’s tender. You won’t get quite the same texture, because rice cooked in the pan stays softer, but it works, and it makes one less dirty pot.
Can I Use Brown Rice or Wild Rice?
Brown rice works. Wild rice, I would skip.
Wild rice has a much nuttier flavor and a chewier texture, and it changes the dish too much. You might like it, but I’d stick to white or brown.
Can I Use Leftover Ground Beef?
Yes, and it’s the fastest way to get this dinner on the table. Saute the diced onion in a little oil for a couple of minutes first, then stir in the already cooked beef and pick up at the garlic step.
Leftover taco meat is ideal, because it’s already seasoned. Go easy on the chili powder, and taste test before you add the full teaspoon of salt.
Is Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole Gluten-Free?
This recipe is, as long as your chili powder is gluten-free. Chili powder is a blend, and some brands use wheat flour as an anti-caking agent.
Check the chili powder label if you’re cooking for someone with celiac. Everything else in the pan is naturally gluten-free.
Can I Make It Dairy-Free?
Swap in your favorite dairy-free cheese, and it works. It’s also good with no cheese at all, though I will admit that is not how I make it. The cheese also helps bind the dish together, so you miss that aspect, as well.
Can I Use Cheddar Instead of Mexican Blend Cheese?
You can, and it’s just as good. Cheddar melts stringier and tastes sharper, while Mexican blend brings some Monterey Jack that keeps things milder for kids.
I’ve used half of each when that’s what I had left in my fridge, and no one in my family noticed. That option works too.
What Can I Use Instead of Diced Tomatoes?
Salsa works. Use about two cups of salsa in place of the can, and use a mild version unless your crowd likes heat.
If you have a thicker salsa with less liquid, you may need to add up to three cups to fully rehydrate the rice. If you have a really liquid-y salsa, use just a cup and a half instead.
What Do You Serve With It?
I add nothing, most nights. This casserole has the meat, the starch, and a vegetable in one pan, and that’s the whole appeal.
When I’m stretching it for more people, I make an avocado tomato salad, because the lime and the avocado flavors complement this dish. Lemon roasted broccoli works too, and it’s mostly hands off while the casserole simmers.
Troubleshooting Tips
Your casserole is soupy. The tomato liquid didn’t reduce far enough before you added the rice. Put the pan back on medium-low heat, and let it bubble uncovered for another five minutes, stirring now and then. Next time, judge the simmer by how the pan looks and not by the clock. You want the liquid clinging to the beef, not pooling around it.
The rice turned to mush. Freshly cooked rice is still full of water and still soft, so it keeps absorbing liquid until the grains break down. Cold rice from the fridge has firmed up as the starch sets, and firm grains work well with the tomatoes. If fresh rice is all you have, spread it on a sheet pan for fifteen minutes to cool and dry before you add it.
There’s a slick of grease on top. You didn’t drain the beef, or you drained it before it was fully browned and the last of the fat rendered out later in the cooking process. Tip the pan and spoon it off now, and next time wait until there’s no pink left before you drain.
The cheese browned, but the middle is still cold. When you added the cold rice, the pan didn’t get enough time to heat it through before you added the cheese on top. Stir the rice in, and give it a solid two or three minutes on the heat before you add the top layer of cheese.
It tastes flat. Chili powder loses its punch after about a year in the cabinet, and a half teaspoon of tired chili powder in a full pan of food is nothing. Smell yours. If it smells like dust, buy a new jar, and in the meantime, add salt in small pinches until the tomatoes taste like tomatoes again.
What would you add to your version of cheesy beef and rice casserole?
More great Mexican-inspired recipes:
- The BEST guacamole ever
- Habanero puff pastry empanadas
- Dessert nachos
- Elotes
- Carnitas
- Spanish rice
- Easy chicken enchiladas
- Chicken en mole
Easy Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cooked long-grain rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a heavy pan.1 pound ground beef
- While the beef browns, dice onion and add to ground beef as it cooks.1 small yellow onion
- Mince garlic and chop red pepper, then set aside.2 cloves garlic, 1 red bell pepper
- When the beef is browned and the onion translucent, drain the grease and add garlic.
- Stir and let cook for one minute, then add red pepper. Stir.
- Add diced tomato can with its juices, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and let cook for 10-15 minutes at a light simmer.1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Stir in cooked rice and 1/2 cup of cheese. Let rice heat through, then top with remaining cheese. Remove from the heat, cover, and let it rest for three minutes to melt the cheese.1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, 2 cups cooked long-grain rice
- Serve immediately. This will keep in your fridge for two to three days.
Notes
- If you don’t have cooked rice, use 2/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice. Add a second can of tomatoes, then cover the pan and simmer for an extra 10 minutes to cook the rice.
- Substitute your favorite dairy-free cheese for the cheese in this recipe to make it dairy-free.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for two to three days.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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can i use wild rice instead of white rice
You COULD, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Wild rice has a much nuttier flavor and a different texture. You might like it, but I would stick to white rice or brown rice.