Cheesy Mexican Beef & Rice Bake
with Sour Cream
- 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 and fresh coriander.
Ingredients
1 packet
garlic paste
1 packet
basmati rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy)
1
tomato
1 tin
sweetcorn
1
carrot
1 packet
beef mince
½ packet
tomato paste
1 sachet
chicken-style stock powder
1 packet
Light Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 bag
coriander
1 sachet
Tex-Mex spice blend
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy)
1 packet
Cheddar cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1
olive oil
20 g
butter
(Contains: Milk)
1.5 cup
water (for the rice)
½ cup
water (for the beef)
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic paste 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.
TIP: The rice will finish cooking in its own steam, so don't peek!
• Meanwhile, cut tomato into bite-sized chunks. Drain sweetcorn. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. • Cook tomato and corn, tossing, until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. • Meanwhile, grate carrot.
TIP: Cover the pan with a lid if the corn kernels are “popping” out.
• Return frying pan to medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook beef mince and carrot and, 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.
• Add Tex-Mex spice blend and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. • Add tomato paste (see ingredients), the water (for the beef) and chicken-style stock powder, stir, then simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
• Preheat grill to high. To pan with the beef, add rice, tomato 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.
• Divide cheesy Mexican beef and rice bake between plates. • Serve with a dollop of light sour cream. Tear over coriander. Enjoy!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on July 2026- Flavour: Most families found this dish full of warm, Tex-Mex comfort flavour, though a notable number felt the seasoning was mild once the rice was added.
- Ease of prep: Reviewers consistently found this straightforward to cook, and several noted it could be simplified into a one-pot meal by combining steps on the cooktop.
- Suggestions: Many recommended using three-quarters of the rice to improve the meat-to-rice balance and boost overall flavour. Adding avocado, jalapeños, a squeeze of lime, corn chips, or a simple green salad were popular ways to round out the dish.
- Leftovers: This dish is a standout for leftovers — many reviewers enjoyed it for lunch the next day, and some got up to six serves from a four-person box. It reheats well and even works cold.
- Portions: Serves are very generous, with several reviewers feeding six to eight people from a four-person box, though a few felt the ratio of rice to meat and cheese was unbalanced.
