Amapola's Arroz

Update for Patties Parmigiana: I decided to try making a new one without cooking it in sauce. I browned it, topped it with a little pizza sauce, broiled it with some cheese, and ate it as a sandwich. Here it is getting nice and golden brown in the skillet:

And here is as a delicious sandwich:

Even though either version is good, I highly recommend this version, as it retains the yummy crunchy layer on the bottom.

I also decided to try a second recipe from from Betty Crocker's 4 in 1 Cookbook Collection's Hamburger Cookbook (1977) section:

Here's my serves-one, veggie adaptation:

1 tsp. canola oil
1/4 roll of Gimme Lean veggie sausage
a little dried minced onion
1/2 c. instant brown rice
1/3 cup chopped green and red pepper
1/2 c. canned petite diced tomatoes
1 slice veggie bacon (I love Sweet Earth brand, and I've got maybe 14 readers, so nobody paid me to say so.)
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
scant 1/4 tsp. salt
a few grinds of pepper

Heat oil over medium in small skillet or pan. Crumble Gimme Lean into hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquids are absorbed (about 10 minutes).

You'll notice I quartered most ingredients, but halved the rice, peppers, and most spices. Instant rice isn't as compact as regular rice, so I had to use more of it to approximate the amount of regular rice. I love bell peppers, and old recipes are usually a bit bland, so that's my rationale for over-peppering/ spicing if you need one. I was low on the added salt because the veggie burger already has more salt than ground beef would.

Here's how my version came out:

Was it good? Hells, yes! I was planning on trying one other recipe from the cookbook, but I knew it would be nowhere near as good as this, so I ended up making this twice. (Pro tip: It's even better if you grate a little bit of cheese on top.)

Even if I do make fun of old Betty sometimes, she had some good ideas.