Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced green and red bell peppers and onion. Saute about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned and crumbly, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30-45 seconds. Drain off the excess grease.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until everything is coated.
- Add the tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir to combine and bring to a light boil.
- Stir in the instant rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 more minutes. Instant rice finishes off the burner in trapped steam; a long simmer turns it pasty.
- Fluff with a fork, scatter the cheese over the top, and cover 2-3 minutes until melted. Taste, adjust the salt, and serve hot.
Notes
The tomato sauce counts as cooking liquid. A 15 oz can is about 1 3/4 cups, so adding broth "per the rice package instructions" on top of it roughly doubles what the rice can absorb and leaves the skillet watery. Use 3/4 cup of broth.
The liquid math: 2 cups of instant rice absorbs about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. Tomato sauce gives about 1 3/4 cups, and 3/4 cup broth tops it up.
Drain the diced tomatoes properly. Undrained, that can adds close to another cup of liquid.
Don't simmer instant rice for 10-15 minutes. It's pre-cooked and only needs to rehydrate: 5 minutes covered on low, then 5 minutes off the heat.
If it's too wet after resting, uncover and cook on low a few more minutes. If it's dry, stir in a splash more broth.
Regular long-grain rice is not a substitute here; it needs roughly double the liquid and about 20 minutes of simmering.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth, as the rice keeps absorbing liquid as it sits.