Pork and Sweet Corn Rice Casserole

Tender cubes of pork tenderloin baked with brown rice, pinto beans, sweet corn, and mild chiles, topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 45 min
• Total: 1 hr 5 min
• Servings: 6
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $4.53/serving

Dietary

• Gluten-Free
• Egg-Free
• Nut-Free
• High-Protein
• Low-Sugar

Tags

• bake
• comfort food
• crowd-pleaser
• smoky

Ingredients

• 2 pound pork tenderloin (trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, diced)
• 1 red bell pepper (medium, diced)
• 4 clove garlic (minced)
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
• 1.5 cup brown rice (uncooked)
• 3 cup chicken broth
• 1 can canned pinto beans (15 oz, rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn (thawed)
• 1 can canned mild diced green chiles (4 oz)
• 8 ounce Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloin cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Sear the pork for 4 minutes until lightly browned on all sides, then transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to the skillet over medium heat. Sauté the yellow onion and red bell pepper for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. In the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, combine the uncooked brown rice, chicken broth, canned pinto beans, thawed sweet corn, canned mild diced green chiles, the sautéed pepper mixture, and the seared pork tenderloin. Stir until evenly distributed, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Bake covered for 35 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Uncover, scatter the shredded Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the top, and bake uncovered for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and the pork reaches at least 145°F.
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

Covering the baking dish tightly with heavy-duty foil ensures the rice absorbs the broth evenly while keeping the pork tender.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 560
• Protein: 52 g
• Carbohydrates: 48 g
• Fat: 18 g
• Fiber: 6 g
• Sodium: 720 mg
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Sugar: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 95 mg