Ingredients:
1 tablespoonneutral oil
16 ouncesground beef, 80/20 preferred
1 1/2 teaspoonskosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoonssweet or smoked paprika
1 teaspoonchili powder
1/2 teaspoonred chile flakes
1/4 cuptomato paste
1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
1 cupwhole milk
18 to 20 ouncescylinder-shaped rice cakes
2 cups(8 ounces) extra sharp white or yellow cheddar, grated
1 scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish
Directions:
If working with frozen rice cakes, place them in a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and thaw for about 10 minutes while proceeding with the recipe, then drain. If working with room temperature rice cakes, skip this step.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, about 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Break up the meat and cook until the pink is gone, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, another few minutes.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and combine with the meat and onion mixture. (Lower the heat a touch more if you see the tomato paste is sticking to the bottom of the skillet.) Add both milk and water and stir everything carefully, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the rice cakes to the skillet, breaking any stuck-together ones apart. They should be about halfway submerged; don’t worry if they’re not fully covered by the liquid. Turn the heat back up to medium-high, and cook until rice cakes are done but still chewy and al dente, about 4 to 5 minutes. If they were particularly hard or dry to begin with, it might take a few more minutes. (They will continue getting softer with residual heat, so err on cooking for a shorter time rather than longer.) Keep an eye on the skillet and reduce heat if sauce starts to bubble aggressively or splatter. Stir once in a while to prevent rice cakes from sticking to the pan.
Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Carefully stir until combined and all cheese is melted. The sauce will thicken further at this point. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the last 1/2 teaspoon of salt, if needed.
Plate and garnish with scallions and extra freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy right away.