I am of the opinion that tacos are for more than just Tuesdays, but I recognize that it might be a bit much to have them every day of the week. Luckily, this sour cream infused rice bake has plenty of taco flavor to get you through to your next taco night, but is different enough that it doesn’t feel like a repeat. It’s creamy, filling, delicious, and easy to put together, so it’s one of those dishes that you’ll love making as much as your family will love eating it.
The base of this casserole is rice, but it’s rice that has been mixed with sour cream and cottage cheese so that it’s creamy, flavorful, and anything but dry.
Ground beef is simmered in tomato sauce and taco seasoning before being poured over the rice, and that gets topped with some cheddar cheese before the whole thing heads into the oven to get nice and bubbly.
I love this bake mainly because it’s delicious, but also because I usually have all the ingredients on hand for it, so it’s easy to throw together whenever the mood strikes. And since it only takes thirty minutes from start to finish, it’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Sour Cream Taco Rice Bake
30 minutes to prepare serves 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, season the ground beef with taco seasoning and brown until cooked through. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together rice, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread mixture in bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Top with meat sauce and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
- Bake until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Buns in my Oven.