Spanish “Rice” Casserole (Low Carb/Gluten Free)

Yum, Yum, Yum….did I mention yum??  I found this recipe  a couple of weeks ago and after tweaking it a bit, I made it for the first time tonight and we really liked it….like a lot. When you have been low carb for awhile, you really start to miss normal foods and one of the foods I miss the most is rice.  I have used cauliflower rice before in recipes and I have always been pleasantly surprised at how versatile it is in fitting into many different recipes.  As much as I like cauliflower rice, I have always noticed a slight veggie aftertaste, which I personally do not mind, but I do know that many people just do not like it at all.  I am happy to tell you that while I was eating this dish I could not tell that I was not eating real rice….really!  I think that cooking the riced cauliflower in a really flavorful baked dish helped to hide the taste much better.  The texture of “rice” was there but no cauliflower taste whatsoever.

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients

1 lb hamburger meat

1/2 cup of chopped onion/pepper mix (either frozen or fresh)

1 can of Rotel, drained

1/4 cup of diced pickled jalapenos (you can omit this if you do not care for spicy food)

1/2 a packet of taco seasoning

1 package of riced cauliflower, cooked

1/3 cup of sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2.Cook the riced cauliflower and set it aside (The kind I buy comes in a microwaveable bag, so that is quick and easy)

3. Brown the hamburger meat and the onion/pepper mix together in a pan, then drain off the grease.

4. In a large casserole dish, mix together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, jalapenos, and the Rotel.

5. Add in the meat mixture and the cauliflower rice, stirring until it is well-combined.

6. Top with shredded cheese.

7. Bake it for 30 minutes or until its bubbling and the cheese is slightly browned.

8. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Let me know if you try this recipe and especially if you can even taste the cauliflower rice at all!