Hamburger and Rice Casserole

Want to know something sad?  This cute little guy:

Seems to have a problem with the dairy in my diet.  So until I wean him (at least 6 months from now) or until his little system matures, I need to eliminate or considerably reduce the dairy in my diet.  Why is this so very sad?  Because I LOVE dairy.  I have been kind of a cranky Mama without milk and cheese. 

Because of this necessary diet change, you are going to see more “dairy free” recipes on this blog and I will be re-making some of my favorites to eliminate the dairy until I can figure out how much my little sweetie can handle.  Also, unlike many other dairy free recipes out there on the internet, these are just dairy free; not gluten, nut, egg, all possible allergen free.  I like my other allergens, thank you very much!

Hamburger and Rice Casserole is a variation on one of my favorites when I was growing up. Yep this is another yummy mom casserole.  However, I made this dairy free by eliminating the “cream of” soups and adding rice milk.  You can always add in regular low fat milk in place of the milk alternatives when you are trying these recipes.

Hamburger and Rice Casserole

An Amy Original

1 lb ground beef

¾ cup celery, diced

¾ cup carrots, diced

2 cups rice milk (or regular milk), divided

2 tsp dry chicken stock

½ tsp dried bay leaf

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried parsley

½ tsp black pepper

Dash of salt

½ cup water

4 tbsp flour

1 cup rice, uncooked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a skillet, combine beef, celery, and carrots.  Cook on medium-high heat until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together ½ cup rice milk with the flour until all lumps are gone.  Set aside.

Combine with spices, water, and remaining rice milk in a bowl.

Once the beef in browned and the vegetables are tender, place them in a casserole dish.  Stir in the milk and flour mixture, the spice mixture, and the uncooked rice.  Cover and place in the oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the casserole and stir it well.  Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, and stir again.  Cook for a final 10 minutes (for a total of 1 hour) and serve.

Enjoy!

Amy