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Tasty Hamburger Skillet

Kid-approved hearty recipe with beans, rice and topped with cheese.
Kid friendly
Large bowl of Hamburger Skillet with a melty cheese topping.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 9 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (15% fat or less)
⅓ cup chopped onion 
⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups water
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1 ½ cups corn (canned and drained, frozen, or fresh cooked)
1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. Cook ground beef, onion and green bell pepper in large skillet over medium heat (300 degrees F in an electric skillet) until hamburger is no longer pink. Drain excess fat from pan (see Notes).
  4. Add water, rice, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, tomatoes with juice, corn and beans.
  5. Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is soft.
  6. Remove from heat, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve hot.
  7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • Garnish this dish with a tablespoon of low-fat sour cream.
  • Flavor boosters: green chiles, jalapeño peppers, more garlic, and other seasonings.
  • Make extra! Leftovers make a great filling for tacos, burritos, filling for stuffed bell peppers, or as a topping for baked potatoes.
  • Use whole grains! Use brown rice instead of white rice and increase cooking time to 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.
  • Cook your own dry beans. One can (15 ounces) is about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups drained beans.
  • Pour fat from cooked meat into a metal container. Let it cool, then dispose of it in a garbage can.

Comments

This recipe is perfect for my family. We like to serve this with a green salad with diced apples. Then we are eating all 5 food groups!

Are we supposed to cook on medium?  I had it simmering and the rice didn't even cook.  I changed the heat to medium so we shall see.  Thanks.

Simmering should be the correct temperature for cooking rice.  Use whatever setting on your stove that will keep the liquid simmering but not boiling.  It is also important to put a lid on the pan.  If too much liquid evaporates before the rice is tender, add a small amount of water and continue cooking.  

The Food Hero Team 

Excellent meal; made mine a little spicier, topped with a little sour cream:)

I would suggest this as a burrito filling.

That is a great idea Claudia, thank you for sharing! See the note we added above.

-Food Hero Team

Makes a really great meal. We used sour cream and it really made a difference!

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