If you like a ton of flavor without a ton of work, this Taco Salad Bowl recipe is for you! Our friend Andrea from Loubies and Lulu shared it with us, and we’re passing it on to you along with some of our favorite tips for maintaining a healthy dinner plan.
How great are Taco Salad Bowls? They could possibly be the greatest innovation in the food world since white bread. It’s a taco (delicious!) that’s also a salad (healthy!) in a bowl (no mess!). Maybe the thing we love the most about Taco Salad Bowls, though, is how easy they are to throw together on weeknights – especially for hungry families.
Most nights, we just don’t have the time to cook a big elaborate family feast. Taco Salad Bowls might not be elaborate, but they sure are tasty! Especially this new recipe that Andrea from Loubies and Lulu has shared with us. It has all the best flavors and healthy ingredients for your Taco Tuesday (or Monday, Wednesday, Thursday…)!
Pure Flavor® RedRoyals™ Cherry Tomatoes-on-the-Vine are the centerpiece of Andrea’s recipe. Every super sweet burst is the perfect complement to healthy ingredients like avocado, sautéed Sweet Bell Peppers and chili-seasoned chicken thighs.
The trick to making this dish so incredibly flavorful while keeping it simple and easy is to have lots of fresh veggies stocked up in your kitchen and to plan in advance.
By planning your weekly meals on the weekend, you can make sure to have all the right ingredients. That makes it easier to maintain a healthy diet. We’ve put together a really helpful Weekly Dinner Menu Plan that you can use every week. It’s a great opportunity to get the kids involved: not only do they get a say in what meals they eat, but they can also learn valuable budgeting and planning skills too!
From your weekly meal plan, you can get a Grocery List ready and head out to your nearest supermarket.
When you get back from grocery shopping, there are a few things you can do to save time later in the week.
First, sort out your veggies for each meal. Try to keep them together if you can, but remember that tomatoes aren’t meant to be kept in the fridge because the cold can affect their flavor and texture.
Next, you can cut up a few of your vegetables and store them safely in the fridge for a few days. For Andrea’s Taco Salad Bowl, you can cut up red and yellow onions, bell peppers, and even lettuce. For lettuce, we would recommend using a ceramic knife – if you use a metal blade, the lettuce will turn red at the edges and look a bit unappealing.
When you’re ready to start cooking, take out all your ingredients and set the oven to 400°F. Toss 2 cups of cauliflower rice in olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, layer it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for twenty minutes. Of course, if you prefer, you can swap the cauliflower rice with any other kind of rice, quinoa or couscous.
While the cauliflower rice is cooking, season your chicken thighs with your favorite chili powder seasoning mix and then add to an oiled pan over medium heat. Turn every few minutes and when the chicken is done, remove and let cool before dicing into smaller pieces.
Toss your precut onions and peppers in the same pan and sprinkle with seasoning.
When your sautéed veggies, cauliflower rice, and chicken are all done, place them in a bowl with cubed avocado, diced red onion, lettuce and, of course, RedRoyals™ Cherry Tomatoes-on-the-Vine.
Don’t feel like you have to follow this recipe 100%. Make it your own!
You can easily add in other flavors or swap some ingredients. For a bit of extra heat – okay, maybe a LOT of extra heat – dice up some Stingrays Pencil Hot Peppers. They’re brightly colored in red, orange, yellow and green to add a vibrant color to your homemade Taco Salad Bowl.
For a more crisp, fresh flavor, Uno Bites™ Nano Cucumbers are a great addition to this recipe (or to any taco recipe). Plus, you’ll have some left over to snack on throughout the week while you’re at work, in class, or just chilling by the TV.
To view, download or print the full recipe, click here.
