Spanish Rice Bowl

This is a simple one pan meal.  It’s sort of a homemade hamburger helper.  Give it a try when you need a meal in a hurry.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or bacon grease or 2 strips bacon diced and cooked with ground meat
• 1 lb ground meat
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles ( use mild if you don’t care for spicy dishes)
• 2 tsp chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1/2  cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Cook bacon and ground meat until browned.  Remove ground meat from pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the renderings.
2. Sauté rice, onion, and bell pepper in the rendered bacon grease until rice is browned and onions are tender.
3. Add ground meat back in and stir in chicken stock, beans and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and top with cheese and cover until cheese has melted.
5. Serve in a bowl and top with shredded lettuce, black olives and a dollop of sour cream.  Great with a warm tortilla on the side.