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I have this deep and unyielding love for comfort food. I’m sure most of you feel the same way.
To me, comfort food is creamy and soft, flavorful, but not spicy or overpowering. It’s generally simple to make and it always, always makes me smile. Oh, and did I mention that it should be full of calories?
This Sour Cream Rice Bake is pure comfort food. It’s ridiculously easy to make, with just six ingredients. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. The flavor is somewhat mellow and the rice is super creamy.
What I’m saying is, this dish is almost as good as laying on the couch in your comfy pants (or no pants, if you want), wrapped in a big, warm blanket, with Bravo or Lifetime on the television for 8 hours straight.
I love this stuff.
Sour Cream Rice Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups water or beef broth
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the rice and water to a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Remove from the heat, drain the grease, and add the tomato sauce to the pan.
- Add the rice to a large mixing bowl and dump in the sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir to combine. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a 2 quart baking dish place half of the rice on the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the meat and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition Information:
adapted from The Pioneer Woman (her version uses egg noodles and it’s fabulous that way, too)
Sheri B. says
Amen! to not spicy! I was raised with foods not spicy here in Southern California! No Spicy foods . Except my Dad’s Marine Chili recipe. But it only has Chili that you buy in the grocery stores not Cayan or habanero chili.
That was the Only spice dinner we had.
No Mexicans or Asian foods like now a days. Southern foods.
My dad was from Georgia!
Wib says
I cooked this recipe once, it was good.
Next time I cooked it, I added my own “flair”.
For example, instead of sour cream, I used Mexican sour cream (don’t ask me what the difference is, looked the exact same, just had a label I can’t read). Instead of cottage cheese, I used queso. Instead of tomato sauce, I used enchilada sauce (this is not as thick, so cook it longer to let it reduce.)
I also added a layer of frijoli (refried beans, cheese, and pico de guyo cooked together). I added this layer on top of the taco meat and enchilada sauce.
On top of everything, I added some sliced black olives.
Karly says
Sounds like a delicious Mexican inspired meal!
Jill says
So good. I’ll definitely be making it again.
Rene Fourie says
We made this last night, it worked out beautifully.
I used a cheat recipe for meat though, it’s a sloppy joe recipe that uses ketchup (yes it does, but trust me it turns out fantastic) and of course it has 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. It just adds a different type of depth.
Then because I am a much slower cook (and wine was involved) step 5 didn’t work out for us. I am assuming at that stage your mix is still hot. It wanted to dry out in the oven before it got to cheese melting temperature, we added more cream to prevent this and covered the dish. Then the last 10 minutes we removed the lid to have the cheese bubbling, and served it like a lasagna.
Everything else stayed the same. Excellent!!! I am in dire need of one-pot cookers. Sure I used like 3 pots but the end result was a single pot 😉
Karly says
Hi Rene! I’m so glad this one worked out in the end for you! I bet it was delish with a sloppy joe filling – yum!
San says
I’m planning on making this with cauliflower rice instead of regular rice and ricotta instead of cottage cheese! This way it will fit in with my Keto plan!
Karly says
Sounds delicious!
Lynda says
Delicious, will definitely make this again
Karly says
Thanks, Lynda!
Rachel says
I make something similar to this but use minute rice. I cook the rice separate. Instead of sour cream, I use 3 oz of cream cheese. The cream cheese is mixed with cottage cheese and parsley. The rice goes in the casserole dish first, then the cheese mixture, then the meat mixture. (I also add onion, minced garlic and green pepper to the meat mixture). My family loves this dish! I am glad to know that I can use sour cream in place of the cream cheese! Although I haven’t tried this and my recipe is a little different, I will still give it 5 stars!
Rae Nikolai says
Making the rice is easy in the microwave 1 1/2 cups rice 3 cups water and 15 minutes on high. Fluff with a fork.
Leslie says
This was pretty good. I added onions and used a homemade marinara sauce instead of the tomato sauce and it was so yummy. Will be making again.
Bob says
Made this tonight. Wife & granddaughter loved it. Added tablespoon of garlic & quater cup of diced red onions. Love the flavor.
Karly says
So glad it was a hit!