New Recipe! : Baked Spinach and Brown Rice

Inspired by a recipe in the Gooseberry Patch Comfort Foods Cookbook.​
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The Stuff:​
1/2 large red bell pepper
1 smedium yellow onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
10 oz brown rice (I used Trader Joe’s frozen fully cooked brown rice)
10 oz. package frozen whole leaf spinach​
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups cheddar cheese​

The Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Dice the pepper and onion into uniform pieces. In a skillet, melt the butter and olive oil, then add the pepper and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, prepare the rice and the spinach according to package directions.

Thoroughly drain the spinach. Allow the rice and spinach to cool, then combine all the ingredients (including the eggs and cheese) and spread into a greased 8-by-8 pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy!  Serves 4-6

The Verdict:
I love the colors of this dish!  And it's pretty healthy, too.  Something about tossing veggies with cheese and then baking makes them irresistible!  It's easy enough to prepare for casual weeknight dinner fare, but also pretty enough to present at a gathering.  Prep time was minimal, especially using the frozen rice and spinach.  I can definitely see why this was included in a comfort food cookbook. All the ingredients are pretty cheap and usually on hand in my kitchen.  The original recipe called for processed cheese cubes and a slice of crisply cooked turkey bacon.  While I don't regret swapping the cheese, I do wonder what the addition of bacon would have added.  Anyhow, it was delicious as prepared!  Baked Spinach and Brown Rice is a new staple for me!