A make-ahead, gluten-free meal that's adaptable to tastes and always a crowdpleaser. As is, it's vegetarian (actually, vegan) but add grilled chicken for the omnivores in your family.
A big pot of our favorite Mexican Rice and a make-your-own-burrito-bar is always a win in our house!
It’s a simple, make-ahead meal that’s adaptable to tastes and a total crowd-pleaser!
My husband often choose to make a real burrito in a wrap, the boys usually opt for rice with grilled chicken, and this is my plate of choice.
Mexican Rice (recipe adapted from Test Kitchen ),Quick Simmered Black Beans (recipe from @minimalistbaker), Guacamole, Roasted Zucchini & Squash, chopped Green Leaf Lettuce, Corn and Cherry Tomatoes.
One of the reasons we love this meal so much is the Mexican Rice —
Mexican Rice is a fan favorite here and the star of the meal for us.
Recipe adapted from Test Kitchen, we literally make it several times a month.
It’s super easy to make and makes a large quantity which is perfect for feeding hungry teens or for leftovers!
It’s made with fresh tomatoes, onions, canola oil, garlic, jalapeno (can use as much or as little as you want — see below), vegetable broth, tomato paste and salt.
And it starts on the stove top when everything is blended, seasoned and starts cooking.
Then moves to the oven for 30 minutes. It reheats well so it’s a great dish to make ahead or to make even as part of meal prep.
So start with a big pot of Mexican Rice and adapt the rest to tastes– add black beans or grilled chicken, any roasted or fresh vegetables of choice, some smashed avocado or guacamole, salsa, tomatoes of pico de gallo and have fun with it!
The entire meal is super easy, nourishing and satisfying!
Hope you love it as much as we do!
PIN it!
Scroll down for the recipes and leave a comment if you try.
A simple hearty bowl for that's always a crowd pleaser. Two of our favorites, Mexican Rice adapted from Test Kitchen. Quick Simmered Black Beans from Minimalist Baker + all the fixings: Guacamole, Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, Chopped Green Lettuce, and Roasted Zucchini. You could add or substitute grilled or sautéed chicken for the roasted veggies.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr5 minutesmins
Course: Veggies, Sides, Dinner
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4-6 servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family
Ingredients
Mexican Rice (recipe from Test Kitchen)
2large or 3-4 small tomatoescored and quartered
1onioncoarsely chopped
⅓cupcanola or vegetable oil
2cupslong grain white ricerinsed well
4clovesgarlicminced
1- 2jalapeno peppersstemmed, seeded & minced (we have been making this with only 1 jalapeño recently and adding in extra jalapeño to individual bowls)
2cupsvegetable or chicken broth
1Tablespoongluten-free tomato paste
1½teaspoonsalt
½cupfresh cilantrochopped (we often skip this too, so adapt to tastes)
1jalapeño pepperstemmed and minced, include seeds (this 3rd jalapeño is OPTIONAL, depending on how spicy you want it -- we haven't been adding it lately)
Quick Simmered Black Beans (recipe from Minimalist Baker)[/i (we often double)
1 15-ouncecan black beans
½tspground cumin
½tspchili powder
kosher salt to taste1/8 - ¼ tsp
Roasted Zucchini & Squash
1zucchiniskin on, sliced into 1/4 inch circles, then halved
1yellow squashskin on, sliced into 1/4 inch circles, then halved
avocado oil
kosher salt
Guacamole (alternatively, smashed avocado works great too!)
3ripe avocados
½cupjarred banana pepperschopped
¼cupcherry tomatoesseeded and chopped
¼cupcilantrochopped
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Green Leaf Lettuce, chopped
Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Canned Organic Corn, rinsed and drained OR 1-2 Corn on the Cob, cooked and taken off the cob
Cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
Mexican Rice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Place tomatoes and onion in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer liquid to a 4 cup measuring cup and spoon off excess as needed to get to 2 cups.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Drop a few grains of rice into the oil. If the grain sizzles, oil is ready. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently until rice is a light golden & translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic & seeded jalapeño and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
Add in tomato-onion mixture, broth, tomato paste and salt. Bring to a boil.
Cover and transfer pot to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring once at 15 minutes. Liquid will absorb and rice will be tender.
Remove from oven, fold in cilantro and final jalapeño (if using) to taste. Only one person in my family likes the additional jalapeño so I leave it out to be added individually.
Quick Simmered Black Beans
Add beans including liquid to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in spices and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 10-15 minutes, longer if you have time, stirring occasionally.
Roasted Zucchini and Squash
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Toss vegetables in oil. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender and just crispy.
Guacamole
With a fork gently mash 2 avocados
Mix in the peppers.
Then gently fold in the tomatoes and cilantro
Add in the third avocado and gently mash with a fork (I like to do the third avocado last so that there are some chunky avocado pieces but mix to your liking)
5 thoughts on “Veggie Burrito Bowl with Mexican Rice”
I made this entire dinner and it blew my mind how such simple ingredients compiled so much flavour! The Mexican rice recipe is going to be a staple for dinner time! ?
I made a variation of this recipe. The Mexican rice was delish! And pretty easy to make. I wish it was a little spicier. I’ll add more jalapeño when I make it next time.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
I made this entire dinner and it blew my mind how such simple ingredients compiled so much flavour! The Mexican rice recipe is going to be a staple for dinner time! ?
Yay! So happy you love it too! The rice is definitely a staple here!
Does the jalapeño make it spicy?
If you use all the jalapeno, yes! My boys and I prefer it less spicy and just use one jalapeno which just gives it some flavor, but not much heat.
I made a variation of this recipe. The Mexican rice was delish! And pretty easy to make. I wish it was a little spicier. I’ll add more jalapeño when I make it next time.