Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). While it heats, lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with a little olive oil so nothing sticks.

Brown the mince: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it's browned all over – you'll hear a satisfying sizzle and see the colour change from pink to a rich brown. This takes about 5-6 minutes.

Sweat the vegetables: Add the chopped onion, diced red pepper, and minced garlic to the pan. Stir everything together and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onion turns translucent and the pepper softens – the kitchen will smell wonderfully aromatic at this point.

Build the sauce: Stir in the tomato purée, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for one minute, letting the spices toast slightly. Then pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and beef stock. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer – you'll see small bubbles breaking the surface – and season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice: Pour the uncooked rice into the pan and stir it thoroughly through the sauce. Make sure every grain is coated. The mixture will look quite liquidy, but that's exactly what you want – the rice will absorb the liquid as it bakes.

Transfer and bake: Tip the entire mixture into your prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. If using, sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Cover the dish tightly with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for a further 5-10 minutes – the top should be lightly golden and the rice tender when you press a fork into it.

Rest and serve: Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. This resting time allows the rice to finish absorbing any remaining liquid and the flavours to meld together. The casserole will be steaming hot and smell deeply savoury – serve it straight from the dish.