| 1 | Prepare the rice in the water according to package directions or your own procedure (white rice is ok, but it makes for a bland and fairly gummy dish). |
| 2 | while the rice is cooking, combine all the rest of the ingredients except the cheese in a saucepan and simmer, at least 15 minutes. |
| 3 | heat oven to 350 degrees. |
| 4 | Spoon the cooked rice into a casserole dish. |
| 5 | Remove the bay leaf from the bean mixture; pour the beans over the rice and stir; it doesn"t have to be thoroughly mixed. |
| 6 | Top with the cheese and bake uncovered 20-35 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly. |
| 7 | Let stand five minutes before serving. |
| 8 | i tell people this serves four, but that"s a fairly skimpy serving. |
| 9 | It doubles easily, but you"ll need a pretty good-size casserole. |
| 10 | Also, the wine is optional for those who don"t use it, but it really does make a difference, and since the other flavors are pretty assertive, i"d suggest using a fairly cheap, strongly flavored wine |
