Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sauté onion in butter until softened, 3–4 minutes.
- Brown beef and garlic until beef reaches 160°F. Drain fat.
- Stir in oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Add tomato sauce, broth, rice, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheddar; simmer 3–4 minutes.
- Spread into baking dish; bake uncovered 15 minutes.
- Stir sour cream and remaining 1 cup cheddar together.
- Top casserole with sour cream mixture; bake 12–15 minutes more until bubbly.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use day-old or leftover rice, not freshly cooked — fresh rice releases extra moisture and can make the casserole watery.
Drain the beef thoroughly after browning, or the sauce turns oily instead of creamy.
Add the sour cream-cheese topping partway through baking (not before) so it melts smoothly instead of separating.
Let it rest 5 minutes before serving so the topping sets.
Freezes well without the topping: freeze the baked beef-and-rice base up to 2 months, thaw overnight, then add a fresh topping before reheating.
Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge; reheat covered at 350°F or in the microwave in short bursts.
Drain the beef thoroughly after browning, or the sauce turns oily instead of creamy.
Add the sour cream-cheese topping partway through baking (not before) so it melts smoothly instead of separating.
Let it rest 5 minutes before serving so the topping sets.
Freezes well without the topping: freeze the baked beef-and-rice base up to 2 months, thaw overnight, then add a fresh topping before reheating.
Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge; reheat covered at 350°F or in the microwave in short bursts.
