Delicious side dishes help amp up a meal, making it more satisfying and beautiful. This rice dish easily does both.
Simple and Time Tested
I have been making this southwest rice dish for years and it remains one of my favorites. It’s an old Paula Deen recipe that I stumbled across when my kids were all young.
It uses simple ingredients that you probably already have lying around but it tastes spectacular.
White or Brown Rice
This dish is good with brown or white rice. I typically use organic white rice. The brown rice is harder for some of my kids to digest and it bothers their stomachs, even if I soak or sprout it.
I have done a lot of research about this because I do typically prefer to use whole grains. What I have found is kind of muddly.
And so I just move forward the best I can. For us, white rice doesn’t cause belly aches and with so many foods that do, we opt to use it even though it isn’t a whole grain. That will not be the same for everyone and that is ok!
To Make It Dairy Free
At the end of the cooking time, the recipe calls for the addition of sharp cheddar cheese. Sometimes I don’t add the cheese, it is still delicious.
Sometimes, I remove a portion of the cooked rice for my kids that can’t have dairy and I add cheese to the rest of it. Or, if dairy is not an issue at your house, don’t worry about it and toss it in.
Organic grass fed cheese contains higher amounts of good omega three’s as well as other vitamins and minerals that conventional dairy does not. The organic label also helps ensure that your delicious cheese isn’t filled with pesticides.
Fast As A Fox
This recipe comes together quickly as well.
Chop up a good quality pepper, onion and garlic. (I love my little chopper for stuff like this.) Cook those babies for “un minuto” and then add in your rice.
Let that rice toast for another minute. Add in the tomatoes and chilies, seasonings and water and give it a loving stir and then place the lid, reduce the heat and let it get tasty.
Once the rice is cooked, add the cheese, if desired and you are done.
Versatile and Delicious
We love this rice on the side of any of our favorite Mexican dishes. It is also delicious inside a burrito with beans, guacamole and salsa or spread on the top of nachos.
Leftovers are great served in breakfast tacos or mixed in an omelet.
However you eat it, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Southwest Rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups rice (see note)
2 cups water
3/4 cup petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup green chilies
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sharp cheese, shredded
Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, onion, peppers and garlic. Stir and saute until onions are translucent and peppers have softened.
Add rice. Let cook with veggies until edges of some of the rice turn white.
Add water, tomatoes, chilies and seasonings to the rice mixture. Stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to low. Let the mixture gently simmer until the rice is cooked through.
If using cheese, add it once the rice is completely cooked. Sprinkle it over the top. Stir it carefully and serve!
Tweak It Notes
- The original recipe called for a can of Rotel instead of the tomatoes and chilies separate. I’m not a fan of the large tomatoes in Rotel and so I opt for the petite diced tomatoes. If the large tomatoes don’t bother you, use the rotel. I have also used salsa in place of the tomatoes and green chilies as well and its great too.
- NON-DAIRY – Skip the cheese or use your favorite dairy free alternative.
- BROWN RICE – If you use brown rice, add an additional 1/2 cup of water.
