Busy Night Special

My mom used to make this on the busiest night of the week. She would change the name to whatever day it was (Tuesday Night Special, for example) but I just simply call it Busy Night Special. True to it's name, it is great for a busy day because it is very simple to make and pretty quick to throw together.

1/2 - 1 pound ground beef (I usually only use 1/2)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
2 cups rice, uncooked
4 cups water
1 can (drained) or 10 oz bag of EITHER green beans OR corn
garlic salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese (optional)

Cook ground beef; drain. Add taco seasoning, rice, water, veggies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Test seasonings and adjust as needed. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve.

Vegetarian Variation: Substitute 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, for the ground beef.

Corn and Rice Medleys

I have two recipes that are corn/rice medleys:

Corn and Rice Medley #1

1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 - 4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook the rice and water like normal until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in corn, onions, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender.
In a serving bowl combine cooked rice and corn mixture.


Corn and Rice Medley #2

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute the red pepper and green onion in oil until tender. Stir into rice. Add the corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Apple Spice Rice

Tastes GREAT with Caramel Apple Pork Chops. :)

2 Tbsp butter
2 cups rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in rice, onion, garlic, and apple. Saute 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Wild Rice Chicken

(Makes 8 servings, I use 4 now and freeze 4 for later.)

2 pkgs long grain wild rice mix
8 chicken breast halves
Red Pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp butter

Cook pepper in butter in a sauce pan until pepper is tender. Continue to cook the rice per package instructions in the same sauce pan.

Meanwhile, spray frying pan with Pam and cook chicken for 10 minutes on each side.

Serve chicken and rice together. Place remaining chicken in a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Top with remaining rice. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen: Thaw in fridge. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until heated through.