Mexican Rice

I have been making a lot of rice lately and wanted to use the cup and a half that I had in the fridge. I was gonna just make rice with peppers and onions to go with the chicken but then thought since I was making Enchilada Chicken that I would find a recipe for Mexican Rice. This was the first recipe I came to and thought it looked perfect. I didn't have the entire amount of rice it was calling for so I just empervised a little and was not disappointed at all. This was one of the best meals I have made in awhile and looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sprays cooking spray
4 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cup salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz canned fat free refried beans
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4c. Black or Pinto Beans
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I like WW Shredded Mexican Cheese!)
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional; for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. 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, black or pinto beans, corn (I used frozen leftover corn-on-the-cob), chili peppers and chili power. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.

4. sprinkle with 6 tablespoons 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.

6. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.

My mouth is watering just thinking of this recipe all over again.

I would like to add that I found this recipe at Down Home Dieting (http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com)