Crock Pot Mexican Casserole

I was going to call this I had all the ingredients in the pantry casserole, but thought you might not like that.  Actually what happened today was I pulled all the ingredients to another casserole and then realized I didn't have an egg.   There's really not anything that can be substituted for an egg so I had to go back and look and see what I had everything for.  The other recipe will probably be made one night next week.

Cheese makes everything great.

This recipe also called for bell pepper but I didn't have any today so you can add it or not add it.

Because I don't have a lot of counter space right now I started with the cans added to the crock pot.  Add 1 8oz can of tomato paste.

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans drained.  Now chili beans were the easiest for me to get to so I added those and I did not drain them.

1 package taco seasoning.

1/4 cup water

1 Tablespoon chili powder.  I had a heaping tablespoon because we like the spice.

Now I sautéed the onions in a little olive oil

And then browned and drained the ground beef before adding it to the crock pot.

Add the beef and stir well.  Cover and cook for about 6 hours.

About an hour before serving measure out 1 1/3 cup instant rice to add to the crock pot.

Add the rice.

Stir well and the recover and let cook for about an hour more.

A few minutes before serving add 1 cup or so grated cheese.

When it is melted it is time to eat.

I served this with a few taco chips.

Crock Pot Mexican Casserole Recipe

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
16 oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 1/3 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup cheddar cheese

I think a can of whole kernel corn drained would be good added to the mixture too.