Customizable Taco Bowls

If you're like me, you love when a good meal comes together with minimal time and work. Now, I do love spending time making a super nice "gourmet" meal from time to time. But, let's be honest, it's just not realistic to do that every day, or even every week for most of us. These days, especially, I appreciate quick and easy meals that are also delicious, healthy, and satisfying. 

This is one of those meals. And it's easy....stupid easy...like, my Boxer could make it. (he can be pretty stupid sometimes. Sorry, Bryant, it's true.)

These taco bowls(or glorified taco salads if you will) kind of remind me Chipotle, and, depending on what you use in them, could totally be a Chipotle fake-out. You can use just about anything you want. Ground beef, ground or shredded chicken, ground turkey, even steak or shrimp. 

I make these at LEAST once a week and my husband and I practically inhale them. 

I love the flavors of a taco, but I really don't like dealing with the crunchy shells that fall apart and spill out all of the ingredients all over my plate. 

With the bowls, you get all the flavor with none of that mess. The leftovers make for the perfect lunch the next day.

For this post, I'll share the recipe as I usually make them. Like I said, though, these are completely customizable to your liking.

Meat mixture:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 taco seasoning packet (I use the reduced sodium)

1 can Ro-tel (I don't drain this)

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

- Brown ground beef and drain grease. Sprinkle in taco seasoning and stir well. 

- Add in your Ro-tel, corn, and beans and let it all simmer together for 10 minutes or so. Bam. Done.

- I layer my bowls with lettuce, then a little brown rice, the meat mixture, and then add my preferred toppings. I love avocado, tomatoes, a little salsa, cheese, and jalapeños. The possibilities are endless. If you don't want to do the rice, toss in some Fritos or tortilla strips for some crunch.

Optional toppings/additions:

sliced jalapeños 

cubed avocado

squeeze of lime

diced tomatoes

shredded cheese

*salsa
*(any kind you like; salsa verde would be so good with chicken or shrimp)

black olives

reduced fat sour cream

chopped cilantro

Fritos/tortilla chips

brown rice

shredded lettuce

I realize this recipe isn't fancy, nor is it rocket-science....and that a blind goat could make it. But any recipes that can deliver delicious flavor in a small amount of time with minimal effort, well...I consider them worth sharing. 

And now, here it is...breakfast time, and I'm already excited about today's lunch....since it's leftovers from taco (bowl) Tuesday.