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A simple, comforting recipe, ground beef, and rice have been the central meal for billions of people for generations. A simple, slightly-Asian inspired mixture, this is the kind of meal you make when you just want something tasty, filling, and comfy, and you don’t want to break the bank.
For more ways to work mushroom soups into recipes why not try this Rice & Mushroom Casserole? Or these Baked Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops!
Ground Beef and Rice
Simple, dependable, and the chosen quick meal of almost half the world, some kind of meat mixed with rice has been the backbone of humanity for generations.
This recipe for ground beef and rice is perhaps the simplest iteration of this – it should be savory, satisfying, and slightly reminiscent of some good Chinese takeout, while not being too complicated to make at home.
Make this for when you don’t want to spend ages in the kitchen, and instead just want something satisfying, filling, and reliable to leave you smiling at the end of a long day at work.
Could You Make This Recipe Spicy?
The given recipe below will make a savory, salty, and satisfying beef and rice, but one thing that it lacks is really any kind of spiciness.
Considering this recipe takes inspiration from a plethora of different Asian recipes, it stands to reason that it would hold up well to adding a little bit of spice to it.
Well, thanks to this recipe’s simplicity, you can easily add spice in any form you like.
Add some chopped fresh chilies when you cook the celery to get a fresh, yet spicy kick to your beef and rice.
Or, for a more pronounced spice, why not add some chili crisp, or even some spicy chili oil?
You could even just add a few dashes of dried cayenne pepper for that little kick of spice. Use whatever you feel comfortable with – you might even amplify the flavor even if you don’t like spice!
Can You Prepare Your Ground Beef And Rice In Advance?
This recipe is perfect for making a quick and easy weeknight meal, but it does still require a good amount of prep, followed by a full hour of cooking time.
If you were looking to get a bit more done in advance, you absolutely could prepare the majority of this recipe in advance.
Simply follow the recipe and stop just after step 6, with the whole thing ready to cook in a casserole dish covered with foil.
Instead of throwing it in the oven, simply keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If you make sure to use it up to around 2 days after preparing it, it should still taste just as good, but with the added benefit that you don’t need to do any prep, you just have to put a dish in the oven and wait, perfect for a quick assembly when you get back from work.
Would Other Meats Work In This Dish?
While the name of this dish would imply that you can only possibly use ground beef as the protein of choice here, you could actually play around with your choice of proteins and choose whatever you feel like!
Here are a few good suggestions for alternatives to ground beef.
- Ground Turkey or Chicken
For those looking for a bit of a leaner dish, some ground turkey or chicken would be a perfect alternative. Though it does lack a bit of that tasty fatty flavor, this is a great way to reduce your overall cholesterol and make the whole thing that bit healthier.
- Ground Pork
Ground pork is, if anything, a little bit worse for you than ground beef, but it has its own unique flavor that is simply not comparable to beef. More grassy and gamey, ground pork will make this dish a totally different flavor and feel to it, so it is definitely worth considering.
- Beef Chunks
Finally, for those still looking for a good beefy option, some beef chunks could work instead of ground beef. Whether you use regular beef chuck or even little cuts of steak, is up to you, but chunks will make for a slightly chewier, more satisfying meal, though it might also take longer to cook as well.
Looking for more delicious Rice recipes? Try these out:
• How to Make Easy Fried Rice Recipe
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Ground Beef And Rice
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dry long grain rice
- 1 Lb ground beef
- ¾ cup diced onions
- 1¼ cup chopped celery
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can 284 grams sliced mushrooms (save juice)
- 4 Tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Cook the rice as per the package directions, set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- In a large saucepan on medium high heat add the ground beef, diced onions and chopped celery. Saute until ground beef is cooked and no pink remains.
- In a small / medium bowl add the soup, sliced mushrooms and the juice, and the soy sauce. Stir well to combine.
- Pour the mushroom soup mix into the ground beef mixture and stir. Add in the rice and stir gently until it is combined.
- Pour into a 9 X 13 casserole dish and cover with foil.
- Bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Patty says
Just wondering why it needs to bake for an hour when everything in it is already cooked? Why cook the rice on the stove top when it can be cooked in the oven and absorb flavor as it cooks?
Tom says
Can you use real mushrooms, not a fan of canned for the ground beef and rice recipe?
Kathy Martin says
What size sliced mushrooms; 4 or 8 oz?
Mary Ann says
Karlynn is that cream of mushroom soup or the golden broth based mushroom soup?
Karami Urbanoski says
Hi Mary Ann, it is the cream of mushroom soup. I have adjusted the recipe to add this note.Thanks.
Cindy Brick says
Goodness, that’s a lot of fussing about a very simple dish…but I guess giving all the variations makes a difference.
We know this better as ‘Porcupine Rice.’ I’ve seen it done as ‘Porcupine Meatballs,’ too.