Spanish Rice Bake

Description
Tomatoes Canned by the US Department of Agriculture, public domain government resource—original source of recipe
 * Serves: 4

Ingredients

 * 1 pound lean ground beef
 * ½ cup onion, finely chopped
 * ¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
 * 1 (15½ ounce) can tomatoes
 * 1 cup water
 * ¾ cup uncooked long-grain rice
 * ½ cup chile sauce
 * 1 teaspoon salt
 * ½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
 * ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
 * 1 pinch ground black pepper
 * ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
 * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 375°F.
 * 2) Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and transfer beef to a large pot over medium low heat. Stir in the onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and ground black pepper.
 * 3) Let this simmer from about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then put into a 2-quart casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese.
 * 4) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Variations

 * To lower fat content: Use low fat cheese.