Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Easy Beef and Rice
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Brown beef and onion in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in rice, mushroom soup, tomatoes, corn, garlic powder and chili powder.
Bake and serve
Pour mixture into buttered 2-quart baking dish; bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Top with cheese; bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Rice + corntop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together933 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Tomato + corntop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,099 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lean ground beef
- Provides the main protein and savory, browned flavor in the filling.
- Cooked rice
- Adds bulk and absorbs moisture from the soup and tomatoes, giving the casserole body.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Binds the filling together and adds creaminess and moisture as it bakes.
- Stewed tomatoes
- Contribute moisture and acidity that balance the rich soup and seasonings.
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Melts over the top and browns, adding fat, richness and a golden crust.
The step that matters
Brown the beef and onion well. Browning meat over medium-high heat creates Maillard flavor compounds that give the casserole depth. Pale, steamed meat tastes flat and greasy, so let the beef colour before adding the other ingredients.
Swap the garlic
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, rice, cream, mushroom, tomato, corn):
- Garlicthe original
- Celeryfits about as well
- Cuminfits less well
- Thymefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, rice, cream, mushroom, tomato, corn. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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