One-Pot Mediterranean Beef and Rice Bowls

Feb 20

While the finished product has a lot of white sauce/cheese and may appear a bit bland, this dish packs a punch with flavor, making it one I’m going to be making over and over again. And it takes under 30 minutes!

This makes about 6 servings.

NOTES I didn’t have any fast cooking or ready to serve rice on hand, so I had to dirty another pot and it took a little longer, but if you have some microwave rice on hand, this one will be a true one-pot meal and will come together more quickly than it did for me!

*If you want to watch the video of this being made, this recipe starts at the 10:26 mark.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked Basmati rice, cooked - (or a 90-second pouch to make this easier and quicker)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (about two handfuls)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (extra protein!)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
splash of water to thin, if needed

Toppings:

Feta cheese crumbles, halved cherry tomatoes and/or sliced cucumbers

Here’s how to make it

Heat large skillet to med-high. Add ground beef, and break it up and then leave it for a few minutes to get a deep color on the bottom before continuing to mix and cook. As you continue to cook, add seasonings. Once fully cooked, remove to a paper towel - lined plate and set aside.
Using the same skillet (add a little oil if there’s not enough grease left behind), sauté peppers and onions for 3-4 minutes.
While that cooks, mix your dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Once peppers and onions are tender-crisp, add spinach and the cooked rice and combine. Stir until spinach wilts.
Add ground beef back in and combine.
Serve in shallow bowls, adding toppings and finishing with a healthy drizzle of the lemon-garlic dressing!