A Protien Packed Meal, That's also Vegetarian!
Cheesy Spanish Rice with Beans is nutritious, simple to prepare and it tastes so good! The best part about this dish is that it's protein-packed and you can feel good about serving it to your family or guests! Enjoyed as the main meal, or as a side dish!
Boxed Spanish Rice is heavy in sodium and can’t be compared to the real thing! Making it at home is far healthier and, frankly far more delicious! Plus this recipe is made in the same amount of time!!
It’s the perfect recipe for those nights when you don't feel like cooking anything too complicated.
What’s not to like about a hearty bowl of delicious black beans and rice?
My best friend, Trina makes this Spanish Rice with Black Beans recipe for her husband frequently. I asked her for the recipe and she said, “Watch your husband devour it after he says he’s not interested!”. True story!
Statements like that grab a hold of me, I just can’t let something like that slide off my radar, ever!
I went home and made it right away, of course! How could I not?!
The meal was gobbled up quickly without any complaints by my kiddos. They didn't complain about spiciness, veggies, or beans! That's a complete success in my book, considering I have some real picky eaters! I really love this recipe too! Score!!!
It has all the flavors of a traditional Mexican or Spanish rice dish and the addition of cheese at the end seals the deal for me! The cheese helps mellow out the spices but doesn't distract from the flavor at all! In fact, it complements it perfectly!
Plus, a fantastic vegetarian option or some ground beef could easily be added for the carnivores!
Cheesy Spanish Rice with Beans
Time needed: 11 minutes
How to Make Easy Spanish Rice with Beans
- Prepare the rice using the directions on the package for 2 cups of rice, water and also add salsa.
A little bit of salsa is added to the water as the rice steams, which really makes all the difference in the flavoring for this recipe! What I like most about this recipe is that it’s super quick to put together using minute rice!
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- While the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce separately!
Dice some onions and peppers, then soften them in another skillet with a little olive oil and spices. This gives out a wonderful perfume in the kitchen!
Then tomato sauce is added to the onions and peppers along with the black beans and a tiny amount of hot sauce for a little kick. More hot sauce can absolutely be added for a spicier outcome if you wish!
- Simmer the Sauce!
The sauce and beans mesh together while simmering on the stovetop for a short time of 3-5 minutes.
- Combine the Sauce and Rice, and Serve!
When the rice is finished cooking, a little butter is added to fluff it up using a fork. Then the fluffy rice is stirred into the sauce along with some shredded cheese and it’s ready to serve!
Check out Southwest Black Bean Veggie Burgers and Spring Pasta with Lemon for some of Trina's other awesome vegetarian meal ideas. She rocks at incorporating staple ingredients!
Recipe 📖
Cheesy Spanish Rice with Beans
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Cups 5 Minute White Rice easy instant white rice
- 2 Cups Water or as directed on the package of rice
- ½ Cup Salsa or 4 oz Medium heat and Chunky
- 1 tablespoon Butter salted or unsalted
- 1 ½ tablespoon Olive Oil extra virgin
- 1 Small Red Pepper or jarred roughly chopped
- ½ Small Onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes cayenne pepper could be substituted
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder or garlic powder
- 16 OZ Canned Black Beans drained and rinsed
- 1 Cup Tomato Sauce or marinara
- 4 Dashes Hot Sauce such as Franks Hot Sauce
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to the package directions also adding in the salsa. The salsa flavors the rice nicely while steaming.
Prepare the sauce while the rice cooks.
- In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the peppers, onions, cumin, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes and saute until soft or onions are translucent. About 3-4 minutes
- Stir in the black beans, hot sauce, and tomato sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes uncovered.
- Add butter to the rice and fluff with a fork.
- Add the fluffy salsa rice to the sauce pan along with a cup of cheddar cheese, stir until combined, and serve!
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