Baked Spanish Rice

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 bacon, slices
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onions
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) can best quality plum tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups long-grain rice
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f. in large skillet, fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels; crumble and set aside. pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.
• 2 in hot drippings, cook onions and green pepper until tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• 3 into measuring cup, drain tomatoes; add enough chicken broth to the tomato liquid to make 1 3/4 cups. cut up tomatoes.
• 4 to onion mixture, add chicken broth liquid mixture, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic powder, sugar, salt -- and, if using -- cayenne or chili powder. heat to boiling. grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole.
• 5 remove mixture from heat and stir in rice; pour into casserole. cover and bake 35 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. stir lightly with fork. sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes. garnish with crumbled bacon and serve.