Cheesy Rice & Bean Bake

rice and bean bake inside of pot with serving spoon

Print Recipe

A one pot rice dish that has perfectly seasoned rice with juicy corn and plump pinto beans.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings people

Calories 315

Author Timothy Pakron

Ingredients

2 cups Mahatma basmati rice thoroughly rinsed and drained
2 cups filtered water
1 15 oz can corn drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans drained
1 hot pepper jalapeño, habanero, serrano, etc, diced
½ small onion diced
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or plain
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons avocado oil or any vegetable oil

Toppings

1 ½ cups plant-based cheese ideally pepper jack or Colby jack, but any will do!
Lime wedges to squeeze
Freshly chopped cilantro if desired
Freshly chopped green onions if desired

Optional add-ons for serving

Sliced avocado or guacamole
Thick coconut yogurt or plant-based sour cream to dollop
Tortilla chips or any corn chips
Warmed flour or corn tortillas
Salsa or pico de gallo
Hot sauce or minced hot peppers
Toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients (except toppings) into a medium-sized Dutch oven or a baking dish with a lid. Bake covered for 50 minutes. (If you do not have a baking dish with a lid, you can use a 9 x 12 baking dish and use two pieces of foil, tightly wrapped on top to cover.)
Remove dish from oven and take off the lid or foil (careful, it will be steamy!). Using a fork, give the dish a fluff and gently mix. Sprinkle in ½ a cup of cheese and stir until incorporated. Sprinkle the rest on top and finish baking, uncovered, for an extra 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and sprinkling of salt and pepper, to taste. Serve in bowls with a fresh lime wedge on the side to squeeze over top. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use whatever canned beans you would like here. My top picks, other than pinto, would be black, kidney, or pink beans.

If you'd like to skip the store-bought vegan cheese and try out a more wholesome option, mix together a small bowl of tahini with a good amount of nutritional yeast, a sprinkling of chipotle chili powder, a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice, and salt + pepper to taste. You should be left with a thick and creamy sauce. Drizzle this on as you would the cheese and bake it off as you would normally.

If you'd like to bulk this up with some greens, try throwing in some fresh spinach, chopped kale, or arugula at the step where you mix it up before the final bake. The greens will wilt and mix in beautifully. You could also add some diced zucchini/squash or chopped tomatoes, as well.

This makes the most fantastic leftovers. You can heat it up as is, throw it in a burrito or quesadilla, or heat it up and add it to a salad.

If you are serving this for a crowd, set it up like a buffet with bowls, forks and napkins next to the dish with a big serving spoon. On the table, have plenty of fresh herbs beautifully displayed with lime slices, a bowl of vegan sour cream or coconut yogurt, a bowl of corn chips, warmed tortillas, sliced avocado or guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo, and/or your favorite hot sauce. This way your guests can serve themselves!

Nutrition