[ recipe ] :: mexican brown rice casserole

So...long story short, I lost about 40 pounds last year on Weight Watchers. There. I said it. I paid $18.95 for six months to lose weight. Was it worth it? Heck yes. I learned so much from that experience, particularly how to adjust recipes so that I can eat nutritiously but eat more food. One of my favorite recipes from then was Mexican Brown Rice Casserole. It is easy to freeze and makes tasty leftovers.

I modified this recipe so it's a little bit naughtier - more cheese - and a little bit nicer - more spinach and other veggies. I also spiced it up a bit more. Let's be honest...if you're going to eat healthy, you may as well make it taste good. The Hubs loves this casserole topped with Sriracha, and I like it with a generous slathering of salsa on top.

Ingredients

Rice Layer:
4 cups brown rice, cooked (2 cups uncooked)
2 cups salsa (about 1 jar)
1 tbsp cumin
Optional: shredded carrot or more spinach

Bean Layer:
1 14.5 oz can fat free refried beans (or 1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans, mashed)
1 14.5 oz can corn, drained
1 tbsp chili powder

Top Layer:
1 10 oz bag of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the Rice Layer ingredients: rice, salsa, and cumin. In a separate bowl, mix together the Bean Layer ingredients: beans, corn, and chili powder.

First, spread the rice mixture evenly along the bottom of the baking dish. Then spread the bean mixture on top, cover with the thawed spinach, and top with cheese. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the whole dish is heated through.

This makes six monstrously-sized portions, or eight huge portions. You can half the recipe and cook a smaller casserole for dinner, and freeze the other half for later - just defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking and add some extra time if needed. When we made this the other night we didn't have room in our bellies for a salad, although a big bowl of leafy greens is the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Enjoy!

- Maggie White