Hello all and happy Monday!! Actually, is there such thing as a happy Monday? This week might mark a happy Monday for me though, because it is the last week of school! All I need to do is finish marking the exams, write all of the report cards and go to a couple of PD days at the end of the week. Easy peasy, right? Then it will be all relaxing and wedding planning from here on out.
BUT, meanwhile, I need a dinner that I can come home to and pop in the oven. And I have had my fair share of frozen pizzas this last month, so I want to switch things up a bit. This Taco Rice Casserole Freezer Meal really hit the spot.
I have made this Taco Rice Casserole Freezer Meal many times before, but I have never posted it because when I get home I am just SO HUNGRY. I don’t have time to take out my camera and let my dinner go cold. I want all the food RIGHT NOW.
But today, as things are finally starting to slow down and I can see the end of the school year, I have decided I will post the recipe. FINALLY.
And don’t worry. If you end up trying this, you will see that it was well worth the wait.
This Taco Rice Casserole Freezer Meal mixes some of my favourite things: corn, beans, onions and of course, rice.
Thinking back to my childhood dinners, I remember it being very rare when our dinners DIDN’T consist of rice. The default when I came home was to fill the rice cooker with rice and water and turn it on to get ready for dinner. It was even common to have rice for breakfast too.
But now that I am living on my own, I want to experiment with my dinners. Try some pasta, some salads, some chicken and potatoes. Or Kale, Rice and Vegetable Freezer Meals. Things that I didn’t typically eat in my youth.
But every once in a while, I want to go back to what I know. And maybe spice it up just a little.
My mom’s style of cooking was to put everything that needed using into a saucepan and cook it. Sometimes it turned out a disaster, but I want to say that more times than not it turned out into an amazingly unique creation.
And that was sort of my method of making this casserole. We had some leftover rice, some ground beef that needed using and a sad looking onion that needed using. Mix it all together and you get something really tasty!
I am also under a firm belief that if you top any dinner with cheese, it will be amazing. So far, my theory has yet to be wrong.
If you make this Taco Rice Casserole Freezer Meal recipe, let me know how you liked it! Rate it, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on Instagram! I always love seeing what you are creating!
Taco Rice Casserole Freezer Meal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 package hot and spicy taco seasoning
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 (19 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 4-5 cups cooked rice
- 3 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease. Add in onion and cook until soft. Stir in the taco seasoning.
- Add in the corn, black beans and tomatoes, and mix until fully combined.
- Spray two 9x13 foil pans with cooking spray. Spoon half of the rice into the bottom of each pan and press down evenly.
- Spoon the meat mixture evenly over the rice. Top with the shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and label. Place in a large freezer bag, and freeze.
- When ready to use, thaw overnight. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 45 minutes with the foil on. Remove the foil, and continue to cook until cheese is melted.
Pin for Later
Yum! I could scarf this right down! Glad to hear that, with the end of the school year, things are finally starting to slow down. Happy summer!
Thanks Jeff! Now that I am off, I don’t know what to do with myself!
Yum-to-the-ummy! This looks awesome! I made a vegan taco salad not long ago that I thought I will share soon! Great minds and all that 😉 xx
Ooh, that sounds delicious! Can’t wait to see it!
This sounds like an amazing weeknight meal! I am such a huge fan of anything containing rice and beans. I definitely need to try and make this in the near future.
You do, it is one of my favourites!! Thanks Laurie!
Yummy! I love a good rice dish. I’ll have to add this recipe to our dinner options and try it soon!
Me too!! Thanks Nicole
This taco rice looks delicious. It’s great to know that you can pop it from your freezer, reheat and enjoy it, as simple as that.
True. I am addicted to the freezer meals these days 🙂
It does look pretty delicious there. I would love to try this out. If I were going to use it with breakfast though I might mix in a few scrambled eggs.
That is such a great idea! I think I might try that 🙂
This recipe is perfect for a late dinner. I just have to take some out of the fridge and pop it in the oven. Voila! Thanks for sharing!
That is exactly what I do on busy nights!!
I am always on the lookout for new recipes and this one sounds delicious! I am definitely gonna try making this one for the family.
Thanks Shannon! Let me know how it goes!
I am a cassarle junkie!!! I love being able to freeze and pop out for a quick dinner. i wonder how this would be with cauliflower rice…help save me a few calories.
I love casseroles too!! I have never tried it with cauliflower rice, but it sounds so good! Let me know if you try that version!
What a cool recipe! This looks very tasty. I’d love to make it for my family. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
It is one of my favourites. Thanks!
Taco Rice Casserole Freezer looks delicious. We need to try this for sure. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Looking forward for recipe.
Thanks! Hope you try it!
