Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 large onion
- 1 bell pepper (any color – seeded)
- 1/2 zucchini
- 3 oz mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 3 cups bone broth (or beef broth)
- 3/4 cup salsa (of your choice)
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or any other cheese of your choice)
- Optional: parsley or cilantro (for garnish)
Prep All Your Vegetables
Chop the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic finely with a sharp knife.
If you want to save time, cut them into chunks and process in a food processor until finely chopped.
The smaller you chop everything, the better it blends into the rice and the less likely kids are to pick around it.
Brown the Ground Beef
Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef and cook until mostly browned, breaking it up as you cook; this takes ~4-5 minutes.
You want some good browning on the meat but it doesn’t need to be completely cooked through at this stage.
Add Vegetables and Cook Until Tender
Add all the chopped vegetables to the skillet with the beef.
Stir everything together and cook for ~4-5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
The onions should be translucent and the bell peppers should have lost their raw crunch.
Add Rice and Liquid, Then Simmer
Stir in the broth, salsa, rice, tomato paste, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Increase the heat to high to bring everything to a boil, then reduce to low to simmer.
Cover the skillet and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, ~25-30 minutes.
Don’t lift the lid too often – the rice needs consistent steam to cook properly.
Finish with Cheese and Serve
Uncover and give everything a stir to check that the rice is cooked through.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then cover for ~2-3 minutes until melted.
Serve warm, sprinkled with parsley or cilantro if you like.
Ground Beef and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 large onion
- 1 bell pepper any color – seeded
- 1/2 zucchini
- 3 oz mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 3 cups bone broth or beef broth
- 3/4 cup salsa of your choice
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or any other cheese of your choice
- Optional: parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Finely chop onion, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and brown ground beef for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add chopped vegetables and cook 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in broth, salsa, rice, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25-30 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off heat, sprinkle cheese on top, cover for 2-3 minutes until melted.
- Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired and serve warm.
