Today I’m channeling Jen and sharing a recipe here on my blog. This is a new recipe for me and the first time I’ve ever photo-documented my cooking process. I realized about halfway through that this is possibly the most visually boring meal I have ever made. Nevertheless, it was very easy and quite tasty. I was pleased with how well-balanced it is nutritionally, and you could very easily substitute low-fat and non-fat dairy ingredients and a brown rice (I used white). Anyway, enough chatting… on with the photos.

First, the ingredients:

Note that I’m using Hot salsa and tamed jalapeño slices, and it had just enough heat to make my nose run. Obvs you can adjust the spicyness to your liking.

Cook the rice, drain the beans, and mix them together:

While the rice is cooking, mix the sour cream, milk, & flour. In another bowl, mix the stewed tomatoes and salsa.

Soften corn tortillas, then cut into quarters and arrange half in the bottom of dish:

Next comes the rice/beans mixture:

Then the tomato mixture, followed by the sour cream mixture:

Repeat the layers once more with the rest of the ingredients. Bake, then voila!

Add jalapeños and/or cheese. EAT!

I actually felt kind of weird not adding a dollop of sour cream, which I’m wont to do, but then I realized that there was already sour cream in the dish. (Not like that would typically stop me from adding more on top… but, you know. Dieting, and all that.)

Here’s the recipe. Let me know if you try it!

Bean-Rice-Tortilla Bake

1.5 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
6 6-inch corn tortillas
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 14.5-oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 8-oz jar salsa
1 15-oz can kidney beans or small red beans, rinsed and drained
Nonstick cooking spray
Jalapeño slices (optional)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan bring water to boiling. Add rice and return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Meanwhile, stack tortillas; wrap in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes to soften. (I soften the tortillas in the microwave between 2 damp paper towels.)

2. In a bowl stir together the sour cream, flour, and milk; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes and salsa. Stir drained beans into cooked rice.

3. Coat a 2-quart casserole or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut softened tortillas into quarters and arrange half of them in the bottom of the casserole. Layer half of the rice-bean mixture over tortillas, then half of the tomato mixture and half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat layers.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. If desired, garnish with jalapeño slices and shredded cheese.