Yummy! I love a good rice dish. It looks very delicious. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Thanks Olga. Rice is so versatile that I put it in almost everything!
this looks very delicious. rice is good with almost every dish, it is very versatile 🙂 thank you for sharing this recipe
Thanks Nina! I have rice almost every day 😉
This casserole looks really delicious! It is great for meal preparation too. We need that!
I need it too! When it gets busy in September, I will be making this on a weekly basis 😉
This looks so easy and I would definitely want to make this for dinner. Any day can be taco tuesday for me!
Haha, right? I totally agree 🙂
This looks like a very delicious meal! I love simple and tasty meals that are family friendly! We would all love to try this!!!
I hope you do! It is one of my favourite dinners
Topping most things with cheese is always going to be a good thing! Gonna give this a go with veggie mince I am sure it will turn out perfect.
That sounds like an awesome idea!! Let me know if you try it!
Freezes well.. I would make so many batches.. a years worth hahaaha
That’s such a good idea! Hahah!
Such a delicious and comforting looking dish! I love how it can be made ahead and used as meal prep! And totally agree, any dinner is better when topped up with cheese!!!
When in doubt, put cheese! Thanks Anna!
Taco rice casserole is such a great make-ahead meal! The whole family loves it!!!
I can’t get enough make-ahead meals. Thanks Kelly!
I just love taco rice bowls!! What a great idea to make it into a casserole and freeze it! I was trying to think of freezer meal ideas when I was pregnant and I wish I had found this recipe! I’m bookmarking this. 🙂
Thanks Dominique! Let me know if you end up trying it out!
I’m always on the lookout for gluten free meals that are freeze-able. This looks delicious!
Freezable meals save my butt on so many busy night! Thanks Linda!
The taco seasoning is a must have on hand for busy days I think. I love adding them when I’m cooking in a haste. This sounds like a great recipe to make extra and have on hand. My kids would love this.
I buy taco seasoning specifically for this dish 😉 Thanks Veena!
Mmmm this sounds like such a delicious meal! Perfect Friday night family dinner too…definitely a keeper! 😀
It really is a life saver some nights. Thanks Tammy!
Oh I love freezer meals! Especially when things get so busy and I don’t have time to make dinner, it’s the perfect solution. And this is a great combination of flavors too. Definitely a keeper
Same here! Thanks Karyl!
I love having a good freezer meal or two on hand and this one looks very tasty. Nice and hearty too!
It’s the best, right? Thanks Jenni!
My kind of recipe. Love rice dish. This looks amazingly delicious. Saving it for later.
Thanks! Let me know if you give it a go!
This sounds like a great casserole. I don’t do a lot of freezer meals but it’s nice to have a few great recipes on hand!
You must try it! It is so good!
This is a great dish to make for busy nights then freeze leftovers! I love always having a backup in the freezer for busy nights or lazy weekends.
Same here! Thanks Sharon!
Can this be made a day in advance and then baked the next day?
Yes it can! Let me know if you give it a go!
Yum! My kind of receipe! Pinning this to try later!
Thanks for the pin Ashley!
Can this meal go straight from freezer to oven without thawing?
I have never tried that way before, but it could work. I would cook it longer in that case.
Can I substitute kidney beans for the black beans? Thanks!
It won’t taste the same, but it can definitely work. Let me now if you give it a go!
I did use kidney beans as that’s all I had at the time. It was good. I made it again yesterday with black beans. They both tasted good, but I think I like the black beans best. My boys devoured the dish and no leftovers with both sets of beans. A staple in our house for sure. Thanks!
Thank you Trina! I am so glad you and your family liked it!!
Can I cook this then freeze individual portions to reheat later?
The cheese might not cook to well after freezing then reheating. But you can individually portion them and bake them as directed!
It is great to have a new freezer meal recipe to try. Thanks!
Agree! Thnaks Scarlet!
Made this for friends of mine that just had a baby. It sounded like something easy they could pop in the oven on a busy evening. Looked and smelled delicious! I will have to make another batch for myself!
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear 🙂
Not often is there a recipe that all 6 of my kids like. This one hit it out of the ball park tonight. I did not divide into two pans just used a lrg pan. Thinking I would get left overs for lunch tomorrow… that’s s big nope on left overs. Great recipe, it is going into my cook book tonight.
I am so glad you and your family liked it!! It’s rare that we have much leftovers after this meal too!! 🙂
Does the Hot & Spicy seasoning make the casserole very spicy? We do like a little kick to a dish but not tooo much heat.
It is quite spicy, so depending on your tolerance you can add more or less!
I am making this today. I am gluten free in a two person household. I need quick meals for busy days. I am going to put this in bowls individual bowls and freeze them thenmicrowave. Hope it works!
I was thinking about doing the same thing what were your results?
How did this work for you? Did they microwave well, and what power/time did you use? Trying to stock the freezer for hubby who works nights.
Are the diced tomatoes drained or with the liquid?
With the liquid!