Ground Beef & Rice Casserole

(Original Recipe from  Cooks.com

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup rice (I used Wild & Brown Rice Blend)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom)
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup green peppers
1/4 cup onion (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper and salt (optional if using soup mix)
1/2 cup mild Cheddar cheese (I used 1 cup)
(I added 1/2 pkg. onion soup mix, 1 tsp. minced garlic & topped the dish with French fried onions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef with salt & pepper.  Cook rice.  Saute celery, green pepper, onion (& garlic).  In a medium baking dish combine all ingredients and mix well.  Bake 30-35 minutes.

Comments:  I did this a little different.  I cooked my rice in a sauce pan.  When done I moved it to a large bowl.  I then brown my ground beef and added it to the bowl.  In the same pan I sauted my celery, peppers, onion, and garlic.  I added that along with the mushroom soup and onion soup mix to the bowl.  Blended well.  Poured into my baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and baked for 30 minutes.  I then added the French Fried Onions and baked another 5 minutes to let them brown just slightly.  This is a super delicious dish no matter which way you make it.