Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Place an ovenproof pan over high heat. Add olive oil, then the ground beef and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 1 minute, breaking the meat into smaller pieces. Add the diced onion and continue cooking, crumbling the meat, until it starts to brown and the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Brown the meat well for the best flavor.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high, or medium if the pan is very hot. Add the butter and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts, about 1 minute. Add the black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the cut bell peppers and cook and stir until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the raw rice and stir until it is coated with the fats in the pan, about 1 minute. Add the remaining salt, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Raise the heat to high. Stir everything together and wait for the mixture to simmer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with about half of the shredded cheese, saving about 1/2 cup for the top. Use a spoon to poke and stir the cheese in evenly. Cover the pan tightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover, and check the rice for tenderness in a few spots. If the rice is not tender, cover and continue to bake. Once the rice is tender, remove the casserole from the oven, uncover, sprinkle over the rest of the cheese, and turn on the oven’s broiler.
- Broil the casserole until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
For a quicker browning of the cheese, you can finish the casserole in a 450 degrees F (235 degrees C) oven until the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes.