Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

Hearty, creamy, and loaded with bold flavor — seasoned ground beef and fluffy rice baked together in a rich, cheesy sauce until golden and bubbling. A classic, crowd-pleasing one-dish dinner that is easy to throw together on a busy weeknight and guaranteed to empty the pan every single time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 pounds ground beef (80/20)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1.5 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 2.5 cups beef broth
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 0.5 teaspoons dried thyme
• 0.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a large 9×13-inch baking dish generously with butter or cooking spray.
2. Brown the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for 6–8 minutes until deeply browned and cooked through. Drain off excess fat leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
3. Cook the aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir well and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Build the sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, beef broth, and whole milk until smooth and well combined. Stir in the cooked beef mixture until evenly incorporated.
5. Assemble: Pour the uncooked rice evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the beef and sauce mixture over the rice and spread into an even layer, making sure the rice is fully submerged in the liquid — it will cook directly in the sauce as the casserole bakes. Scatter 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar and all of the Monterey Jack evenly over the top.
6. Bake covered: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes until the rice is nearly cooked through and has absorbed most of the liquid.
7. Uncover and finish: Remove the foil and scatter the remaining 0.5 cups of shredded cheddar over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for a further 15–20 minutes until the cheese is deeply golden, bubbling, and the rice is completely cooked through and tender.
8. Rest and serve: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving — this allows the sauce to thicken and the rice to fully absorb the remaining liquid for the perfect, creamy consistency. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve hot straight from the dish.

NOTES Tips: Keeping the rice uncooked when it goes into the casserole is intentional — it absorbs all the rich, savory broth and soup as it bakes, resulting in rice that is infused with far more flavor than pre-cooked rice would ever deliver. Making sure the rice is fully submerged under the liquid before going into the oven is critical — any exposed rice will not cook through properly and will remain hard and crunchy. Covering the dish tightly with foil for the first stage of baking traps the steam needed to cook the rice — do not skip this step or lift the foil early. The double cream soup base makes the sauce incredibly thick, rich, and flavorful with almost no effort — do not substitute with a thinner liquid. Freshly shredded cheese melts far better than pre-shredded which contains anti-caking agents that prevent proper melting. This casserole keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days and reheats beautifully covered with foil in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes with a splash of broth stirred in to loosen the sauce.