Weeknights are crazy in a lot of households.  There is homework to be done, lunches to pack, and maybe even sports or dance practice.  Add in a traffic jam and you probably find yourself at the drive thru window instead of at home making the dinner you had planned.

How do I know?  I have been there…a lot!  So, I started thinking about things that I could keep in the house all the time and throw together in about the same time it takes to go to the drive thru and bring it home.  That’s how this recipe was born.

What You’ll Need:
– 1 lb of bison (or ground beef if you prefer)
– 1 cup of cooked brown rice (to make this super fast, I used 2 containers of Minute Ready to Serve Rice)
– 1 cup salsa
– 1 cup frozen corn
– 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
– 1 can refried beans
– 1 onion, finely chopped
– 1 red bell pepper, chopped
– 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
– 1 tsp chili powder
– 1 tsp cumin
– salt and pepper to taste

Let’s Make It:
1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2)  Brown you meat in a pan over medium heat.  Drain and set aside. {Tip: I usually buy an extra pound of meat at the beginning of the week and cook it that day. Then, I have it for “emergency” meals.}

3)  In the same pan, saute your onion, bell pepper and spices for 2-3 minutes.

4)  Heat your rice according to the directions on the package.

I used Minute Ready to Serve brown rice so it was a total of 2 minutes in the microwave with no dirty pan!

5)  In a large bowl, combine the cooked bison, rice and salsa. Stir well to combine.

6)  Squeeze excess water out of spinach. I just press mine with a fork over the sink after I have thawed it.

7)  In a small casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, spread 1/2 of the brown rice mixture.  Top with refried beans and the spread the spinach.  

Top the spinach layer with the peppers an onions.  Then, add a layer of corn.

8)  Top with remainder of the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

9)  Bake in 400 degree oven, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream and guacamole and enjoy!

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice is an ideal portable solution for lunch or breakfast because you can eat it on the go, straight from the cup. In just 60 seconds, you have fully cooked rice for any meal or snack. You’ll never get bored with your lunch since there are 10 flavorful and wholesome varieties. If you’re looking for a healthy option, Minute® Ready to Serve Rice provides easy portion control since it’s conveniently packaged in two individual single-serve cups.

Visit http://www.minuterice.com/ for recipes, including Minute® Ready to Serve Stir it Up recipe ideas and more information about the Minute® Rice family of products.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.

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