Vegetable & Bean Rice Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 garlic clove, crushed (to taste, or garlic powder to taste)
2 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)
Casserole
2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups black beans, cooked
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation

Lime-Garlic Sauce: In a small saucepan, Melt butter slowly over medium heat OR briefly heat oil over medium heat.
Mix in cornstarch.
Gradually stir in milk.
Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat.
Stir in garlic and lime-juice to taste.
(I prefer a rather strongly flavored sauce as the flavor will be diluted when mixed into the casserole).
Casserole: Prepare rice, beans, and vegetables according to package directions, separately.
Divide sauce evenly between rice and vegetables.
Mix so that rice and vegetables are well-coated.
Spread rice evenly in bottom of 11 x 7 casserole.
Spread vegetables over rice.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheddar over vegetables.
Spread beans over cheese.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over beans.
Cover and bake at 350\u00b0F until heated through and cheese is melted (15-20 minutes assuming that rice and beans are still warm).