I’m not typically a “one pot meal” kind of girl. I’m more of a “4 pots and lots of cutting boards and knives and prep bowls and a general tornado in the kitchen” kind of gal. That being said, I’m all about complete meals in one bowl (see previous post). There is something so pleasing about all of the flavors of a dish just melding together in one bowl.

Last year, I discovered this recipe for restaurant-style Mexican rice. It has since become a staple whenever I make Mexican food at home. Sometimes I make mission style burritos with it, sometimes I serve it alongside enchiladas, and sometimes I just eat it straight out of the pot because it’s that good.

In the recent months leading up to the creation of this food blog, I have become more creative with creating my own original recipes. However, one of the amazing things about the internet is how there are so many great food bloggers and chefs out there who share their recipes with the world and inspire us all. In this case, I have taken some already amazing rice from another food blogger and added some of my own touches to it (or more accurately, piled on top of it).

Today, I’m sharing how I make burrito bowls with this lovely rice. This bowl is a complete meal, and an incredibly filling vegetarian dish. If you want to add meat to it you certainly could, but I’m here to tell you that I don’t even miss the meat because everything is so flavorful and aromatic!

The rice is of course the base for this dish. I then add seasoned black beans, homemade salsa and guacamole, Monterey Jack cheese, and sour cream. The salsa is my Mom’s recipe and you literally throw all the ingredients in the blender, but people always ask how to make it because it is truly amazing! The guacamole in the bowl gives you a nice brightness from the lime juice and zest. The rice takes a little bit of effort to make, but once you have it done this meal is a cinch to throw together.

This is one of those meals that makes me extremely excited to have leftovers. It makes plenty, and you will definitely want extra (Eric has caught me several times spooning extra rice into my mouth while I pack up the leftovers– I really can’t resist!)  You could put all of this in a wrap the next day and take it for lunch, top it all with a  fried egg for breakfast, or just repeat the burrito bowl!

Burrito Bowls

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 batch of Culinary Hill’s Mexican rice (I use veggie broth instead of chicken broth here)

2 cans of black beans

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

6 oz freshly shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (Cotija cheese also works well, if you can find it)

½ cup sour cream

Salsa

1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 cup cilantro leaves

½ of a jalapeno, roughly chopped

½ of an onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Guacamole

2 ripe Haas avocados

Zest and juice from a lime

¼ cup finely diced red onion

¼ cup finely diced tomato

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Make the rice.
2. Meanwhile, make your guacamole: Peel the avocados, and mash them in a medium-size bowl until you reach your desired consistency (I like my guac fairly smooth, but feel free to keep it on the chunkier side). Add the lime juice and zest, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Stir and set aside.
3. Make your salsa: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth (Again, you can keep it on the chunkier side if that is what you prefer). Set aside.
4. Place the black beans in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add cumin and ½ tsp salt, and heat until warmed through. Set aside.
5. To assemble the bowls, Place about a cup of rice in each bowl. Top with beans, guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream.