Description
This Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole is a comforting, hearty dish featuring seasoned ground beef, creamy celery soup, instant rice, mixed vegetables, and topped with melted sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, this family favorite combines simple ingredients into a delicious one-dish meal baked to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
Soup and Liquids
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of celery soup
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Other
- 1 cup instant rice
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside to prepare your ingredients.
- Cook Ground Beef and Onion: In a Dutch oven or large skillet with deep sides over medium heat, add the ground beef and diced sweet onion. Break up the beef with a spoon, stirring frequently. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then remove the pan from heat.
- Mix in Soups and Seasonings: Add the cream of celery soup, beef stock, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pan. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Add Rice and Vegetables: Stir in the instant rice and frozen mixed vegetables until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Assemble Casserole: Transfer the entire mixture into the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread it out evenly and then top with the shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Bake Covered: Cover the casserole tightly with nonstick foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly and the cheese melted.
- Broil to Brown Cheese: Remove the foil and place the casserole under the broiler for a few minutes, watching carefully until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally sprinkle with dried or fresh parsley for color and serve hot as a comforting one-dish meal.
Notes
- This casserole is a family favorite and a simple, comforting one-dish recipe perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
- You can substitute frozen mixed vegetables with fresh or your preferred veggies according to taste.
- For a lighter version, use reduced-fat cheese and low-sodium beef stock.
- Leftovers store well and can be reheated in the microwave or oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 379 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 622 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
