Baked Jalapeno Rice

I found this recipe amongst my vast collection of recipe cards and decided to try it out. I made some changes to it and came out with a good rice side dish. This can easily be halved to serve 4 people.

Baked Jalapeno Rice

2 cups uncooked rice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 (10 oz) can Rotel Chunky Tomatoes and Green Chilis
2 cups lite sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions, adding the butter. Add tomatoes, sour cream, onion soup mix, lime juice, salt and pepper and half of the cheese to the rice mix; stirring to mix. Pour into a 2 qt. rectangular baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.