Mexican Fiesta Rice Cups

These festive, snack-size bites are a great way to repurpose leftover Spanish rice and taco meat and they are so easy to make!

My daughter absolutely loves Spanish rice. Whenever we go to a Mexican restaurant, she wants none of the beans, just the rice … and she can eat a huge plate full of just rice, although she seriously loves some soft-shelled tacos with her rice.

Because I know how much she loves it, I’ve tried my hand at making Spanish rice several times over the years. … but I’ve never quite perfected the restaurant-style rice that she really loves. I recently tried again … and yes, I came pretty close this last time, but still, it wasn’t quite there. Daughter and I discussed it and I think I know just how to tweak that recipe to make it “just right”. To her credit, even thought it wasn’t yet the rice she craved, she made a good effort at eating the not-quite-perfect rice, but there was quite a bit left.

Sooo I needed to find a way to use my leftover imperfect rice and I thought of those broccoli rice cups I made ages ago. Those were SO good … why couldn’t I make a “taco” form of those? I mixed my imperfect leftover Spanish rice together with some leftover cowboy caviar and leftover taco meat and stirred in a bit of chopped zucchini to make some festive rice cups that celebrate all the flavors of the Southwest. I just adore these little rice cups for breakfast, for lunches, for snacks, for dinner, for appetizers … any time of day, these Tex-Mex bites are SO good!

Mexican Fiesta Rice Cups

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: About 12 cups 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 cups leftover Spanish rice
• 1 cup cowboy caviar (recipe here … or substitute 1/2 cup corn plus 1/2 cup black beans)
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1/2 cup cooked taco meat
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• For the top: extra shredded cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the Spanish rice, cowboy caviar, zucchini, taco meat, shredded cheese and eggs.
3. Divide the mixture amongst the muffin spots, pressing down gently with a spoon to compact each cup (pressing down will help it all stick together better).
4. Sprinkle each rice cup with a bit more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 F. for about 25 minutes or until the cheese on top is nicely melted and the rice on top starts to get a little crunchy.
5. Let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly, then use a butter knife to gently lift the cups from the muffin tin. Enjoy them while they are warm.

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Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and reheat briefly (30 sec – 1 minute for a single cup) in the microwave.

For a gluten-free recipe, ensure your taco seasoning and Spanish rice is gluten-free.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Fitness & Food Linkup and Foodie Friends Friday.