Santa Fe Beans and Rice (A New to Me Recipe)

For years and YEARS, one of my favorite individual frozen entrees has been the Weight Watchers Smart Ones Santa Fe Beans and Rice.  Lean Cuisine has its own version, too, but the taste of the Smarts Ones entree just seems better somehow, even though they appear to have pretty much the same list of ingredients.  I don't care about the calories or Points or whatever; it just tastes really good.  I like to eat it as a dip with Tostitos Scoops.

Since it's sometimes difficult to find everything on my shopping list during the pandemic, I thought I might be able to make it at home, so I googled it just to see what I could find.  There were several slightly different versions, so I started with the common ingredients, like the rice, taco seasoning, black beans, sour cream, and cheese, and checked them against the commercial Smart Ones package.  So this is kind of a fusion of three or four separate recipes that looked like they were the closest to what I wanted.


Santa Fe Beans and Rice

4 c cooked rice (2 2/3 c water + 1 1/3 c rice + 1 t salt)
I use medium grain white rice, not Minute Rice or converted rice

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can red beans (NOT kidney beans!), rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can tomatoes and green chilies
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, undrained
1/2 c salsa picante (medium heat)
1 pkt taco seasoning
1 c sour cream
2 c shredded mild cheddar, divided
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Start by cooking the rice.  If you don't have a rice cooker, here's how to proceed;  Before you start cooking the rice, put it in a 2-quart saucepan.  Add water to the rice, swish it around in the pan, and pour off the water.  Rinse the rice several times in the same way until the rinse water is clear (it's going to take several rinses - maybe 20).  Rinsing will ensure the rice doesn't taste odd.  Drain the rice as much as possible, then add the measured water and salt.  Bring the rice to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.  While you're waiting for the rice to cook, gather the rest of the ingredients and rinse and drain the beans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all together except 1 c shredded cheese.  Transfer to a sprayed 2 1/2-quart baking dish.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until all the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.