Thinking of getting the family together, or hosting a group of friends for a casual meal? What in the world are you going to feed them that is PLANT-BASED, yet something EVERYONE will enjoy?
This is our “GO TO” plant-based meal that we serve whenever we have dinner guests, or a family get-together. Everyone LOVES it because they get to make their own burrito bowl just the way they like it. It works well for large groups too. Just make a big batch of rice; put the beans in the crockpot to keep warm, and then assign each of your guests bring the various toppings to complete the meal. (The printable recipe below serves 8-10 people, so you can double or triple it, etc. depending on the size of your group.)
Here are some of the things we like to set out on our burrito bowl bar:
BASICS:
Hot Cooked Rice; Canned Chili Beans (includes the sauce)
TOPPINGS:
Shredded lettuce, fire roasted corn (thawed from frozen) diced mango, sliced black olives, sliced jalapeños, pico de gallo, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, diced red and green peppers, chopped tomato, and the most important topping of all: Crispy Baked Tortilla Strips
SAUCES and DRESSINGS:
Salsa, lime wedges, Cashew Sour Cream, guacamole, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, etc.
I generally serve the rice hot, straight from the rice cooker or instant pot. I put the canned chili beans in a crock pot to heat, and serve them directly from that. Then just line up all the other toppings in little bowls. (Use disposable bowls, to make for quick clean up.) Put the cashew sour cream and the cilantro lime vinaigrette into squeeze bottles for easy drizzling. Now give each guest an empty bowl or plate, and let them go to work customizing their burrito bowl just the way they like it!
The potential combinations are ENDLESS! How will you make YOUR burrito bowl?
Build Your Own Burrito Bowl
Ingredients
BASICS:- 8 cups hot cooked rice
- 4 cans chili beans, undrained. (Chili beans come with a seasoned tomato sauce already on them. We like Great Value Brand from Walmart. Also Bush’s brand has chili beans in the black, kidney or pinto bean varieties, which I often mix together.) Or you can substitute 8 cups of your own homemade chili beans.
TOPPINGS: (Choose as many as you like)
- 2 batches of Crispy Baked Tortilla Strips (Oil-free) (Don’t skip these! they are essential!)
- 1-2 heads romaine lettuce, thinly sliced.
- 1 1/2 cups frozen fire roasted corn, thawed. (I use “Trader Joe’s” brand.)
- 1 cup (1/2 a package) Fire Roasted Peppers and Onions, thawed (I use “Trader Joe’s” brand.) or use 1 diced fresh bell pepper.
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen mango, diced small into 1/4 inch cubes.
- 1-2 small cans sliced black olives, drained
- 2 cups fresh pico de gallo
- 6 green onions, sliced (including green tops)
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, sliced
- 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
- 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
SAUCES and DRESSINGS:
- 1 1/2 cups salsa
- 1 1/2 cup guacamole
- 1 lime cut into 6 wedges
- 1 recipe Cashew Sour Cream (In a squeeze bottle for drizzling)
- 1 recipe Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (In a squeeze bottle for drizzling)
- Optional: Vegan Ranch dressing, or Fat-free Catalina dressing
Directions
- To save time, prepare the oil-free Crispy Baked Tortilla Strips, Cashew Sour Cream, and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette earlier in the day, or even a day or two before your event.
- One hour before the event, cook rice according to package directions. (I use the instant pot, or rice cooker to cook it, and to keep it warm until serving time, then just serve the rice right out of the pot.)
- Open the cans of chili beans and pour them (sauce and all) into a crock pot. Turn crock pot to HIGH and allow to heat 1 hour till hot. Then turn down heat to LOW to keep warm till serving time. (Alternatively, the beans and sauce can be heated in a covered dish in the microwave oven for 3-4 minutes till hot.)
- Place each of the desired toppings into small bowls, and line them up on the countertop or serving area. (If desired, use disposable bowls for easy clean-up later.)
- Place the Cashew Sour Cream, and the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette into squeeze bottles for easier drizzling. (and any other dressings) Place the salsa, lime wedges, and guacamole into a small bowl.
- When guests arrive, give everyone a large bowl, or deep plate, and let them each go down the line, putting on whatever base, toppings, or dressings they choose to customize their own burrito bowl.*NOTE: If you have any leftovers, arrange whatever is left into a freezer safe container and freeze to make a quick burrito bowl meal for another day. (When ready to serve, just microwave frozen meal for 4-6 minutes, stirring half way through cooking time. Top with additional crispy baked tortilla strips.)
Find this recipe and more great plant-based recipes at http://www.LittleBluePlates.com
Little Blue Plates 