Spicy Cheesy Pinto Bean, Chile & Rice Bake
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Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons canola oil or ghee, divided
- 1 yellow onion, halved and quartered
- 5 small tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
- 5 poblano peppers
- 1 serrano chile
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 6 (4-inch) flour tortillas, cut into quarters (street-taco size)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Scallions and/or cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Spray a large oven-safe skillet or 1.5-quart Dutch oven with nonstick oil spray; set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with 2 teaspoons oil; add onions and tomatillos. Cook for about 6 minutes, until they have some color; then transfer to a blender.
- To the skillet, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and char the outside of poblano and serrano peppers until they are slightly blackened on all sides, about 10–12 minutes. Remove peppers from skillet, and turn off heat. Place poblano peppers in a zip-top bag until cool enough to handle, about 10–15 minutes. Peel, seed and chop poblano peppers; add to blender. Cut stem off serrano pepper, and add to blender. Add garlic, cilantro and ½ teaspoon salt to the blender. Puree until smooth. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Preheat oven to 425˚. While peppers are cooling, start cooking the rice. In a large pot, bring rice, broth and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until rice is cooked. Turn off heat.
- Stir blended mixture into rice. Add pinto beans, bell pepper, corn and cumin to rice mixture. Transfer mixture to prepared skillet. Push tortilla wedges into the casserole, leaving parts unsubmerged so they toast when baked. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top, and bake for 15–20 minutes until cheese bubbles and turns golden brown.
- Remove skillet from oven, and let cool a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro or scallions.
