Tex Mex Rice

Sometimes reducing a collection can come back and bite you. I have only another week or so before the garage sale. As I eliminate cookbooks, I give them to my Mom (and then my sisters) to look through before it goes to the garage sale box. Today's recipe was certainly yummy and came out of one of those cookbooks. It was easy and tasty. Mom didn't want to heat up the oven so she made it on top of the stove in a large pan and the only thing changed is adding a little green onion. Mom ordinarily uses Spanish Rice for Stuffed Green Peppers, but this recipe is close enough to use it for the same thing, although since I like it spicier, I would use raw hot Italian sausage instead of the ground beef. So, I've included that recipe as well.

The Tex-Mex Rice recipe is from 100 Years and Still Cooking Centennial Cookbook from Trinity Episcopal Church Women of Pocatello, ID c 1998. My sister Patty will appreciate this as Pocatello, ID is not that far from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (a place she's been to). Here's a link to that site. http://www.nps.gov/crmo/



Tex-Mex Rice

Em Gates; Trinity Episcopal Church, Pocatello, ID

1 pound ground beef
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (like Rotel)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt

Cook rice in salted water 30 minutes. Brown ground beef until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes and chilies, onions, and tomato sauce. Add cooked rice and mix well. Transfer mixture to an 8x8 inch baking pan; cover with grated cheese. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes. Serves 4.

Mom cooked on top of stove with a large non-stick pan leaving the cover ajar. If you only have regular onions, add them to the ground beef while browning.

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

Select peppers that are blocky so that they stand up. Substitute Hot Italian sausages (casings removed) for the ground beef in Tex-Mex Rice recipe. Cut open tops of green peppers and clean out all seeds and white ribbing parts. Boil peppers in water for 5 minutes. Remove. Stuff with the Tex-Mex Rice and place in casserole dish. Pour additional tomato sauce on top and around peppers. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes with cover or aluminum foil cover. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.