Taco Rice Gratin

If you and your family love tacos and rice you’ll love this recipe for taco rice gratin. It has all the familiar flavours of the traditional mince beef tacos but it makes a nice change especially for Taco Tuesday! I have included a recipe to make your own taco seasoning but feel free to use your favourite brand of commercial taco seasoning. Here I have used What’s Gaby Cookings Taco Fajita Senorita seasoning available from Williams Sonoma. Recipe adapted from one found in Adam Liaw’s book Adam’s Big Pot and will serve 4 easily.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 500gm beef mince
• Taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 5 cups cooked short or medium grain rice, warm (400gm uncooked)
• shredded cheese approx 2 cups

To serve

• salsa
• shredded lettuce
• cherry tomatoes, chopped
• avocado, chopped
• sour cream
• coriander
• jalapenos
• spring onions, sliced
• hot sauce

Directions

Heat the oil in a frypan over high heat and brown the mince well.

Add you choice of taco seasoning and stir to coat. Add the soy sauce, sugar and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is nicely reduced.

Lightly grease a gratin dish and place the rice evenly over the bottom.

Cover with the beef mix.

Then the shredded cheese.

Grill under an overhead grill until the cheese is golden brown.

Now is the fun part, serve up and top with your favourite taco toppings.

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground paprika
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

I hope you give this little recipe a go as I’m sure your family will love it as much as mine. Enjoy. Sheryl x