Name: Pizza Rice Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 habanero pepper, minced*; 1 (156ml) can tomato paste; 1 (398 ml) can tomato sauce; pinch red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 cup uncooked rice; 1 cup cottage cheese; 2 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated

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My Pizza Rice Casserole is a favourite weeknight dish that has all the components of a pizza without the crust.

A side view of a pizza rice casserole dish.

I love a quick, easy casserole for a weeknight meal and this one is perfect with a side of salad. It has everything you would want in a pizza - meat, cheese (lot's of cheese!), peppers and onions. Instead of a crust, rice is used in it's place.

How to make Pizza Rice Casserole

In a large skillet you will cook the ground beef, onions, peppers and garlic. Once the vegetables are softened and the meat is no longer pink, add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce and all the herbs and spices. Simmer this mixture while you make the rice and cheese layer.

An above view of a pizza rice casserole dish.

Cook your choice of instant uncooked rice as per package directions. Mix the cooked rice with a generous amount of cottage cheese and you are ready to assemble.

Start with a layer of half the amount of the cottage cheese mixture in the bottom of your casserole dish, and then spoon half the amount of the meat mixture over top of that. Sprinkle some cheese over it all and repeat the layers. Cook it in the oven to warm it all through and that's it! This is a wonderful weeknight meal and I hope you all enjoy it.

Some more weeknight meal recipes

Pizza Rice Casserole

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

My Pizza Rice Casserole is a favourite weeknight dish that has all the components of a pizza without the crust.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ habanero pepper, minced*
1 (156ml) can tomato paste
1 (398 ml) can tomato sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch round casserole dish; set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion and both peppers until the vegetables are softened and the meat is no longer pink. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Immediately add in tomato paste and stir to combine. Then add in the tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley and sugar. Stir to combine and reduce heat to a simmer.
Meanwhile cook the rice per package directions. Combine the cooked rice with the cottage cheese and set aside.
Spoon half of the rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with half of the meat mixture and sprinkle a ½ of the cheese on top. Repeat the layers and cover the casserole dish with tin foil.
Bake the casserole for 20 minutes and then remove the tin foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Notes

* This casserole has a tiny bit of heat to it. If you prefer no heat, then leave out the habanero pepper. Alternatively, if you do, increase the amount of habanero pepper to your taste.

Leftovers can be stored airtight in the fridge. This casserole can also be frozen. Bring the casserole back to room temperature and then warm through in either the oven or microwave.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 597Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 903mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 40g

All nutritional information provided on ninakneadstobake.com are intended for informational purposes only.