Loaded with flavor and topped with ooey-gooey cheese, this Cheesy Spanish Rice is an easy fix for any family that loves good food. Made in one skillet and then finished in the oven, this dish can bake while you’re putting the finishing touches on the rest of dinner. Hungry? Let’s get started.
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Everyone in my house goes nutty for this amazing dish, and the best part is that it makes the most wonderful leftovers, so try not to eat it all at once!
Ingredients to make Cheesy Spanish Rice
- Rice
- Canned tomatoes
- Bacon
- Onion
- Green pepper
- Garlic
- Cheddar cheese – I like orange sharp cheddar for this recipe, but any will work.
How To Make This Cheesy Rice Recipe
- Fry the chopped bacon in a skillet until it just starts cooking.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
- Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes and reserve the liquid.
- Add the drained tomatoes, rice, reserved liquid plus enough water to measure 2.5 cups, and green bell pepper to the skillet.
- Bring to a boil and stir. Season with salt.
- Pop the just boiled rice into a casserole dish and cover.
- Bake for 20 minutes covered, then uncover the dish, top with cheese, and cook an additional 5 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips to Make This Easy Spanish Rice
- Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the bacon, onion, and garlic if your bacon isn’t giving off enough fat.
- Drain the tomatoes using a kitchen strainer or sieve. Press out as much liquid as you can without mushing the tomatoes.
- Save the tomato juice! Add enough water to the tomato juice to get to 2.5 cups of liquid. You need this for the rice to cook.
- Bringing the rice mixture to a boil on the stovetop helps cut down on the cooking time, so make sure you use a large enough skillet to hold it all.
- Season with salt before it goes into the oven. Trying to add salt to cooked rice is very difficult.
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What To Serve With This Baked Rice Dish
This is a hearty baked rice dish with loads of flavor so you don’t want to overcomplicate the meal. I like serving it with lamb tacos or any other Southwestern-inspired dish, but these picks are also tasty with it.
- Grilled chicken or steak
- Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin
- Smoked picanha
Or, just enjoy it as a main course – it’s just that good!
How To Store Cheesy Spanish Rice
Not only does this rice dish keep really well in the fridge for a few days as leftovers, but it freezes like a dream!
To freeze: Chill it thoroughly in the fridge. Then wrap it tightly in a freezer-safe zipper-top bag or container. Freeze for up to three months.
To reheat: Thaw it and then heat it in the microwave or oven.
Well, it’s healthy in the sense that it is made from scratch with wholesome ingredients. However, it is not particularly low fat, low calorie, or low carb.
No! It has a lovely flavor from the bacon, onions, and tomatoes. You could add a bit of smoked hot paprika to add a bit of spice to the dish if you like.
Mine sure do, and my teenager will gobble up all the leftovers!
Step By Step Process
Cheesy Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1 28 ounce canned tomatoes drained, and liquid reserved
- 1 cup onion diced
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Drain the tomatoes keeping separate the chunks and the juice. Add enough water to the canned tomato liquid to measure 2.5 cups. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, fry the bacon until partially cooked, about 4 minutes. Add the diced onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice, drained tomatoes, and 2.5 cups of reserved liquid to the skillet. Add the diced green peppers and salt. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Once boiled, remove from the heat and carefully transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 350-F oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the casserole dish and stir. Top with cheese and put back in the oven, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes or until the rice is soft and the cheese is bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
