Casseroles are great for family dinners or potlucks. They usually provide leftovers for weekday lunches too. I like them because they are so versatile. Usually the meat, vegetable and grain can be substituted with another ingredient in that same family, creating a new dish. Here’s the recipe I used, but modified to make it my own.

Fiesta Casserole
1 lb. lean ground meat
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
4 c. cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 c. milk
12 oz. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
1/2 c. sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season the ground meat with salt and pepper and brown in a skillet. When done, transfer meat to a large heat-safe mixing bowl. Saute onion, pepper, garlic, oregano and cumin with a pinch of salt and pepper in olive oil until translucent. Then transfer to mixing bowl. Add cooked rice and beans, tossing all together.

Then make a sauce by melting butter in a skillet and sprinkle in flour. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add milk and continue stirring until sauce thickens. Add half the cheese and continue to stir until melted.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Pour sauce into the mixing bowl and stir until combined. Yes, there’s lots of stirring in this recipe.

Prepare a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray. Pour contents of bowl, spreading evenly, into the dish. Cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. When done, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Garnish with chopped green onions, cilantro or minced peppers.

I am making an effort to use more brown rice, quinoa or other whole grains, so I used 3 cups of brown rice and 1 cup of quinoa. Substituting cooked and cubed chicken for the ground meat is another option. I also used mild chili peppers and 1 small jalapeno instead of the green pepper.