Cheesy Beans and Rice

After my dad had heart-trouble years ago, my mom adapted an old recipe to come up with this colorful all-in-one dish. It has been a favorite for a long time. Even our kids like it, and they can be quite picky!
Linda Rindels of Littleton, Colorado6 ServingsPrep: 15 min. Bake: 35 min.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
- Cook rice according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl;
- add the beans. In a nonstick skillet, saute onion in oil for 4-5
- minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Bring to a
- boil; remove from the heat.
- In a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer a third of
- the rice mixture, cheese and tomato mixture. Repeat layers. Layer
- with remaining rice mixture and tomato mixture.
- Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or
- until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 cup) equals 306 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium,