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Quinoa Black Bean Chicken Burrito Bowl
Summer is officially here and that means parties! Yes, cook outs, block parties, Father’s Day celebrations, 4th of July get togethers, and one that is near and dear to my heart – birthday parties!! My darling daughter is turning another year older and it’s time to celebrate. {Check out my Top 5 Summer Party Planning Tips at the bottom of this post,}
In preparation for my little party, I went to Sam’s Club to get a few ingredients. I was able to grab a nice 32 oz 6-pack of Swanson Chicken Broth. Chicken broth is one of my go to flavor-staples. It’s good for mashed potatoes to soup so I was thankful to find it in bulk – but still small and usable sized containers. For this burrito bowl I decided to swap our rice for quinoa (which I’ll get to in a minute) and instead of using water to cook my quinoa I substituted Swanson Chicken Broth instead. Brilliant, right? It’s delicious.
Sam’s Club also sells truRoots Quinoa which is nice for me because since I discovered quinoa I’ve been adding quinoa to just about everything I can. Macaroni and cheese? Yes! Muffins? Yes! As a substitute for rice? Yes! It’s a protein rich ancient grain and the truRoots Quinoa is Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.
I already had this burrito bowl post in mind when I came across the new Pace Organic Medium Salsa. My imagination told me to take the leap and add it to my recipe but I’m not usually much of a risk taker. However, I’m glad I gave it a try because it is amazing and so much easier than chopping everything by hand. The medium heat gives it just enough kick without sending me running in search of the milk. My family grew up eating Pace salsa with chips and I’m glad to see that they now have a Certified USDA Organic option. This won’t be the last time that I’ll be cooking with salsa to add a lot of flavor to dishes.
These Chicken Quinoa Chicken Burrito Bowls are easy to make with a little prep work (and I have a short cut listed here too!). It’s naturally gluten-free, includes protein rich quinoa, and tastes delicious!
INGREDIENTS:
BURRITO BOWL INGREDIENTS:
- – 2 cups cooked truRoots Quinoa (see instructions below)
- – 1 batch seasoned chicken (see recipe below)
- – 2 tbs of chopped cilantro
- – 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- – 1 can (15 oz) corn (drained and rinsed)
- – 1 cup Pace Organic Medium Salsa
- – ¼ cup shredded cheese (any type of cheese you prefer)
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
- – Guacamole
- – Sour Cream
- – Chopped red onions
- – Chopped peppers
CHICKEN INGREDIENTS:
- – 4 lbs. chicken breasts
- – Juice from two fresh oranges and two fresh limes
- – 1/2 cup olive oil
- – 2 tsp. cumin
- – 2 tsp. oregano
- – 4 tsp. chili powder
- – 4 cloves garlic minced
QUINOA DIRECTIONS:
- – Make as directed but substitute Swanson Chicken Broth for the water. It will give it an extra kick of delicious flavor!
DIRECTIONS:
TO MAKE THE SEASONED CHICKEN:
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl to marinate and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (we usually opt for overnight-48 hours). {If you’re like me and you just found this recipe today for a meal tonight you can also rub the chicken with taco seasoning before cooking. 😉 Also, don’t tell anyone but I’ve even made this with leftover rotisserie chicken!}
- Grill the chicken OR heat a pan on medium/high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes per side. Once cooked turn off the heat and allow chicken to “rest” for 5 minutes before dicing into smaller pieces.
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN QUINOA BURRITO BOWLS:
After you’ve cooked the chicken and quinoa and warmed the black beans and rice, divide the quinoa evenly between your serving bowls. Divide the chicken, black beans, corn and toppings onto the bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with some shredded cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!
My Top 5 Suggestions for Planning a Summer Party
- Grab all the party looking supplies you have in one area before making your shopping list. There’s no reason to buy another package of napkins when you have five hidden in your home.
- Don’t be afraid to use things you already have that aren’t necessarily party supplies. That golden “E” above fit our girlie party decor perfectly but it wouldn’t be found in the party section of any store. That strip of fabric just brightens the table but it came from my craft supplies.
- Don’t make everything from scratch! Besides the sandwiches for the kids above and the delicious Chicken Quinoa Chicken Burrito Bowls (which was well worth the effort!) everything was store bought…and might I add cuter than if I made it myself. Those daisy flowers came right out of a box as did those butterfly pretzels. Give yourself permission to focus your cooking on what matters most to you and buy or order the rest of the food.
- Plan, plan, plan but don’t fret when things go wrong at the party. As long as you prepared as best you could you know you did your part. Just relax and enjoy time with friends and family…after all, that’s why you got together in the first place!
- Along with number 4, you need to plan for rain. Summers around here are notorious for five minute downpours. It’s a good idea to have a canopy ready or a clean (enough) house that your guests can retreat to if need be.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my tips and recipe. What kind of get-togethers do you have planned? How will you be a #BlockPartyHero this summer?
Carolyn West says
When I throw parties, I go through my entire house to find different things to use for decorating. It’s such a great idea to use what you have. #client