Growing up in the Minnesota meant that I ate lots of casseroles growing up. Except we called them “hot dishes”. Since I’m no longer living in Minnesota I thought casserole was a more universal term than hot dish so the recipe title reflects casserole, even though in my heart, it will always be a hot dish to me.
Growing up, we needed hearty and warm food in our bellies to sustain us through those cold, long winters. Hot dishes were the way to go. Not to mention, they made planned leftovers, and were an inexpensive way to feed a family.
It wasn’t gogi berries and dulse flakes and locally grown avocados and lemon trees in the backyard where I grew up.
It was food like this.
This casserole reminds me of my mom’s weekly taco night and my grandma’s rice-based hot dishes.
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Cheesy Taco Casserole
2 c cooked rice (cook 1 c dry rice with 2 c water for a 2 c rice yield)
1 jar salsa (I used a 12 oz jar of salsa that was corn and bean based, not red sauce based. Use something you like or have on hand)
optional: 1/2 c to 1 c diced veggies such as carrots, bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, onions (whatever you’d add to tacos)
optional: 1 can beans (red, black, pinto, etc.)
2 tbsp taco seasoning (about 1/2 packet of commercially prepared taco seasonings, or the whole packet if you want extra taco flavor)
1 c sour cream (8 oz)
2 c shredded cheese + 1/2 c
Directions:
After cooking the rice, combine all the other ingredients with the rice in a large bowl and stir until combined. Pour mixture into a foil-lined 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 shreeded cheese on top. Bake at 375F for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until cheese and the top is beginning to brown. If you added extra beans, veggies, or your salsa was watery, this could lengthen cooking time.
Allow casserole to rest and cool for about 10 minutes to make slicing easier.
Yields: 12 hearty squares of casserole from the 9 x 13 pan. Store leftovers in fridge or freeze squares in individual sized containers in the freezer for your a homemade, fast, “tv dinner”.
Notes: To make this vegan (and it’s already gluten-free)
For the sour cream, use a vegan/soy-based sour cream such as Follow Your Heart, or use a vegan/soy-based cream cheese such as Tofutti + splash of almond mik or water to thin it out.
For the shredded cheese, use a vegan cheese such as Follow Your Heart or Daiya.
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Cook the rice
Add all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.
Press into a foil-lined 9 x 13 pan, and top with extra cheese before baking.
After baking….
…Garnish with sour cream and a bit more cheese, and serve with your favorite chips, if desired.
It combines flavors of my childhood into an easy meal.
And Scott and Skylar raved about it.
Then again, anything with cheese and real sour cream is off to a good start, right?
Planned leftovers save the day. Refrigerate or freeze, as I suggested in the recipe portion, for a hectic workweek meal option to have on hand.
From my last posts, a big thank you to everyone who continues to wish us a Happy 10 Year Anniversary. I am blown away by how many of you have commented and how touching your comments are. Thank you.
And, thanks for congratulating me on being featured in Women’s Health Magazine. I am pretty excited about that one!
Questions:
1. Did you grow up eating casseroles or hot dishes?
Oh, you know I did!
Cheap, easy, leftovers, can make in advance. They were a mom’s best friend. I understand that all better now that I’m a working mom.
2. Any favorite casserole recipes or go-to dishes that are your salvation for when you’re busy?
I’m all ears! (One or two links, max, or your comment will go into moderation.)
3. Best thing you’re eaten or done over the weekend?
Getting to Aruba, celebrating my 10 year anniversary, and being featured in a magazine! It’s been a great weekend for me!
P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts, here are mine since Friday:
I grew up on casseroles, too, so they will always hold a special place with me. This one sounds good and most importantly…simple!
casseroles were sooo a part of my childhood! this brings back memories for sure!
