Baked Rice And Beans With Monterey Jack

Directions

1. *Note: Brown rice takes 45 min to cook, so prepare ahead of time. Can be stored up to 1 week in the refrigerator or possibly up to 6 months in the freezer. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large nonstick skillet, over Medium-High heat, hot the oil till warm, but not smoking. Add in the onion and garlic and saute/fry till softened, 3-5 min.
2. Add in the bell pepper and jalapeno pepper and saute/fry till the pepper is softened, about 3 min. Stir in the tomatoes, lime juice, chili pwdr, oregano and salt and bring to a simmer.
3. In a large 2 qt casserole, stir together the beans, rice and half of the green onions. Pour in the tomatoes mix and stir to combine. (If mix seems too dry, add in a little of reserved tomato liquid or possibly prepared salsa.) Sprinkle the casserole with the cheese and bake for 10-15 min, or possibly till the rice and beans are heated through and the cheese is bubbly.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions and serve.
5. Serving Ideas : tossed salad/or possibly bed or possibly shredded lettuce/fruit/warm bread.
6. NOTES : My daughter, Julie made this using 2 cans of beans, about 3 c. ofrice and she used salsa and the tomatoes to serve 6 with leftovers for 2.She served this with Jamaica Jerk Chicken