It’s amazing what one simple, little change can make.. For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you might recognize the recipe for Beefy Corn Rice-A-Roni – When “Quick” is All That Matters. It’s a simple family favorite for those nights when time is of the essences. Recently, I whipped up the Rice-A-Roni based dish as I always do, with one tiny change.
Instead of browning fresh ground beef; I used up the last of our left-over taco meat from earlier in the week. No sense in letting that taco meat go to waste, right? There really wasn’t enough to make burritos – but there was enough to use as a filler. That little change – using taco meat – brought out a whole new dimension. We loved the Mexican Spicy flair to one of our familiar favorite one-skillet suppers. What a difference! There was nothing left of my Beefy-Corn Taco dish – not even a spoonful!
Needless to say, I will be using left-over taco meat more often when making Rice-A-Roni with sweet corn.
Beefy-Corn Rice-A-Roni Taco Style
1/2 lb Taco Meat (left over – more if you’ve got it)
4 tablespoons Butter
2 Boxes Beef Rice-A-Roni
1 Can Corn, drained well
4 Cups Water
Brown Rice-A-Roni (Beef flavor) in butter according to package direction. When pasta is nice and golden, add water and seasoning packages from box. Bring to a boil.
Drain corn, add to skillet. Add taco meat, return to a boil.
Lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
This goes well with tomato wedges or a simple salad. This flavorful rice still works well as a filling for stuffed Bell Peppers.
To use for stuffed Bell Pepper:
Prepare Beefy Rice-A-Roni as above. While Rice-A-Roni is cooking, cut the tops from bell peppers and core. Place peppers in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes to help soften. Remove peppers from water, drain well.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bell peppers on a glass baking dish with about a 2-inch rim.
Spoon rice mixture into peppers. Top with a little cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
