First, I think the name given to this recipe might turn people off; you don't have to have cold cooked rice ahead of time, and it's more low-fat than "fried." I make this at least every couple of weeks. My Elementary aged boys love it. The only change I've made lately is to use brown instant rice to make it a bit healthier, and let it simmer a bit longer. Also use Pam instead of oil. Easy to adjust "heat" with cayenne and salsa. If your kids don't like "chunks" of tomato, use picante sauce instead. If I'm in a real hurry, it can be speeded up by using a can of Mexicorn and a bit of instant minced onion in place of green pepper, onion, and frozen corn.

Reviewed On: May 5, 2011

Made this recipe as written, except used 3/4 pound italian sausage -- that seemed like enough. Husband, who's a big fan of meat sauce, said it was a keeper.

Reviewed On: May 2, 2007

I doubled this in a 9x13 pan for an extended family dinner. Worked well with reduced fat sour cream, and took a little longer than 45 minutes with the large pan. Absolutely wonderful!

Reviewed On: Mar. 16, 2007