Meat pies have long been a staple meal around the globe, just look at the enduring popularity of shepherd’s pie, pot pie, and taco pie for examples. But, this country pie has layer of beef and vegetables as the crust, with a filling of tomato sauce, rice, and cheese. This is simple, hearty, filling food that happens to also be extremely tasty.

The crust of the pie is made from brown ground beef combined with raw onion and bell pepper and some breadcrumbs. I used the Italian variety of breadcrumbs since it adds more flavor to the finished recipe. If you wanted to add any other veggies or spices, this step would be a great place to do it.

Once you have the crust mixed up press it into the bottom of a 9″ square baking dish and up the sides.

For the filling a simple shortcut of Minute rice (combined with tomato sauce and cheddar cheese) makes this a super easy dish.

To make sure the rice cooks in the oven you’ll need to add some more sauce on top. After it’s mostly done baking, the last step is to sprinkle on some cheese and bake it just long enough to melt it.

Serve this up with some salsa and sour cream or serve it plain as is. Either way this rustic dish won’t last long at the dinner table. And, if you have any leftovers (doubtful) they heat up beautifully.