What's for supper? Dirty Rice.

Rocks in My Dryer is hosting Works for Me Wednesday.

It's five o'clock. You've had a busy day. You're tired. You're crabby. You've got to fix supper...but the pantry is bare. What do you fix?

This is a common scene at our house - especially the bare pantry.

My fall-back recipe in these situations is Dirty Rice.

The nice thing about Dirty Rice is that you can wing it. I base the recipe on the one from The Hillbilly Housewife, but I kind of go with what I have.

The main ingredients are one pound of ground beef and one cup of rice. Then I go from there.

If I have onion, garlic, green pepper, or celery, more the better. Brown the ground beef with the vegetables. If I don't have any or all of them, I don't add them. Drain the fat.

If I have a can of tomatoes, I add that. If I have a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, I add that instead.

Sometimes, if I feel like it, I add a package of taco seasoning. Or not.

I add a cup of rice and two cups of water.

If I think everyone's hungry, I add more rice. However much rice you add, add twice that amount of water (1 cup rice + 2 cups water; 1&1/2 cups rice + 3 cups water, etc.)

Sometimes I throw in a can of corn. Or not.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes until rice is absorbed.

I usually serve it with a vegetable or canned fruit.

Dinner is served.