Janet's Taco Rice

Have you ever suddenly remembered an old recipe -- a favorite -- that somehow, mysteriously disappeared from your life. You forgot to make it for a few months, and then it never returned.

Well, this weekend, I remembered:  TACO RICE. This was a huge family favorite a few years ago. The recipe is originally from a Massachusetts friend, Janet. She made it for our family often. So, here goes:

Taco Rice:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (I just sopped up the leftover oil with a paper towel.)
taco seasoning to taste -- and if you want to start making your own taco seasoning for Mexican cooking, you can! Here's what you need:
          Lawry's Seasoning salt, original variety
          garlic powder
          Mexican oregano (not the same as regular. Find this and the ground cumin, inexpensively, in the Mexican
                section of the grocery store.)
          ground cumin
For a pound of beef, I probably use about 2 teaspoons of Lawry's, at least a teaspoon of garlic powder, maybe a tablespoon of the oregano, and 2-3 good pinches of cumin. The cumin needs the salt, in order to give flavor.

Okay, so continuing ...
Add about 1/2 cup of hot water to the beef & spices, and simmer.
Then add a small jar of mild salsa. I used 3/4 cup. I also threw in some leftover chopped tomatoes & Rotel.
Add 8 oz. of frozen corn (1/2 bag)
(I also put in some chopped green onions.)
Cover this all, and let it warm on the stove.
Add rice. I used about 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, which I cooked FIRST, before adding it to the dish.
Mix the cooked rice into the beef mixture, and it's ready to serve!

Add shredded cheese, and serve with chips.

It's delicious, fast, cheap, and I already can't wait to nab the leftovers tomorrow :)