Not Your Mama's Dirty Rice Recipe

You’ll love this healthy spin on the classic dirty rice recipe. Not only is it tasty and good for you, it’s also a one-dish dinner! Thanks so much to Ovation TV for sponsoring this recipe. I was compensated for my time, but all content and opinions are my own.

Have you seen The Lee Bros. show called Southern Uncovered on the Ovation channel? OMG it is so cute. It’s no surprise that I love it since nerds and good Southern food are two of my favorite things. I hope Matt and Ted Lee don’t mind me saying they are a little nerdy. I mean it as nothing but a compliment. I am married to a dude who’s about as geeky as they come, and I’m no stranger to comic conventions, video games, and Magic cards myself. Nerds are my favorite. Anyway, these guys are super likable, and it is fun to watch them travel all around the South meeting chefs, restauranteurs, bartenders, and more.

Imagine my delight when Ovation contacted little ol’ me to ask if I would like to write a recipe inspired by the show. It was even featured (for like 5 seconds) at the end of an episode, so I’m basically a celebrity now ;)

I did a lot of soul searching to try to think of just the right recipe for such an honor, and I hope the folks at Ovation (and you of course!) love this new, healthy spin on dirty rice. I read lots of dirty rice recipes to prepare for this one, but I made a couple big changes to the classic version.

First off, I left out the gizzards and livers because that’s just not my thing. I also added greens to make it a one-dish meal because you know I love to make just one recipe for dinner whenever I can. I added a little Hispanic flavor and heat with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. My roots are Southern, but now I’m a Californian, so I thought it would be fun to bring a little taste of the West Coast.

This spicy, savory rice dish is simple and quick to make, and it’s pretty good for you too! Since this is a one-bowl dinner, maybe you could eat it while you watch Southern Uncovered. There’s nothing like having a warm bowl of dirty rice in your lap while you sit on the couch watching quality TV. I hope you’ll agree.

Not Your Mama’s Dirty Rice Recipe

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• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

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• 3 cups white rice cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 3 ribs celery diced
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce diced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 10 ounces collard greens washed and chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

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Instructions

1. If you don’t have cooked rice on hand, cook one cup of white rice in two cups of lightly salted water according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and chipotle peppers, and saute until onion is translucent. Add beef, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. Stir and crumble meat until cooked through.
3. Stir in greens, chicken broth, and vinegar. Cook until greens start to wilt, and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until greens are very welted but still fairly bright green.
4. Stir cooked rice into meat and greens mixture until well coated. Serve with plenty of iced tea because it’s spicy!

Notes

Don’t worry if you can’t find the chipotle peppers in your area. You could use 1-2 diced jalapeños instead or just add hot sauce to taste.

• Author: Andi
• Cook Time: 30

Want more easy Southern recipes? I have lots! Here are a few of my favorites: