DIY Burrito bowls

Inspired by our friends at Chipotle, I decided to make burrito bowls earlier this week.  They were delicious!  The options are really endless, so I'll tell you what we did as well as some alternatives we might try next time.

1.  Start by making cilantro lime rice (one recipe yields about 3-4 servings worth for the bowl, depending on how much you want)
2.  Marinate, then cook, your meat.  We used steak I got on sale seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, and lime juice.  Chicken would also be delicious, or slow cooked pork or beef.
3.  While meat is cooking, assemble other ingredients.  Ours were: black beans, corn salsa (courtesy of Chipotle!), regular salsa, lettuce, and cheese.  You could also have pico de gallo, queso, onions, pinto or refried beans.
4.  Layer everything up!  I think the best order is rice, meat, beans, salsas, cheese, lettuce. 

This is really SO easy, and though its a little time consuming to get everything together, its certainly worth the end result.  I think this would be a great (and healthier) option for a get together, especially as football season approaches.  If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Cornbread Taco Casserole

This is by far my favorite recipe these days...it is so easy and so delicious.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 box cornbread mix
2/3 cup salsa
1 onion (optional)
1 cup water
1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix cream corn, cornbread mix and 1/2 cup water in small bowl.
Spread mixture into bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and then remove.
Cook meat with onion, drain well.
Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning and simmer until water is absorbed.
Add salsa and black beans to meat and mix well.
Spoon meat mixture over cornbread evenly. Top with cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

I've actually never made this with black beans because I don't really care for them, but I'm sure it would go very well with it. Hope you enjoy!

Pot Roast

Yesterday, I made a roast in the crock pot. It turned out pretty well, very tender and delicious! I created a recipe based on a few different options, so it was a little random.

2 pounds chuck roast
salt, pepper, garlic, oregano
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can Dr Pepper
1 cup water
8 baby carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Take the chuck roast and season with above spices.
Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat.
Place in the slow cooker and add the soup mix, water and Dr Pepper.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Add vegetables after about 5 hours.
Serves 4.

The Dr Pepper made the meat slightly sweet, which was good. Next time I am going to use a recipe that calls for cream soup or something a little richer for a different type of flavor. Also, we are going to use the leftover meat for BBQ sandwiches tonight, so that should be delicious!

We would like to wish a very happy birthday to my Mom on Saturday and to our niece Anna Kate, who turned 1 yesterday! Jump on over to the Lair family blog on the right to see some pics of how cute she is!

Happy Monday!