Skillet Tex-Mex rice with black olives, red bell peppers, corn, chili powder and sharp cheddar cheese. The moment I set eyes on this I had to have it but the technique, at first, totally scared me off. I kept coming back to it until I finally caved from wanton food lust.
The original recipe from the Kitchn tells you to crank the heat up to medium so the cheese can caramelize a.k.a. burn so you have charred black bits of cheddar cheese floating throughout your rice. Which, by the way they swear is “this side of heaven”.
I didn’t trust the recipe. I have no problem admitting it. I wasn’t feeling brave, only hungry. Every fiber of my being wanted to eat Tex-Mex rice for dinner. Unburnt.
So, instead, I cranked the heat up to medium-low and got crusty, golden brown bits of flavor off the bottom of my cast-iron pan instead of burnt ones.
If you’re feeling brave enough to try the burnt cheese method let me know how it goes. I want you to go first. Then maybe, just maybe I’ll have the courage to try it too. . .
Because this is insanely good rice. Rice I want to eat for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Rice I could eat every day of my life and still crave for more.
Rice that totally rocks my taste buds.
Rice so completely unforgettable that I will be making it every chance I get. Over and over again.
For the rest of my entire life.
Hope it’s a long one.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium low heat and saute the pepper with a dash or two of salt and pepper until tender. Allow to cool.
- In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients lightly mashing the tomatoes against the bowl and starting with one teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Heat the same skillet over medium-low heat and lightly grease. Add the rice mixture and cook 20 - 25 minutes scraping the rice up off the bottom with a metal spatula every 5 minutes or so. The goal is to get some crusty, brown (but not burnt) bits. Taste and season if needed halfway through.
- Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Adapted from The Kitchn
Love how quick this is, and I agree with you golden brown and toasty sounds much better than burnt!
Abby recently posted..Curried Barley Salad
I love anything with cheese, and rice is my favorite dish EVER! Looks like a great recipe, I can’t wait to try it out! :)
Thanks for the yummy ideas!
~Dakota
Pianolessongirl
I think golden brown would be the way to go. I’m not a big fan of burnt anything. Rice has been a staple for us lately. This is going into my recipe rotation. Yum!
Lori recently posted..Sautéed Purple and Lacinato Kale Salad with Almond Dressing Recipe
Wow, amazing Reeni! This looks so mouthwatering as a side or a full meal… I think I’d toss in a little grilled chicken or steak. Yum!
Ha ha….reading this post made me chuckle several times. First of all, I totally feel you on second guessing recipes. Burnt cheese wouldn’t appeal to me either, but slightly browned cheese that is just starting to crisp up definitely does. The rice looks terrific.
And, lastly, I hope you do indeed live a long life! You have a lot of recipes you still need to make…ha ha. I actually have a recurring dream that someone is chasing after me trying to kill me and the first thought that pops into my head is “no, I can’t die yet. I have way too many recipes left on my to-do-list.” Crazy, I know.
Kim recently posted..Restaurant Review: Bellini’s Italian Restaurant
I always go for the crusty bits at the bottom, they are my favorite…so I usually serve the boys first and ended up with the best bottom part:D Great look photos!
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