I hadn’t planned to share this recipe in a blog post (which I hope explains the bad lighting of the photo that I took as an afterthought when I made this dish!).
After I shared aforementioned terrible photo in my Instagram stories I had quite a few requests for the recipe, so here we are.
I’m glad I had requests for this recipe, because it really was too tasty and easy not to share!
Plus, the black bean/brown rice combo gives you a hefty serving of fibre & protein so it’s also too healthy not to share! This is a great weeknight meal because it’s low maintenance and fast. I served ours with guacamole and a side salad of dark leafy greens.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups brown rice*
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced green chilies (127ml)
1 can finely chopped tomatoes (I used Mutti brand, 398ml)
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup puréed sweet potato (optional but nice for creaminess)
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
5 green onions finely chopped
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chili powder
Sea salt & pepper to taste
2 cups white cheddar cheese (I prefer extra old!)
Directions:
Cook rice in broth according to package directions.
Heat the oven to 400F and grease a large rectangular casserole dish with avocado oil.
While the rice cooks, chop the red pepper, tomatoes, cilantro & green onions.
In a large casserole dish: pour in the black beans, green chilies, canned and fresh tomatoes, red pepper, cilantro, green onions, sweet potato, spices, sea salt & pepper, and mix it all together.
Add the cooked rice and 1 cup of the cheese. Mix everything together well and spread out evenly in the dish, smoothing the top.
Top with the remaining cheese. Add more cheese if there are bald spots with no cheese!
Bake uncovered at 400 F for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and light brown.
Serve with a big dollop of homemade guacamole (my recipe is in my digital cookbook which you can purchase HERE!)
* I always cook my brown rice in my Instant Pot in homemade chicken broth. If you haven’t tried cooking your rice in broth, I highly recommend it! It’s a game changer for elevating flavour.
Please let me know if you try this recipe! I’d love to see your photos – I’m sure they’ll have better lighting than mine!
