Hamburger Rice Dish

Quick and Easy Hamburger Rice Dish

This hamburger rice dish is the kind of quick and easy comfort food that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Made with simple pantry ingredients and cooked all in one skillet (or baked for an extra cheesy finish), it’s a hearty, satisfying meal that comes together without much fuss. The combination of seasoned ground beef, tender rice, vegetables, and melted cheese makes it a family-friendly favorite that’s filling, flavorful, and comforting—just the way a homemade dinner should be. 

Ingredients: 

1 c. rice
2 c. water
Pinch of salt 
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (Optional)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained or undrained (see notes)
2 Tbs. Olives, cut up (Optional)
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder 
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and a pinch of salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice, return to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 18–20 minutes, or according to package directions, until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

While the rice cooks, prepare the bacon and ground beef. In a large cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble once cool enough to handle.

Carefully drain the bacon grease from the skillet. (The reserved grease can be saved and used for frying potatoes or other meats, if desired.)

In the same skillet, add the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and no longer pink.

Stir in the cooked rice, diced tomatoes, corn, crumbled bacon, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through.

Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese until melted and well combined.

At this point, you can either leave the mixture in the skillet or transfer it to an 11×7-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the dish is heated through.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes:

I prefer not to drain the corn, as it adds extra flavor and the rice absorbs the additional moisture nicely.

This dish can easily be customized with or without bacon and olives, depending on your preference.