Mexican Beef & Rice Bake
with Sour Cream & Lemon
- Milk
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
Loaded with tomatoey, Tex-Mex-spiced beef and veggies, this is no ordinary rice bake, and the kids can even get hands-on with this one. Grill until the cheese is gooey and golden and serve with some mandatory sour cream, plus a squeeze of lemon to cut the richness.
Ingredients
2 clove
garlic
1 packet
basmati rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy.)
1 stalk
celery
1 tin
sweetcorn
1
carrot
1
onion
½
lemon
1 packet
beef mince
½ packet
tomato paste
1 sachet
vegetable stock powder
1 packet
Light Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 sachet
Tex-Mex spice blend
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy.)
1 packet
Cheddar cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
olive oil
20 g
butter
(Contains: Milk)
1.5 cup
water (for the rice)
½ cup
water (for the beef)
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Finely chop garlic. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add basmati rice, the water (for the rice) and a generous pinch of salt. Stir, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat. Keep covered until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 10 minutes (the rice will finish cooking in its own steam, so don't peek!).
While the rice is cooking, drain sweetcorn. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. Cook corn, tossing, until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Meanwhile, grate carrot. Finely chop onion. Finely chop celery. Zest lemon, then cut into wedges.
TIP: Cover the pan with a lid if the corn kernels are "popping" out.
Little cooks: Don your goggles and help peel off the onion's outer layer! Older kids can also help grate the carrot under adult supervision.
Return frying pan to medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook onion, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add beef mince, carrot and celery and cook, breaking up mince with a spoon, until cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
TIP: For best results, drain the oil from the pan at the end of this step.
SPICY! The spice blend is mild, but use less if you're sensitive to heat.
Add Tex-Mex spice blend and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add tomato paste (see ingredients), the water (for the beef) and vegetable stock powder. Simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Preheat grill to high. To pan with the beef, add rice, lemon zest and corn, gently stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese. Grill until lightly golden, 6-8 minutes.
Little cooks: Help sprinkle the cheese on top.
Divide Mexican beef and rice bake between plates. Serve with lemon wedges and a dollop of light sour cream.
Little cooks: Add the finishing touch by dolloping over the sour cream!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavour: Many found it tasty, though some felt it needed more punch. Adding extra Tex-Mex spice, chilli, or herbs boosted the flavour.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, though a few found the multiple steps time-consuming.
- Suggestions: Some added kidney beans or capsicum for extra veg. Swapping lemon for lime enhanced the Mexican flavours.
- Leftovers: Generous portions often provided lunch the next day, with some saying it tasted even better reheated.
- Kid-friendly: A hit with families; children enjoyed helping sprinkle cheese and dollop sour cream.
