All the veggies and such flavorful chicken. It's easy to make and yummy for all ages!
Eating meals in bowls are all the craze right now. And I definitely understand why. It's fun. I get to add whatever ingredients I want to my bowl. Choosing exactly what I want in my dish gets me so excited. Just imagine how much of a feeling of independence and individuality creating your own meal will be to a young person. It also creates less waste and a better chance of eating everything.
In my school system, we created the "Burrito Hut". It's the same concept as many customizable and made to order restaurant chains. The base is either a bowl with 2 scoops of brown rice or a tortilla shell with brown rice. From there you can add beans, chicken or beef, corn, and sour cream.
I've made my chicken fiesta bowl with a base of brown rice. I used shredded slow-cooked chicken and black beans for my protein. I'm not big on adding shredded cheese to my burrito bowls so I left it out of this recipe. You can surely add in shredded cheddar or jack cheeses if that's what you're into.
School lunch has many requirements to make sure we are serving the best possible meals to the students. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates all guidelines for the National School Lunch Program. Sodium is restricted to no more than 1420 mg for high school students. High school lunch meals are limited to 750 - 850 calories a day. All grains like bread, pasta, rice, and even the breading on chicken are limited to whole grains. Milk must be low fat. Even the vegetable offerings are regulated so that a good variety is offered every week. Beans and legumes must be included on the menu each week. Different vegetables offer varying nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Offering a variety throughout the week will help students get all of the nutrients they need.
Chicken Fiesta Bowl
What's Needed to Build Your Bowl
Brown Rice
Sweet Corn
Black Beans
Salsa
Sour Cream
Shredded Verde Chicken (Recipe below)
Slow-Cooked Shredded Verde Chicken
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, skinless
1 Tbsp Cumin
1-1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1-1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Pepper
16 oz Jar Salsa Verde
Steps
Season chicken breasts with cumin, garlic, onion, and pepper. Place inside your slow-cooker. Cover chicken with salsa verde. Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.
Using 2 forks, shredded the chicken into the salsa verde. This chicken is perfect as part of the chicken fiesta bowl above or in tacos, enchiladas, in salads.