Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole

Sometimes you just feel like a hardy casserole dish for dinner. And this one is a low fat, vegetarian, high fiber casserole so dig in - guilt free. This is from Weight Watchers, which has surprisingly good recipes. (8 points) I'm a "lifetime" member so will periodically check in with them. (It should be more than"periodically"but that's how it ends up.)

Serves 6

cooking spray
4 cups cooked brown rice
1-1/4 cups salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
15 oz. canned refried beans
10 oz. frozen corn kennels, thawed
4 oz. canned green-chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, or collard greens, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl
3/4 cups low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional, for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.

3. In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.

4. Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 Tbsp. of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top, sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.

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