Burrito Bowl

The fast food giant, Chipotle, has a fairly popular menu item known as the "burrito bowl."  Basically, it is intended to be a lower calorie option with all the burrito fillings minus the tortilla (which at Chipotle results in a near 300 calorie savings). 

I've been known to grab this for lunch on occasion, but it is incredibly easy to make an excellent version at home.  Here is what I used to construct mine:

1.  Steamed basmati rice, tossed with a handful of chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime

2.  A can of black beans (drained), simmered in a 1/2 c. of chicken stock and a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

3.  One recipe of braised chicken tacos.  (Trust me, you will want to make this - best taco or burrito filling ever)

4.  Some salsa fresca

5.  Guajillo chile salsa for good measure

6.  Grated cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, shredded lettuce, sliced scallions, and sour cream

Assemble items 1 through 6 in a bowl in that same order, and here is what you get:

Homemade Burrito Bowl

Delicious stuff.  Great colors,  Nice textures.  A very tasty meal!  It's not an exact copy, as Chipotle grills their chicken.  But after you try the chicken thighs braised in an exotic tasting ancho and guajillo chile salsa, you might not miss the grilled version.  It is so good!   I've been subsisting on the leftovers all week.

Of course, the bowl is a nice choice.  But there is nothing stopping any of us from stuffing all of this in a tortilla, either! :)