Spanish Rice (budget dinner side or main dish)

If you need something really inexpensive to add to any meal, or to use as a meal with different sides, that tastes wonderful & is the most loved food that my 10 year old asks for almost every DAY....you've come to the right place!:)

This is a recipe we have already posted here, but since I started the Budget Dinners section I thought I'd introduce it again.  If you add the ground beef in you've got yourself a main dish.  Serve it with some tortillas and some fruit. 

My family loves rice and I love that they love rice cause it is really economical right now!  You'll be blown away by these numbers!

Oh, and incidentally, another reason I love this recipe.  MY HUSBAND MAKES IT!!  You heard me right!  This one dish he has mastered & it gives me a break from the kitchen!  What a perfect meal!:)

Spanish Rice

Budget Dinner Totals: Makes about 12 (1 cup) servings.  Without meat (as a side)=$2.59...that's 21 cents per serving!!  With meat (as a main dish)=$5.59 or 47 cents per serving!

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(pictured without meat)

3 cups rice (we use Jasmine rice...it has a nuttier taste and is perfect for Spanish rice)

1-2 Tablespoons oil

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef, browned(optional)

2 cans (small ones) tomato sauce

5 1/2 tomato sauce cans full of water

4 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed

1 teaspoon cumin

pepper and salt to taste

Put your rice in a large pot and place on the stove top. Add enough oil to coat all the rice.  Brown the rice and oil on medium high heat stirring frequently. The rice will start to turn white(er) than it already is and then it will start to brown. You don't want it a dark brown but a light golden brown and not all of the rice will brown, but when the majority is browned it is ready.  This is what gives the rice the wonderful texture that it needs, so don't skip this part!!!:)

Once the rice is ready add the remaining ingredients. The key to the salt is to taste the broth before you start timing the rice. It needs to be a little saltier than normal because the rice will soak up a lot of the salt. When it tickles your taste buds, bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Enjoy with absolutely anything!!! We usually don't put in the meat if we are using it as a side dish, but sometimes Tony just likes to make it to eat as a meal in itself and he'll add the meat then (actually I think he would add the meat every time...It's me that doesn't think we need double meat at a meal!:))