Description
When life was simpler and few people traveled beyond their own community, the use of a single ingredient could imply an "exotic" flare. If a dish had pineapple in it, it would be called "hawaiian"; if it had a green pepper added, then it was "spanish" or "mexican". This dish comes from those simpler, less global village times. It's from a 1949 better homes and gardens cookbook and was my all time favourite dish when i was growing up on the farm. I even requested it as my birthday meal, that's how much i loved it! Very basic comfort food, not meant to compete with today's hotter foods or a gourmet palate. This recipe is now officially 60 years old and just as comforting and filling as it was when i was a child. And lastly, 60 years ago, this type of meal was called "dining-in-a-dish". 🙂
Ingredients
- Bacon
- Spanish Onion
- Green Pepper
- Tomatoes
- Cooked Rice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Cook rice
- Reserve in large 6 quart bowl
- Cover so it does not dry out
- Grease a 4 quart casserole dish, set aside
- Fry bacon until crisp
- Cool and crumble into pieces the size of your thumb nail
- Reserve to add back into mixture
- Cook onion and green pepper in reserved bacon fat
- Cook slowly until onion is soft and yellow
- Add cans of tomatoes and heat until simmering
- Cover
- Add crumbled bacon, salt and pepper to the reserved rice mixture, stirring well to combine
- Pour hot onion, pepper and tomato mixture into rice / bacon
- Stir well to combine
- Place mixture in prepared casserole dish
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top
- Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned and mixture is bubbly
- Remove from oven
- Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving
- This freezes exceptionally well! cut into portions
- Freeze
- Heat on medium in microwave for 3-5 minutes