Zucchini Rice Casserole

This recipe is my spin on Spicy Mexican Style Zucchini Casserole from AllRecipes. It turned out really, really well in my opinion! The funny thing is that I used a lot more rice than the recipe called for but my husband still thought it needed more. He loves rice though and would just as soon eat a big bowl of rice with nothing else for dinner every night :)

Quick note: I use Spice Island chili powder. There are a few herbs and spices that we use a lot of so buy in the jumbo container from Sam's. It's about $5 for a big container. I really like Spice Island chili powder but all brands are different since chili powder is a blend of spices. Spice Island chili powder is pretty spicy and seems to have a lot of cumin in it so I didn't add any pepper to the dish and used just a little cumin. The 2 teaspoons in the recipe may be too much or not enough depending on what kind you have.

Also to make this recipe more efficient, I suggest using either leftover rice or cooking enough rice for you to have with another meal. I plan to make Japanese Zucchini and Onions the day after tomorrow so will use the rest of the rice I cooked then.


Zucchini Rice Casserole

1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch thick half moons
2 T olive oil
1 can pinto beans, drained
16 oz can tomato sauce
2 C cooked rice
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1 C shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, whatever)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 2 quart baking dish. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini in the olive oil over medium-high heat until tender. This will take 5-10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings