Complete Meal in One Dish

This recipe provides a meat, vegetables, and a grain, so the food pyramid is pretty much covered. If you'd like to make it 8 layers, sprinkle some grated cheese on top for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Then you'll have the dairy part of the pyramid covered.

It was one of my husband's favorites when he was growing up, so I requested the recipe from my mother-in-law early on. My boys then grew up liking it. It is a great stand-by when you need to pull off a quick, filling, nutritious meal. Add a salad and some whole wheat rolls to round it out.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup corn, drained
• 1/2 cup Minute rice
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped in food processor (onion flakes if you're in a hurry)
• 1 can of tomato sauce*
• * This is the small can of tomato sauce. The reason that it is listed twice is that they comprise two different layers.

Directions:

Spray a deep dish casserole with cooking spray. Put in the ingredients (uncooked) in layers in the order given. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper to taste before topping it with the remaining can of tomato sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour until done.

I frequently double this and use a larger casserole dish. It is very good served as a leftover. Of course, when our boys were in their teens, I had to double it if my husband and I planned to have any left for us!

Source: My special mother-in-law who gave me her first-born son and then helped me to fix his favorite dishes.

By Sandy from Elon, NC