Gluten Free Taco Rice Casserole
A crowd-pleaser if there ever was one, this Gluten Free Taco Rice Casserole will be loved by everyone! This freezer-friendly baked rice dish is made with ground beef, beans, Corn, and tomatoes and it’s so delicious.
As the due date neared for the birth of our baby girl, I planned all the meals to stock the freezer with for after her arrival, and I’m so glad to have this Taco Rice Casserole on-hand now that she is here and my hands are full doing everything but cooking! And let me tell you, homemade casseroles are the perfect freezer-friendly dinner!
Making this Gluten Free Taco Rice Casserole couldn’t be simpler. White rice is cooked up first. In a separate pan fry up your ground beef, corn, beans, tinned tomatoes and a pre-made pack of taco seasoning. It is then optionally finished off with a bit of cheese, but it’s totally fine to skip it to keep this dairy-free.
How to Freeze Taco Rice Casserole
Casseroles are famously easy to make ahead of time and freeze and this Gluten Free Taco Rice Casserole is no exception. To freeze it, put it in a freezer-friendly container, according to the instructions in the recipe. Then, let the casserole briefly cool at room temperature before cooling completely in the refrigerator. Then wrap tightly in the container with plastic wrap twice and transfer to the freezer.
Once frozen, use within 3-4 months.
Ideally, you’ll need to plan at least 12 hours in advance before you want to bake the casserole to defrost it properly. Hands down, the best way to defrost food is in the refrigerator, overnight. This is ideal in terms of food safety, but it’s also your best bet in preserving the taste and integrity of the food.
Once the casserole is defrosted bake at 180ºC, for about 15 – 20 minutes and until the cheese is nice and melted.
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 package of taco seasoning, i used Old El Paso
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour Cream to serve
- Boil rice according to package instructions, drain.
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef, and continue cooking until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the beans, taco seasoning, salt, pepper, and tinned tomatoes stir together until it is completely combined. simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat
- Add rice to a baking dish then top with the mince mixture and finish with the grated cheese. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes to melt cheese.
- Remove from the oven and let the casserole sit for 5 minutes.
- Once ready to serve, top with a tablespoon of sour cream.
Helpful Equipment you may wish to buy for this Recipe
