Hamburger One Pot Rice Pilaf Freezer Meal
Easy One Pot Rice Pilaf with Ground Beef & Veggies– Freezer Meal Prep Ideas!
This deliciously easy one pot rice pilaf is like a deconstructed summer hamburger! Of course, this pilaf features ground beef—along with heirloom tomatoes, spinach, and bell pepper. All of the comforting flavor of hamburger, but with loads of nutritious seasonal veggies!
And, even though I’m not usually a huge rice fanatic, I LOVE it in this one pot rice pilaf. After cooking, the rice soaks up all of the savory flavor from the broth, so it’s perfectly tender and scrumptious!
Personally, I like to use long grain rice for this dish, but you could try it with any rice you like. It’s a simple, filling, balanced dinner, that you can cook all in one pot! So, less time spent fussing with dirty dishes and cleanup, which I am always a fan of.
But…the ease, the yummy flavors, the nutritious ingredients—none of these are even the best part about this one pot dinner…
Freezer Meals, for the Win
Most importantly, this one pot rice pilaf is also a FREEZER meal! Once it’s cooked, you can package it up and freeze it for up to 3 months, so you’ve always got a healthy dinner on-hand when you need it. Because, when life gets busy, my instinct is: time to order a pizza…
But, using your freezer is a VERY savvy meal prep strategy. And, freezer meals like this one pot pilaf allow me to take advantage of delicious seasonal ingredients for a longer time! For this dish, I recommend portioning into individual serving containers for a ready-to-go freezer meal.
Then, the night before you want to enjoy, you can simply transfer however many portions of your one pot pilaf that you’d like to thaw into the fridge overnight. When dinnertime arrives, simply reheat in the microwave or toss your thawed freezer meal into a skillet with a bit of oil!
Of course, you can adjust this one pot rice pilaf recipe with the veggies and seasonings you enjoy. Or, even change up the protein! Serve it with a side of seasonal veggies, dress it up with your favorite sauce—get creative!
Hamburger One Pot Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups long grain rice, raw
- 3 cups broth
- 4 cups chopped spinach
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Sauté garlic and onion 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes and allow to soften slightly.
- Add beef and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in rice and cook until rice turns translucent but not brown (a few minutes).
- Add broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed (around 20 minutes).
- Stir in chopped spinach and heirloom tomatoes. Allow heat to wilt the spinach and soften tomatoes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Yields 10 cups hamburger-inspired one pot rice pilaf.
