Cheesy Zucchini and Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 – 8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 large zucchini, sliced into half moons
• ¼ cup green onion, chopped (I used about ⅓ cup)
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 (7 oz) can green chilis, undrained
• 3 cups cooked white rice (1 cup uncooked rice yields 3 cups cooked)
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 large tomato or 6 cherub tomatoes, sliced (I omitted these)
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sauté ground beef, zucchini, green onion, and spices in extra-large skillet until meat browns and veggies are crisp tender. Drain grease.
• Add green chilis, rice, sour cream, and 1 cup Monterey Jack; stir to combine.
• Grease a 9″x13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the meat and rice mixture into the dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (If you are excluding the tomatoes like I did, top the casserole with the remaining cheese before you stick it in the oven and skip the last step.)
• Top with remaining Pepper Jack, sliced tomatoes, and pepper to taste. Return to oven until cheese melts and tomatoes are hot – about 5 minutes.

Notes

• The green chilis do not make this dish spicy at all; they only add flavor.
• Pepper Jack cheese is spicy; however, the heat is very mild in this dish. I think the sour cream balances out the heat. (If it helps, I am a mild to medium heat kind of girl.)
• If you don’t have an extra-large skillet, cook the meat and veggies in a large skillet then combine with the next set of ingredients in a large bowl.

If you love this recipe please enjoy and share!