Lima Bean Casserole

For the lima beans:
1. Sort through and rinse the beans.
2. Bring half of the water and the lima beans to a boil in a medium sized pot.
3. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Put the lid on the pot.
4. Let the beans stand covered for one hour.
5. Drain and rinse the lima beans, put them back into the pot and add the remaining (fresh) water.
6. Bring the lima beans to a low simmer and cook until desired tenderness, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7. Drain any remaining liquid.

For the rice:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
2. Pour in the rice and lower the heat to a simmer.
3. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let it stand for 5 more minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

For the casserole:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, combine the can of tomatoes, rice, drained lima beans, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Top with shredded cheese and tomato slices.
3. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warmed through.

NOTES:
– You may need more or less salt depending on if you salt the rice or lima beans when cooking or if the can of tomatoes has salt added. I like to taste the casserole before putting it in the oven and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
– You can use 1 cup frozen lima beans in place of the dried beans if you want to save some time.