Spanish Rice Bake

I'm always on the hunt for easy to make, healthy weeknight dishes. I prefer that my more creative culinary pursuits take place on the weekend, when Will is around to keep the dog out of my hair and I can play around with recipes. I was looking for a new recipe that was low-cal and low-budget, since we are discovering very quickly that Massachusetts is an expensive state to live in! Luckily, I found this dish on All Recipes, and it was ridiculously easy to put together. Will originally planned on taking the leftovers to work, but that didn't pan out (it might have had something to do with the third helping he had for dinner last night!). This recipe was a big hit, and if you enjoy spicy foods, you have to give this a try. Also, I used lean ground beef and low-fat cheddar cheese to lighten our dinner up a little.
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 cup chile sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and transfer beef to a large pot over medium low heat.. Stir in the onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.
3. Let this simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then transport this to a 2-quart casserole dish. Press down firmly and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.