Tex-mex Skillet Dinner

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 -3 tablespoons mild chili powder, to taste (or 3 - 4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix)
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable juice (i use a 11.5 ounce can of v8 juice you can also use plain tomato juice)
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 -2 teaspoon oregano, dried (crumble in your palm)
• 1 -1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (if using chili mix, check seasoning before adding salt)
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
• 1 (11 ounce) can canned corn niblets, drained (or 1 cup frozen corn)
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (or your favorite)

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion, peppers, and garlic, stirring frequently, about 3 - 4 minutes, remove to a small bowl and set aside.
• 2 add ground beef to the same skillet, breaking it into pieces, and saute until no longer pink; drain off excess fat if desired; add chili powder, (or chili seasoning mix), and reserved sauteed vegetables; stir well to combine.
• 3 add v8 juice (or tomato juice if using), undrained kidney beans, oregano, cumin, salt, and rice; stir well and bring to a boil. lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until rice is cooked. (check half way through making sure mixture is not sticking, add a little water if necessary).
• 4 stir in corn and olives; cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
• 5 sprinkle cheese on top and cover just until the cheese is melted.
• 6 note: this recipe is very forgiving, it's hard to mess it up. i usually adjust the seasonings according to how much ground beef i am using, you can add more or less spices to suit your taste, substitute black beans for kidney beans. more onion, less peppers, a jalapeno, etc -- just make sure you add enough juice to cook the rice (you may want to check after about 10 - 15 minutes and, if needed add some more juice or water). the above measurements work well for 1 pound of ground beef. i tend to use the larger measure of spices, (sometimes more), it just depends on your taste. it makes a great filling for burritos.