Leftover rice is elevated to fabulous meal status in this beefy rice casserole flavored with salsa, harissa, tomatoes and loads of other fresh garden vegetables, topped with a cheesy yogurt bechamel sauce that’s SUPER easy to make. Your taste buds will love this dish!
I was totally experimenting when I made this recipe. I had some leftover rice I wanted to use up. I was thinking I wanted to make something sort of Moussaka-ish, but with rice … and without all the complications of making the sauce that makes Moussaka so time-consuming to make. And I really wanted to include my new favorite “seasoning”: harissa. It needed more than just harissa, though, or it would be WAY too hot to eat, so I stirred in some of my cilantro almond salsa that I found in the fridge and some cheese. I had loads of fresh sweet mini peppers from the garden and eggplant and onions and tomatoes … so yeah, all of these things went into my casserole too. I topped it all off with a bechamel “cheater” sauce that I usually make for Moussaka (which is basically just yogurt and eggs, whisked together), but I ran out of yogurt, so I stirred in some sriracha ranch because I pretty much always have that on hand, and some more cheese, because … cheese.
With all of that going on, I couldn’t wait to taste it. It was marvelous! Oh man. Yum. I think this is probably my favorite casserole ever. … Sorry, moussaka, you’ll just have to move over and make room for this beauty.
Wait. I’m throwing around words like everyone knows them … I didn’t explain what moussaka is. Or harissa. And yeah, almonds in salsa is really a thing. A really good thing.
What’s Moussaka? It’s a delightful layered Greek casserole, sort of like a lasagna, but with eggplant in place of noodles and topped with a creamy bechamel sauce. It’s something my dad used to make for us when I was little and I’ve always just loved it. We used to beg my dad to make it for us when I was a kid, except back then I didn’t like eggplant, so we’d beg him to make it with zucchini instead.
What’s harissa? A North African hot chile paste (or powder) often used in Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine. Oh man, it’s good! And spicy hot. You don’t need much harissa to flavor a dish. Harissa is a relatively new discovery for me, but something I definitely want to play with some more. (Good thing because I made a BUNCH of it this summer! I have multiple containers of harissa paste hanging around in my freezer, waiting patiently for me to find a good use for it.)
If you’re not a fan of eggplant (or if there’s no good eggplant available), go ahead and substitute zucchini for the eggplant. It’ll be fine!
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Wild Garden Beefy Rice Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the wild garden beef & rice filling:
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups eggplant, peeled & chopped (or zucchini)
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled & chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
- 3 mini sweet peppers, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper)
- 1/2 lb. very lean ground venison (or beef or other lean meat)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups leftover rice
- 1 large tomato, peeled & chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup salsa (I used my cilantro almond salsa – recipe here)
- 1/4 cup harissa paste (recipe here – or use store bought harissa)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
For the cheesy bechamel topping:
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup Sriracha ranch dressing (recipe here – or use store bought)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon each: salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss the eggplant with 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then set in the oven to roast for about 20 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the other 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Swirl the oil around in the pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the peppers and cook a few more minutes, then add the ground beef and cook until the meat is browned. Carefully drain off any excess fat, then stir in the roasted eggplant, rice and tomato. Pour this mixture into a deep casserole dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the salsa and harissa until well mixed. Pour over the rice mixture and stir to mix. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Pour the sauce on top of the rice mixture and stir to mix. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed, then use a spatula to smooth it out.
- Now, make the topping: Whisk together the yogurt, sriracha ranch, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg until smooth. Stir in the cheese. If desired, sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. (For gluten free, leave off the breadcrumbs or use GF breadcrumbs.)
- Bake at 400 F. for 45 – 50 minutes or until the sauce on top is set and golden brown. Let sit for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you have a dutch oven or saute pan that is oven-safe, you can prep and bake this all in one pan.
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
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Looking for more casserole recipes?
Autumn is upon us, so it’s the perfect time of year for a comforting casserole! Here are some delicious casserole recipes from my foodie friends:
- Savory Pecan Rice Casserole – Cooking with Mary & Friends
- Cauliflower Casserole – Cooking with Mary & Friends
- Hearty Chicken Noodle Casserole – Cooking with Mary & Friends
- Chicken n Dressing Casserole – Southern with a Twist
- Mexican Pizza Casserole – Southern with a Twist
- Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole – Southern with a Twist
- Overnight French Toast Casserole – This is How I Cook
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole – This is How I Cook
- Meaty Zucchini Casserole – Kitchen Divas
- Gluten Free Dairy Free Raisin Pumpkin French Toast Casserole – The Gluten Free Gathering
And a bunch more scrumptious casserole recipes from my own archive. Yes, I really did need to include all three recipes for moussaka. (I really DO still love you too, moussaka!):
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Meaty Lasagna Bolognese
- Garden Harvest Moussaka
- Asiago Mushroom Moussaka
- Mmmm …. Moussaka
- Turkey Quinoa Brussels Sprouts Casserole
- Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Easy Breakfast Chilaquiles
This recipe was shared at Full Plate Thursday.
2 comments
Your Wild Garden Beefy Rice Casserole looks fantastic, we will love it! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
[…] eggplant from my mom’s garden and so I went on an eggplant cooking spree, freezing moussaka, wild garden beefy rice casserole, creole eggplant fries and eggplant parmesan so I could enjoy all of this lovely garden goodness in […]