Tacos & Rice

The other day my grandparents came over and it happened to be my cooking day. I decided to try out two new recipes. Taco Casserole and Nana's Rice. The taco recipe I found online but Nana (from next door) showed me how to make her homemade rice. I had to watch her and translate it into a recipe with actual measurements since she just does it by eye(the sign of a good cook). Her rice is the best! Both turned out well and the meal was delicious.

enjoy

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Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole

by Heather: http://www.heatherlikesfood.com/baked-crunchy-taco-casserole/

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 C cheese, divided
• 1/4 C salsa verde
• 15 crunchy taco shells
• Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, lime juice to top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown and drain meat.
3. Stir tomatoes, seasoning, 1/2 C cheese, and salsa into meat.
4. Arrange taco shells standing up in a 9x13" pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used.
5. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 C of cheese over the tops of the filled tacos and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cheese will be melted and the meat hot.
6. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and lime juice.

Nana’s Rice

2 cups white short/long grain rice

1 or ½ Tablespoons oil

1 and 3 quarter tablespoon chicken bouillon (if using Better than Bullion, use a tablespoon for 2 cups rice

1 slice of onion (white or yellow) if big, do 2 or 3 slices if a  small onion

2 ½ cups water

3 ½ tablespoon Hunts tomato sauce

Directions:

Put oil in heated (medium heat) large pan or skillet. Make sure it completely covers the bottom. Pour rice into pan. Stir every once and a while to keep from burning. After it has browned almost completely, add garlic and onions. Keep stirring, then level the rice in the pan and pour in water. Add tomato sauce and bullion. Cover and turn heat to low. Let cook for 20 min. Don't lift the lid until the 20 min is up. Then take off heat and let sit a couple more minutes. If it still has liquid in it, let it steam (turn off heat). If rice is a little dry, add a bit of water and steam a bit more.