Black Bean Rice Casserole is a cheesy, creamy Mexican-style bake of black beans, cooked rice, salsa, tomato sauce and sour cream, with cheddar melted through it. Serve it as a side dish for a Mexican-style dinner or as a meatless main, and it serves 8.
How to make it: Stir the beans, tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, cooked rice, sour cream and cheddar together in a large bowl, spread the mix in a sprayed 9×13-inch dish, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick to put together: 5 minutes of prep, then 20 to 30 minutes in the oven.
- Pantry ingredients: the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and salsa all come from cans and jars.
- Side or main: it makes a lot, so it works beside a Mexican-style dinner or on its own as a meatless main.
- Make-ahead friendly: mix it and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake, or freeze it for later.
Ingredient Notes
Black beans: One 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained.
Diced tomatoes and green chiles: One 10-ounce can, drained.
Tomato sauce and salsa: An 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and an 8-ounce jar of salsa or picante sauce.
Cooked rice: Two cups of white or brown rice, already cooked.
Sour cream and cheddar: One cup of sour cream and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, all stirred into the mix.
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles (10 ounces), drained
- 1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
- 1 jar salsa (8 ounces), salsa or picante sauce
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
How to Make Black Bean Rice Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix everything. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, cooked rice, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Stir until evenly mixed, then spread it in the prepared dish.
3. Bake uncovered. Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the center reaches 165°F.
4. Serve. Serve hot, as a side dish or a meatless main. It is also good with chips for dipping.
Cooked or Uncooked Rice in Black Bean Casserole
This casserole takes 2 cups of cooked rice. Leftover rice works, and so does rice you cook fresh: cook 1 cup of uncooked rice the way the package says and you have the 2 cups you need. White or brown rice both work.
Uncooked rice needs its own method, not a straight swap. It goes into the dish with hot liquid, under tight foil, and stays in the oven much longer. Here is the white rice version from start to finish:
- Stir 1 1/2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice, a 12-ounce bag of frozen peppers and onion and a 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed, together in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Microwave 2 3/4 cups of vegetable broth for 3 minutes, until simmering, then stir it into the dish along with 8 ounces of enchilada sauce.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, until the rice is mostly tender. Stir it. If liquid still shows, bake it uncovered for 5 more minutes.
- Top with 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until melted and bubbly. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.
Brown basmati rice has its own amounts: 3/4 cup of rice with 2 cups of boiling water, covered tightly with foil and baked at 400°F for an hour, then stirred and left covered for 10 minutes. White rice behaves differently from brown, so stay with the amounts written for the rice you have.
Tips for Success
What should I do with freshly cooked rice?
Let it sit covered for 10 minutes, then fluff it before it goes into the bowl with the beans.
Do I drain the beans and tomatoes?
Yes. Rinse and drain the black beans, and drain the diced tomatoes and green chiles. The tomato sauce and salsa go in as they are.
Variations
- Enchilada sauce: use 8 ounces of enchilada sauce in place of the salsa.
- Corn: stir in 1 cup of corn, fresh or frozen and thawed.
- Other beans: use other beans or chickpeas in place of the black beans.
- Lime: toss the cooked rice with the juice of 1/2 lime before it goes into the bowl, or squeeze a little lime over the hot casserole.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. The casserole freezes well: to bake it after freezing, thaw it completely in the refrigerator and bake as directed. Reheat leftovers covered, in the oven or microwave, until they reach 165°F. Don’t reheat them in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
As a side dish, it sits well next to a Mexican-style main, such as chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce or a layered taco bake. If you want more bakes in the same spirit, try the easy chicken burrito casserole, which adds chicken and bakes uncooked brown rice in broth under foil, the one pot Mexican rice casserole, the Mexican tortilla casserole or the tamale casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in a black bean and rice Mexican casserole?
This one has seven: black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, cooked rice, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Can I use uncooked rice in a black bean and rice casserole?
Yes, but it needs its own method: hot broth or water, tight foil and a bake of 40 minutes to an hour, not the 20 to 30 minutes here. The amounts are in the rice section above.
Is black bean and rice casserole a side dish or a main dish?
Either. It serves 8, so it works as a side dish, and it is filling enough to be a meatless main. It is also good with chips for a dip.
Can I make black bean rice casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Mix everything in the bowl, spread it in the dish, and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake.
What can I put on top of black bean rice casserole?
Sour cream, salsa, avocado, hot sauce, cilantro, green onion and sliced jalapeños all go well on top.
Final Notes
Set out sour cream, salsa and chips and let everyone top their own bowl. If you have a question or make this casserole, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Black Bean Rice Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles 10 ounces, drained
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces
- 1 jar salsa 8 ounces, salsa or picante sauce
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, diced tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, cooked rice, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Stir until evenly mixed, then spread it in the prepared dish.
- Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the center reaches 165°F.
- Serve hot, as a side dish or a meatless main. It is also good with chips for dipping.
