This is a nice and easy one pot dinner for those weeknights when you don't have a lot of time to devote to cooking. I love one pot meals and I REALLY love anything with corn and black beans. I originally found this recipe as a good meatless option, but had leftover diced chicken in the fridge, so I added it in at the end and cooked for an additional 5 minutes or so until it was heated through. So good!

Here are all of the ingredients you'll need. Don't be intimidated, I know it kind of looks like a lot, but it couldn't be simpler. I already had some veggies cut up from my Sunday meal prep, so that took out a couple steps right there!

Skillet Mexican Brown Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 10 min. | Cook Time: 30 min. | Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup quick cook brown rice
1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 to 2 cup freshly shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add in the bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Add in the tomato paste and brown rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring almost constantly.

Add in the drained tomatoes, black beans and broth and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until almost all of the broth has been absorbed by the rice (and the rice is tender). This will take a bit longer if you're not using instant rice.

Remove the cover and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Recover and cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.