The One-Can Magic Trick For Comforting Tex-Mex Rice

Plain rice is a sturdy, serviceable side, but can be kind of bland on its own. All it takes is one well-chosen can, though, and you can have something far more flavorful: Tex-Mex rice, brought to you courtesy of Ro-Tel tomatoes — or rather, any brand of diced tomatoes with chiles since Ro-Tel doesn't have a lock on this particular product. Drain the tomatoes, then stir them into your cooked rice, and voila! Suddenly it's a lot more exciting. If you want to make the rice even better, though, you can add some chili powder, taco seasoning, or hot sauce and top it with a handful of grated cheese.

If you've yet to start cooking your rice, we'd like to suggest adding one more step. Once you drain the tomatoes, there'll be a certain amount of tomato water left in the can. Rather than simply pouring it down the drain, you can instead use it to replace part of the cooking water. That way, nothing goes to waste, plus your rice gets a little more flavor cooked right in. You can either cook the tomatoes along with the rice or reserve them and then mix them into the rice once it's done. It's probably best to hold off on adding the other seasonings until the rice is cooked, though, allowing you to add just a bit of spice at a time and taste as you go for the right balance.

This Tex-Mex rice makes a great side dish all on its own, especially with a cheesy topping, but it's even better if served with rice's best friend, beans. You can also roll it up in a super-sized flour tortilla with some leftover chicken, or cooked ground beef or chorizo to make your own Mission-style burrito. Don't forget the guacamole –- or is that extra at your house, too?

Yet another idea for this spicy rice is to use it in stuffed peppers. Take some nice big bell peppers, cut the tops off (a horizontal cut works, as well), scoop out the seeds and ribs, then fill them up with some of your Tex-Mex rice and cooked ground meat, and maybe some beans or corn. Top the rice with cheese, then bake the peppers in the oven at 390 F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they're fork-tender. The great thing about this dish is that it combines entree, vegetables, and starch all in one neat, complete package. Also, the peppers look pretty darn cute on a plate, particularly if you bake the tops and then add them back on as little hats.