Baked Black Bean Enchilada Rice

(Serves 4)

The first time I made this dish, it was Saturday afternoon.  I had no plans for dinner and hadn’t been shopping.  It was freezing cold outside, so I didn’t feel like going anywhere.  I had some vegetables and herbs in the fridge drawer that needed to be used up, but the only meat I had was chicken that was frozen solid.  What can I make with some onions, peppers, and canned beans?  I was thinking about making quesadillas, but then didn’t have enough tortillas on hand.  Instead, I made this baked black bean enchilada rice and was surprised that my throw together dinner turned out to be one my husband and son LOVED.  It’s a keeper!  Leftovers of this make a good burrito filling inside of a tortilla too. 

You Will Need:

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
• 1 onion
• 2 bell peppers, mix of colors
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• About 1 cup (4 ounces) of shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack (or a mix of both), for topping
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
• Cherry tomatoes, for serving
• Avocado, for serving

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel and chop the onion.  Seed and chop the peppers and jalapeno.  Preheat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron/oven safe skillet or braiser over medium high heat.  Add the onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5-7 minutes until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Remove the vegetables from the pan – set aside in a bowl.  
• Put the other tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, add the rice and cook until the ends are translucent, about 2 minutes or so.  Add the stock and a pinch of salt, raise the heat and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer about 15-18 minutes until the rice is just tender. 
• While the rice cooks, drain and rinse the beans, chop the cilantro leaves (set some aside for serving) and grate the cheese.
• When the rice is cooked, add the vegetables and beans.  Stir to combine.  Then stir in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, tomato sauce and cilantro.  Season again with salt and pepper.  Spread the cheese on top. 
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the rice is completely tender and the cheese is melted.  While the rice bakes, chop the tomatoes and avocado. 
• Serve the finished rice topped with avocado, tomato and cilantro.