Chili Sour Cream Rice Bake – easy weeknight ground beef casserole ready in under 30 minutes!! Creamy rice topped with a quick homemade chili and cheddar cheese. Rice, cottage cheese, sour cream, ground beef, chili seasoning, chili beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and cheese. You can make the casserole in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Add it to your menu ASAP!
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Brown meat; drain off fat and return to skillet. Add chili seasoning, tomato sauce, chili beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
Mix together cottage cheese, sour cream, and cooked rice.
Spread rice mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with chili. Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes:
You can use ground beef or ground turkey in this dish.
You can use any type of cooked rice that you prefer - white, brown, basmati are all good.
I used French's Chili-O seasoning mix. Any brand of chili seasoning will work fine.
For a gluten-free dish, use a packet of gluten-free chili seasoning. McCormick makes a good one.
Don't like beans in your chili? You can leave them out.
Feel free to add fresh onions, bell peppers, a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, or jalapeńos to the chili mixture.
Can Chili Sour Cream Rice Bake be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking this dish straight from the refrigerator.
Can Chili Sour Cream Rice Bake be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw and bake as directed.