Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please!

(UPDATE: I originally posted this recipe last year, and it has become one of my family’s FAVORITE dishes.  It’s healthy, fast to make and delicious!)

I am always looking for quick and yummy dishes, especially if there’s minimal clean-up, so when I found a recipe in my Facebook feed a few weeks ago, it sounded good, but I always like to tweak my recipes to my family’s taste.  The original recipe is very low carb, but I have 3 locusts teenagers and wanted it to be a bit more filling, so I added brown rice.  It was also WAY too hot and spicy for my wimpy family (and I include myself in there!) so I toned down the heat, too.

I did use parts of the original recipe but added my own twist to it, too, and it was a definite hit at my house, so it became easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and RICE.

In case you are curious, here is the original recipe.

*By the way, we buy our ground beef in large amounts, brown it, and freeze it for recipes. So in the pictures you will see that my ground beef is frozen, but you can use either fresh or frozen. Here’s how to freeze ground beef.

I freeze ground beef in 1 lb containers so they are ready for use in recipes.

Anyway, here is my version of an easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice dish.

I hope you like it, too. This recipe makes 6 1-cup servings.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

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Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, chopped into bite-sized chunks

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz. can tomatoes and green chiles (Like mild Rotel)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. onion salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 c. instant brown rice (I use Uncle Ben’s)

2 c. water

Colby jack cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and the garlic over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

Add the tomatoes and spices.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini.

Add the rice and water.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 10 minutes or until rice has absorbed most of the water and is tender.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice? Yes, please! A filling, easy one-skillet meal the whole family will love, and clean up is a breeze!

We topped each serving with a sprinkle of Colby jack cheese, which added another layer of yumminess, and because that’s what we do.  ðŸ™‚

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice –  printable recipe.

Here’s another of our favorite skillet meals: Southwest chicken and rice.

Easy southwest chicken and rice is my go-to meal on a busy night. It is fast and delicious, with brown rice, chicken, tomatoes, Tex-Mex spices and cheese. Yum!

I hope you enjoy this easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice recipe.  Tell me, do you also like to tweak recipes to make them your own?

~ Pam

P.S. Looking for some yummy desserts? Fill out the form below to get a free downloadable copy of recipes for my 10 favorite easy desserts!

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