Easy Homemade Rice and Beans

With the holidays getting closer by the minute, I feel confident in saying that none of us have time to be slaving away in the kitchen making dinners. This time of year, every minute is crucial for planning, shopping, studying, working, traveling, or just taking 20 minutes to breathe. Whether you are a student studying for finals or a mom trying to organize all of your upcoming holiday festivities, you will appreciate this super easy and filling meal.

This Easy Homemade Rice and Beans recipe is great served as a light dinner or as a side to accompany your favorite Mexican dish. Unlike the box or bag of rice and beans that you buy at the store, this dish is loaded with flavor without being full of sodium. And being just as easy as the store bought version, this recipe is definitely a winner. Plus, everything tastes better homemade, right?!

Add all of the ingredients to one pot, let simmer for 20 minutes (or however long it takes your rice to cook), and you have yourself a delicious dish. Hard to beat that! And in that 20 minutes it takes for these rice and beans to cook, take a few minutes to sit down and get off your feet, maybe even make a drink, and just relax. Because we all deserve a few moments of relaxation during this crazy, busy time of year.

Easy Homemade Rice and Beans
(2 main dish servings or 4 side servings)

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes with diced green chilies, not drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, not drained
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp water
optional: 4-5 dashes of hot sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, or for about 5 minutes. Add all other remaining ingredients and stir together. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low so that the mixture simmers. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is fluffy and liquid is absorbed.* Serve with salsa, cheese, and sour cream.

*Depending on the type of rice you use, you might have to increase the cooking time. Adjust cooking time based on the instructions provided on the rice package.

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Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 180.9
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 131.5 mg
Total Carbs: 33.8 g
Fiber: 6.3 g
Sugars: 0.8 g
Protein: 7.7 g

Pros:
-Very quick and easy
-Great as a side dish or lighter dinner
-Very low in fat and high in fiber
-Perfect leftovers-reheat rice and put in burritos or quesadillas
-Versatile-feel free to saute bell peppers, corn, garlic, or other vegetables with the onions to add more pizazz to this dish

Cons:
-Not the prettiest presentation

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5