Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole

This Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole is super easy to make, and really delicious, this Mexican flavored rice casserole is a hit with my family. They have asked for it several times. And, I love how easy it is to make!

 
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Quick and easy 30 minute meal

I had a box of the San Francisco treat Spanish rice mix in the cupboard one day and decided to gussy it up a bit for dinner. Making it a whole meal in one dish.

Well, besides being super easy to make, it was a big hit. Delicious, and yummy. With my husband even going back for seconds.

This Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole is great as a quick and easy dinner or 30 minute meal.

Tacos, anyone?

It would also be great as a taco filling.

I’d heat up some tortillas with cheese, slice up some cabbage or lettuce, and add some guacamole. Maybe even add some enchilada sauce.

This casserole would be a perfect addition to a taco bar party. Take a look here for other suggestions and tips on how to host a great taco bar party!

Boxed Spanish rice mix

Any brand of boxed rice mix will work here. I know there are several. And, if the one you have is a little bigger (more ounces in the box) or a little smaller, that’s fine. They will all work. In a casserole like this, it’s so nice to have the flexibility to use what you have.

The box of Spanish rice mix that I had called for adding a can of diced tomatoes to the rice before cooking. I omitted that can of tomatoes because my family doesn’t care for diced tomatoes in their food. Feel free to add that to your casserole if your family is ok with that.

You could use a can of Ro-tel tomatoes and chiles in this casserole; that would be yummy.

I even saw a Mexican blend boxed rice at the store mix what would work well in this casserole.

Meatless crumbles

There are many brands of these crumbles now, and they do have different names from some of the brands. I’ve seen them called everything from beefless crumbles to soy crumbles to meatless ground round.

Most of the brands are pretty good, and will work in this casserole.

I have found them in the frozen section of my grocery store, as well as in the meatless section of the store near the produce department.

If you buy the frozen ones, you don’t have to worry about defrosting them, as they are added to the hot cooked rice, and then popped in the oven, so they will be fully heated through.

If you can’t find meatless crumbles, or want to go with something else, drained and rinsed black beans would be delicious in this easy to make casserole.

If you eat meat, cooked ground beef would be a natural substitute for the meatless crumbles.

Shredded chicken would also work well here.

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Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole Recipe

5 from 4 votes

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Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole

This Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole is great as a quick and easy dinner or 30 minute meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword casserole, rice

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 437 kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

• 16.8 ounce package boxed Spanish Rice mix
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 cup meatless crumbles
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup salsa
• ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco
• 1 avocado sliced

Instructions

1. Prepare boxed rice mix according to microwave package directions in a 2.5 liter microwavable casserole dish.
2. While the rice cooks in the microwave, preheat the oven to 375° F.
3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chopped bell pepper and corn until tender and some edges have browned, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Once rice is cooked, stir in cooked bell pepper, corn, meatless crumbles, sour cream, and salsa.
5. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned on top. Top with queso fresco and sliced avocado.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition analysis will vary based on what rice mix and other ingredients you use

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Spanish Rice Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 437 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 22g 34%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 27mg 9%

Sodium 434mg 18%

Potassium 506mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 46g 15%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 4g

Protein 13g 26%

Vitamin A 27.8%

Vitamin C 53.3%

Calcium 18.9%

Iron 22.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.