Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

There is a lot of football watching going on in our house this weekend.  Yesterday we watched the Steelers win (eh) and at the moment I am waiting for da Bears to hurry up and win so the Patriot's game (the important one) can start.  Although, honestly after the way Seatlle played last week I kind of hoped they would have shown up for the game today.

So the menu focus this weekend was quick and easy.  Last night for supper I threw together the following recipe that I've had floating around in my 'to try' pile for years.  I cooked everything up in the morning and just tossed it in the refrigerator and then put the casserole together right before I baked it.  It took about a 1/2 hour for it to start bubbling.  We had it with steamed broccoli (frozen that you just toss in the microwave) and a salad.

I did change it up a bit.  I used brown rice in the base and regular sour cream as I hate the funky taste of the fat free.  I added a can of black beans to the skillet with the ground beef and called it six servings instead 4.

GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!

Cheesy Beef-and-Rice Casserole

Yield: 6 servings
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (15.5-ouce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and next 6 ingredients (water through beans); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine the rice, sour cream, sliced green onions, and milk in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into a baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 438 Calories; 12g Fat (29.5% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 387mg Sodium.