Ah, Spanish rice. I remember you well. You followed me from elementary school in Hilo through high school in Hawaii Kai, a staple of cafeterias statewide.

And I am not alone. Most of my fellow public-school alumni remember this dish, some unkindly, but most with some degree of reverence. Stella Isara, for example.

“Do you have the recipe for the old school-kine Spanish rice we used to have years ago?” Isara wrote. “Several people have asked me if I know who we could contact. I thought about you.”

I thought in turn about Marlow DeRego, a retired cafeteria manager and Leeward District supervisor for DOE food service, who helped me with this recipe and some context.

First, most cookbook recipes for Spanish rice call for cooking the rice in a soupy mixture of tomatoes and ground beef. Most schools, DeRego said, have giant rice steamers, so they’d cook the rice and sauce separately, then mix them in a baking pan.

Everything was sprinkled with cheese — often American cheese, as that was a federal commodity item supplied to the cafeterias — and baked. “The cheese part is what so many of us loved and remember about the Spanish rice and baked spaghetti menus,” DeRego said.

But alas: “Schools discontinued Spanish rice due to USDA regulatory changes to requirements to meet grain, protein and vegetable portions,” she said. “Hence, this dish is now a memory!”

This is a great recipe for busy families. You can make the sauce on the weekend, then later in the week mix it with whatever leftover rice you’ve accumulated. Pop it in the oven or microwave with cheese on top and you’ve got dinner — a gooey, cheesy one-dish meal that’s kid-friendly. For my family I’d add more diced vegetables to give it more nutritional oomph.

If you try this recipe and it doesn’t quite match your taste memory, that’s probably because your cafeteria manager tweaked the recipe. Try adding granulated garlic or garlic salt, chili powder or a little tomato paste. Or use beef with a higher percentage of fat.

Also, if your school days date back to before the ’90s, your Spanish rice was likely made with white rice. Schools started using a half-half blend of white and brown rice after that, and some schools used plain brown in this dish.

School-Kine Spanish Rice

Adapted from Hilo Union School

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 (14-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed, or 1 can stewed tomatoes and 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups cooked rice (white, brown or a mix)
• 4 slices American cheese, cut in strips

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add onion; saute until softened. Add beef; saute until nearly cooked through. Add bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce and rice in a casserole dish or baking pan. Top with cheese. Bake a few minutes, until cheese melts. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (using only stewed tomatoes): 330 calories, 12 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 21 g protein