15 Minute Cowboy Beef and Rice Skillet

The first week of the new school year, and the Blackwood household has resumed its September choreography: alarms, breakfasts, departures. James is a senior now, which means he walks through the halls of Porter-Gaud with the particular swagger of someone who has earned the right to swagger, though his swagger is bookish rather than athletic — the swagger of a boy who won the debate championship and works at a bookstore and has read more Morrison than most adults.

Carrie is thriving in her sophomore year. Mrs. Yamamoto has recommended her for an advanced literature seminar that is usually reserved for juniors and seniors, which Carrie accepted with the composure of someone who expected it and the gratitude of someone who knows not to take it for granted. The seminar reads world literature in translation, which is exactly the kind of course Carrie was born for — a course that treats books as bridges between cultures rather than artifacts of one culture.

At the library, I am adjusting to the September rush — new programs, new budgets, new staffing decisions. The North Charleston branch needs a new children's librarian, and the candidates I've reviewed range from excellent to bewildering. One applicant listed "puppetry" as a skill, which I initially dismissed and then reconsidered, because children's programming benefits from every form of storytelling, and puppetry is storytelling with felt.

I have been thinking about the move — Mama and Joy to Charleston — with the obsessive planning that I bring to every major project. I have a spreadsheet (because I am a librarian and spreadsheets are how I process anxiety). The spreadsheet includes: room assignments, furniture needs, medical provider transfers, activity program options for Joy in North Charleston, estimated costs, timeline. The timeline says February 2018, which gives us five months to prepare and which gives Mama one more holiday season in the Beaufort parsonage, which I owe her.

I made hoppin' John this week — comfort food, the dish I make when the world is complicated and I need something simple. The black-eyed peas and rice and sausage ask nothing of me except time and attention, and in return they provide the specific comfort of food that has been made by my family for generations, food that says: you come from somewhere, you belong to something, the chain is unbroken.

Hoppin’ John is my deep-roots dish, the one I reach for when the world is asking too much of me at once — and between the September library rush, the hiring decisions, and the spreadsheet that now governs every detail of Mama and Joy’s move to Charleston, this was absolutely a hoppin’ John week. But on the nights when even that feels like one pot too many, I keep this cowboy beef and rice skillet in my back pocket: one pan, twenty minutes, the same fundamental promise of something warm and filling that says the chain is unbroken and dinner is handled.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 can (15 oz) black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
1 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
Chopped fresh cilantro or sliced green onions, for serving (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Brown the beef. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 4–5 minutes. Drain off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Soften the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
Toast the spices. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, so the spices bloom in the fat and coat the beef.
Add rice and liquids. Stir in the uncooked rice, diced tomatoes (with their juices), beef broth, and drained beans. Stir well to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Simmer covered. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.
Rest and fluff. Remove from heat and let the skillet sit, still covered, for 3 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork, tasting for salt. Serve directly from the skillet topped with cilantro, green onions, or shredded cheddar as desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

15 Minute Cowboy Beef and Rice Skillet — The One-Pot That Holds Everything Together