Warm three things, set out five bowls.
Everything hot in this dinner is the chicken, the rice, and the black beans, and all three were already cooked this morning. Four minutes in a skillet with a splash of water and a tablespoon of taco seasoning.
The rest goes on the table in little bowls: cheddar, salsa, shredded lettuce, a diced avocado with lime squeezed over it. Kids who will not eat a plate you built will happily build the identical plate themselves.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on 10 minutes to assemble (chicken cooked earlier).
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 3 cups cooked rice or 1 bag microwave rice
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 avocado, diced
How to Make It
- Warm the shredded chicken in a skillet with the taco seasoning and a splash of water for 4 minutes until heated through and coated.
- Heat the rice and the beans, either together in the microwave or in a small pot.
- Build each bowl with rice on the bottom, then chicken, beans, and cheese.
- Top with salsa, lettuce, and avocado and let everyone finish their own.
Do the Slow Part Early
Cook and shred the chicken before practice so the after-practice job is just warming and building. A rotisserie chicken counts as done early.
- Shred the chicken in the morning and keep it in the fridge
- Drain and rinse the beans and prep the toppings into bowls
- Cook the rice ahead or keep a bag of microwave rice on hand
Store and Reheat
Store the warm parts separate from the cold toppings so nothing goes soggy. Reheat only the chicken, rice, and beans.
- Microwave the chicken and rice together 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of water
- Keep lettuce, avocado, and salsa cold and add them after reheating
- Cooked chicken and rice keep 3 days in the fridge
- Serve with: tortilla chips, lime wedges
Parent Tip
Squeeze lime over the avocado to keep it green if you prep it ahead.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
A store rotisserie bird counts
Six dollars and four minutes of shredding skips the entire cooking half of the night.
Microwave rice pouches
Keep two in the pantry for the week nobody remembered to cook rice in the morning.
Lime over the avocado
Squeeze half a lime across the diced avocado at four and it is still green at eight.
Crushed chips on top
A handful crumbled over the bowl gets you crunch without frying a single thing.
Cold toppings stay cold
Reheat only the chicken, rice, and beans; lettuce and salsa go on afterward.
Plan the next step
Set up your topping-bar nights
Use the planner to pencil in a couple of build-your-own dinners that move fast.