Why it works: Rice and beans match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,017 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Rice Fiesta
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the rice
Cook onion in oil until tender but not brown.
Add rice, salt, chili powder and broth.
Bring to a boil.
Stir well; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
Stir in chili.
Assemble and bake
Spoon half the mixture into buttered shallow 1-1/2-quart casserole.
Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
Add remaining rice mixture and top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | 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.
-
Rice + beanstop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,017 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + beanstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + ricetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,433 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Rice + beeftop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,265 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Uncooked rice
- Absorbs the broth as it simmers, becoming the tender starchy base of the casserole.
- Beef broth
- Cooks the rice and adds savory depth as the liquid is absorbed.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the layers, adding fat, richness and a binding, gooey texture.
- Chili without beans
- Supplies the main chili flavor and moisture that is folded into the rice.
- Chopped onion
- Softens in oil to add sweetness and aromatic flavor to the base.
The step that matters
Simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Rice must absorb the broth fully while covered; if liquid remains or the lid lifts too often, the grains can stay firm or turn unevenly cooked before baking.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, beef, beans, cheddar cheese):
- Tomatofits better
- Potatofits better
- Welsh onionfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, beef, beans, cheddar cheese. 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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