Preheat the oven to 350°F, spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a dutch oven or large skillet with deep sides over medium heat, add 1 pound ground beef and 1 small sweet onion, small diced. Break up the beef into crumbles, stirring often until there is no pink left, and the onions have softened - about 10 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
Add 4 cloves garlic, minced, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, and take off the heat.
Stir in 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of celery soup, 1 ½ cups beef stock, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Add 1 cup instant rice and 12 ounces frozen mixed vegetables and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Top with 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cover with nonstick foil. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Uncover and place under the broiler to lightly brown the cheese. Top with some dried or fresh parsley (optional) and serve!
Video
Notes
We really loved the additional seasoning the garlic powder and onion powder added. We're using fresh garlic and onion in the recipe so if that is enough for you, then you don't have to add the additional seasoning.
You can use any mix of frozen vegetables you like, just make sure you use 12 ounces.
Broiling is optional so you can skip that step if you'd like.
Use any 2 cans of cream of something soup that you like. Cream of mushroom, cream of potato, or cream of cheddar would all be good.
You can also use leftover cooked rice in place of instant. Reduce the beef stock to ¾ cup instead of 1 & ½ cups if using cooked rice.
Use beef broth if you can’t find stock, or you can even use water, chicken broth/stock, or vegetable stock.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, freeze it for up to 3 months.
You can even make it a day in advance and pop it in the oven, you may need to extend the baking time slightly if preparing the day before.