The bishop?s sour cream rice bake

By Kevin Williams

*Editor?s Note: Gloria Yoder will be back soon with more Amish Cook recipes after she recovers from the birth of her son.

This is one of these hearty farm house meals that the Amish are legendary for.

Rice isn?t sometimes the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Amish cooking, but rice is available in large quantities, sold in big burlap bags in most Amish-owned bulk food stores. Rice is cheap and it can be used to stretch a meal. Rice, historically, was not a large part of the Amish menu, but with the advent of quick rices, the staple has gradually gained currency in Amish homes.

This is an Amish recipe that my mom and dad tried and loved. If you like a big, hearty farmhouse style supper, this one is for you!

Now, if you want to try this amazing recipe, which my parents christened as ?delicious,? here it is. The recipe comes from an Amish cook in Kentucky, who?s husband is a bishop, and this is one of his favorite meals!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

15 ounces canned tomato sauce

11/2 cups long grain, white rice

3 cups water (or beef broth)

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add the rice and water to a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan.

Cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Remove from the heat, drain the grease, and add the tomato sauce to the pan.

Add the rice to a large mixing bowl and dump in the sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir to combine. Salt and pepper, to taste.

In a 2 quart baking dish place half of the rice on the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the meat and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve hot.