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If you’re looking for a hearty dish to keep you warm this winter, look no further than this Black Beans & Rice Casserole. I love this dish for a few reasons. First, it is gorgeous and since we “eat with our eyes” by surveying our meal before and while tasting it, this colorful culinary creation is mighty enticing. Second, it’s really good for you. I use brown rice for a ton of whole grain and high fiber goodness, black beans for their digestive system benefits and protein without much fat, carrots for their cardiovascular health benefits and tomatoes for their antioxidant goodness. This recipe is such a favorite in my home that Eliana frequently tells her “babies” that she is cooking them a casserole for dinner that is “so yummy.” Aw, that little one knows the way to this foodie mama’s, heart, huh? Hopefully, hearing that little quote makes up for the fact that, again, I forgot to snap a photo of Eliana enjoying this dish. I know, I know: I’m slipping!

Before you make this recipe, you must know that it takes around two hours from start to finish, so this is not a quick and easy weeknight meal. But, as my husband says, “It sounds complicated but it tastes amazing!” One way you can cut down on prep time is to make this dish over a few days so that on the night you want to eat it, you only spend around 15 minutes assembling the casserole and 25-30 minutes baking it. To make this dish ahead of time, prepare the different components (rice, tomato sauce and bean mixture minus the grated carrots) up to 3 days ahead of time and store them in air-tight zipper top bags or containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to build the casserole. The night you want to make it, turn on the oven and jump to the last step of this recipe entitled “Build the Casserole.”

• One health tip before the recipe:
• When buying canned goods for this recipe (or ever, really) it is advisable to do your research and find brands that use a BPA-free lining in their cans. BPA is a chemical found in plastics and resins that leaks into the food of canned goods—especially acidic foods like tomatoes. It’s been linked to a variety of negative health concerns such as an increased risk of cancer and heart disease and changes in hormone levels. These risks become increased for children.

• Black Beans & Rice Casserole
• Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• -1 cup uncooked brown rice
• -2 cups water
• -1 large onion, diced and divided into 2 piles
• -¾ pound raw carrots, grated
• -2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• -2-3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and crushed
• -32 ounces canned, chopped or pureed tomatoes
• -½ cup chopped parsley, reserve around 1 tablespoon to top finished casserole
• -1½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• -1½ cup monterray jack cheese, shredded
• -18 corn tortillas (try to find a brand that uses non-GMO corn)
• -Around 1-1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, across the whole recipe
• -Salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper- measure these out into individual bowls of ½-1 teaspoon amounts and take pinches as needed

I like to set up my spices by putting them into little bowls so I can easily take out pinches as I cook.

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350°

• Cook the rice:
• Combine the rice and water in a medium, lidded saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, stir once, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 50 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, remove the saucepan from the heat and keep covered for an additional 10 minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork and set it aside.

• Prepare the tomato sauce:
• While the rice cooks, begin the sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat some vegetable oil over medium heat. Add in half the chopped onion, 2 pinches of salt, stir and sauté for around 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally so the onions don’t burn. Add the crushed garlic and stir. Cook for around 30 seconds and add the chopped tomatoes, some salt and stir. Turn up the heat and allow the mixture to come to a low boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste, add salt, pepper, cumin and paprika to taste. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings again. Stir in all but around 1 tablespoon of parsley and turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and set it aside.

• Prepare the bean mixture:
• While the rice and the sauce cook, prepare the beans. To a medium saucepan, add some vegetable oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the second half of the chopped onions and a pinch of salt, stir and sauté for around 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally so the onions don’t burn. Add the crushed garlic, stir and let cook for around 30 seconds. Add the beans and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for around 5 minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, cayenne and black pepper. Stir, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the grated carrots, cover and turn off the heat. After about 2 minutes, taste the carrot and bean mixture and add spices as desired. Add the rice into the bean mixture and stir well to combine.

• Build the casserole:
• Mix the 2 cheeses in a large bowl. Set aside around ½ cup of the mixed cheeses for later. Stir the tomato sauce and line the bottom of a deep 9×13-inch baking pan with a layer of the sauce-you’ll use around 2 cups. Next, add a layer of 6 tortillas, overlapping them so they cover the sauce. Then add half of the beans and rice mixture and spread it out into an even layer. Next, add a layer of cheese using half of the cheese and spreading it out over the beans and rice mixture. Dunk 6 tortillas in the sauce and use them to cover the cheese layer. Overlap the tortillas so they cover all of the cheese. Add the rest of the beans and rice and spread them out into an even layer. Add the second half of the cheese mixture and spread it out over the beans and rice mixture. Dunk the 6 remaining tortillas in the sauce and overlap them to cover the cheese. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the tortillas, top with the reserved cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Top with reserved parsley before serving and enjoy!

Set up a station with all the components so you can easily build the casserole. Chances are, that unless you stop to take photos along the way while you prep, your tortillas won’t curl from the heat of the sauce. But if they do, just flatten them back out with the bean mixture and all will be fine.

Let’s eat!

Happy Cooking!

Tags: black beans, brown rice, carrots, cayenne pepper, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas, cumin, garlic, gluten free, Meatless Monday, monterray jack cheese, onions, paprika, parsley

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