Dang that looks good! My bf and I are obsessed with Mexi-style dishes, and I think we’d love this! I definitely must try this in the vegan-fied version. I have not had enough casseroles in my life in the last few years. Thanks!
that casserole dish looks really really really good! i wanna make it tonite!! it’s been kinda cold here in the bay so i want something warm and hearty!
congrats on being feature on a mag! wooho!!
so comforting! what a great recipe :)
Hi Averie,
I started reading your blog a while back while looking for a recipe for kale chips, and i loooove your recipe with nooch and i make it often. However i haven’t been keeping up regularly and i have noticed that this recipe is not vegan as well as another recipe that you published a few weeks back, of a dessert, i think a brownie. I was wondering if you have made the choice not to be vegan anymore, and have talked about it in a post that i have missed, or if you’re just publishing the recipes for people who might not be vegan… The reason i’m interested is that I have been vegan for a couple years, but recently started eating cheese again, as well as desserts that have eggs. I have been feeling a bit guilty, but i had been feeling very restricted in my diet and felt like my body needs this right now. Anyway I was just wondering how you felt about it.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
Sally
Hi Sally
Two fold answer…one is that I am no longer vegan and no, I didnt have a “big post about not being vegan”…I just kind of did it. I dont eat eggs or dairy really on their own, but in recipes, i.e. brownies with eggs or a casserole with cheese/sour cream, yes, I have them. And let’s face it, I am not bellying up to a bowl of this casserole daily. 95% of what I eat IS vegan but the other 5% isn’t and I am totally fine with that. I dont feel “bad” about it. I am happy about it, I love what my current eating path is, and so if you’re feeling restricted in some way, then I say explore options to make you feel less restricted.
Second part…truthfully, many people want non vegan recipes and so there’s that aspect for readers. But that’s secondary to the first part of my answer.
I was just thinking that I needed something easy (no time today) and warm (it’s cold and rainy out) to make for dinner tonight, and lo and behold, you posted this! Thanks :) I’m headed to the store right now!
My favorite hot dish is when I have random bits of ingredients that I can throw together and bake. I call it garbage casserole, much to the disgust of my husband, lol.
oh wow, this looks absolutely divine!!!
We weren’t a casserole family, interestingly enough! My mom would just make like four boxes of pasta at once and then heat up a few jars of pasta sauce and tell us to go to town for a few days. Even less planning than casseroles, haha. It’s so funny how different regions call foods different things- I still think it’s so bizarre that people call sandwiches “subs” and not “hoagies!”
This sounds awesome! I’m guessing I can use Greek yogurt to sub for some of the sour cream? I haven’t made any casseroles in a while but I definitely want to whip this up soon!
yes, no problem.
i posted at the bottom of the recipe some vegan options for the recipe and although I didnt mention yogurt, Im sure it would be fine.
This taco casserole looks delicious. i am definitely going to try to make this sometime
making it with real ingredients really ups the experience of a meal- i find it makes you appreciate the textures, taste, and smells much more, and each bite is truly a delight. The recipe is truly wonderful! im a sucker for anything that has a little corn in it too!! <3
xoxo
This looks so tasty! I know we would love this and I appreciate recipes where they make enough for leftovers. Leftovers are crucial for survival around here. ;-).
Thanks! Have fun in Aruba!!
yes leftovers save sanity on busy evenings!
Oh wow, this looks so good! Cheese and cheesy dishes is the one thing I sometimes craves BIG time as a vegan! So happy for you that you are so relaxed about your food choices, sounds like it is the right way for you!
well, Ive moved away from vegan to vegetarian since I cook with dairy…not that I eat that much dairy, despite what this recipe suggests :) But you could use a soy based sour cream/cream cheese like tofutti + almond milk to thin and you’re all set for a vegan casserole.
campbell’s cheesy chicken and rice casserole is definitely a go-to when times running low. I swap out the white with brown rice and add whatever frozen or fresh veggies I have available. I don’t eat the chicken, but it’s nice for my family who does. I’ll just eat the rice and veggies :)
My mom used to make hashbrown casserole… it was the fattiest thing in existance. Some of the ingredients included half a cup of melted butter, hashbrowns, sour cream, whole milk, lots of cheddar cheese and as for the veggie? Well there were a few bits of green onion that my brother and I used to pick out. Needless to say I don’t make it now that I know better! But oh wow is it ever delicious!
another commenter right before you, Emily, just talked about hashbrown casserole!