Description
This French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole is a comforting fusion of flavors, elevating a classic ground beef and rice base with caramelized onions and a creamy onion swirl. It’s an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser perfect for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Ground Beef (Halal-Certified): 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio recommended.
- 200 g (7 oz) Yellow Onion, thinly sliced.
- 200 g (1 cup) Long-Grain Rice, rinsed.
- 480 ml (2 cups) Halal Beef Broth: Low-sodium preferred.
- 240 ml (1 cup) Whole Milk.
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter.
- 16 g (2 Tbsp) All-Purpose Flour.
- 50 g (½ cup) Gruyère or Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Halal-Certified).
- 5 g (1 tsp) Dried Thyme.
- 2.5 g (½ tsp) Smoked Paprika.
- 2.5 g (½ tsp) Kosher Salt, plus to taste.
- 1 g (¼ tsp) Black Pepper, freshly ground.
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) Olive Oil.
- 30 g (¼ cup) Shallots, finely chopped (for garnish).
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs (for garnish).
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Caramelize Onions (Part 1): Sauté half the sliced onions in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until deeply caramelized (≈15 minutes). Set aside.
- Brown Beef & Sauté Onions: Brown ground beef in remaining olive oil, then sauté remaining onions with salt, pepper, paprika, and half the thyme.
- Toast Rice & Simmer: Stir in rinsed rice, toast briefly, add beef broth, and simmer covered for 15 minutes until rice is tender.
- Make Onion Béchamel: Melt butter, whisk in flour, gradually add milk, then stir in caramelized onions, remaining thyme, and cheese until thickened.
- Assemble Casserole: Spread beef-rice mixture in dish, pour béchamel over, and swirl gently.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, garnish with shallots and thyme.
Notes
For a visually appealing casserole, gently swirl the béchamel sauce on top before baking. Using halal-certified ingredients caters to specific dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg