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This recipe makes pretty much the same as the branded copy that comes in a box, but better. This is one of my favorites. When my son was in college, he came home for spring break, and one of his friends came over and ended up spending the night on our couch. The next day I made this dish for them with Italian sausage. They ate the whole thing.
Rice-a-Roni, just the name alone reminds me of the commercials for this San Francisco treat. I have to admit, I was addicted to the beef flavor. Mom would buy me some for my lunches because I liked it so much and she made the chicken variety quite often. When I was little, I wasn’t the best cook, so boxed mixes were my thing. Now that I’m the head cook and bottle washer at home (I know, I’m showing my age with this), I prefer homemade.
A few years ago, my husband made a face when I said I wanted him to buy me boxed mixes. I eventually let him know that he didn’t really like them. They were missing something he couldn’t identify. Well, we can’t have that, can we? I thought for a moment and started looking in the pantry for things I knew were in the mix. I knew what my family liked and the spices that made them up, so I had a head start. It took me two tries to get it ready for dinner that night (the first one was burnt, sorry husband), but he liked it and I knew I had something.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- chopped onions
- chopped red and green bell peppers.
- Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese
- 1 can of Rotel
- salt pepper
- cumin
Directions:
Combine all together along with the prepared rice. Pour into a baking dish and top with additional shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 ° for 25- 30 minutes.