Southern Beef ’n Rice is an easy, flavorful nearly one‑pot meal that you can make spicy or mild. Use whole grain brown rice for a heartier, more nutritious dinner that’s colorful and satisfying.
I call it “almost one‑pot” because the sauce cooks in a single skillet while the rice is prepared separately. It’s a handy, budget‑friendly alternative to spaghetti and meat sauce and just as simple to make. Control the heat to your taste — add more cayenne, a dash of hot sauce or crushed red pepper to turn up the spice.
This dish is also a great way to use up wilting but still edible vegetables from the fridge. Since a large portion of the food we buy ends up wasted, recipes that welcome tired greens are especially useful. For this recipe, choose heat‑tolerant greens like spinach, Swiss chard, kale or arugula — whatever you have on hand.
This batch used a mix of spinach, chard and kale. They’d lost some salad crispness but still added color and nutrients. I washed, roughly chopped and stirred them into the sauce during the last two minutes of cooking so they just wilted.
I love the colors this creates. The recipe originally appeared in a 2003 Manitoba Milk calendar, and I’ve adjusted it over the years to suit my tastes.
Print Recipe
Southern Beef ‘n Rice – Spice it Up or Down!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper more or less as desired
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 can 370 ml (12.5 oz) evaporated milk, partly skimmed
- 1/2 red pepper chopped
- 1/2 green pepper chopped
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 can 796 ml (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chopped greens e.g., spinach, arugula, kale, Swiss chard
Instructions
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In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain any excess liquid so the meat browns rather than steams.
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Add the chopped onion and sliced celery and sauté until softened, about 3–5 minutes.
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Stir in the minced garlic, Cajun or Creole seasoning, dried basil and cinnamon; cook for another minute to bloom the spices.
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Pour in the evaporated milk and simmer about 8 minutes, until most of the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened slightly.
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Add the chopped red and green peppers, Dijon mustard and diced tomatoes. Simmer 8–10 minutes more until heated through and the sauce is thickened.
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Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and additional cayenne or hot sauce if you prefer more heat.
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Stir in the chopped greens and cook about 2 minutes, just until they wilt and become tender.
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Serve the beef mixture over cooked rice.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Other recipes that easily accept extra greens include spinach frittatas, pasta bakes, beef and barley soup, and garden vegetable hamburger soup. You can add chopped greens to most soups, stews and casseroles to boost flavor and nutrition.
- Spinach Frittata
- Chicken and Spinach Bake
- Beef & Barley Soup
- Garden Hamburger Soup
How do you use up greens that are past their prime?
Cook with the seasons, effortlessly! I’m Getty, a food educator and Professional Home Economist, helping you select, store and serve seasonal ingredients in simple, everyday meals.