Hamburger Bowl

Sounds appealing right?

Well... in my family, "hamburger bowl" is kind of an ongoing joke. When we were younger, if my mom ran out of ideas or was simply hurried, sometimes she would brown hamburger (as in, loose meat hamburger) and put a little salt and pepper on it. And then serve it. Yep, just straight ol' hamburger. Sometimes with bread and butter.  As children, we HATED this meal. My sister and I always called it "hamburger bowl," and it was not favored among the siblings. Looking back, it makes me laugh really hard. Mom, if you are reading this, I'm sorry. Mostly because we should have never whined, given the fact that you had dinner on the table for us EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. But still, it's funny.

Anyways, fast forward however many years. One day I stumbled on my very own husband making, of all things: hamburger bowl.

I'm sure I exclaimed "Hamburger bowl?!" sarcastically or something like it. But then I was quickly shut up when I tasted it.

Delicious. Ummmm.. this was not the hamburger bowl I remembered.

My husband is awesome at clean eating. Like, way better than me. You can't compare us. I'm the eat a chicken breast and broccoli followed by a batch of chocolate chip cookies and multiple cheat days a week type; while he is more of a protein shake and clean eating 90% of his life type. Hence, why he had come up with the hamburger bowl concept. Now, don't be discouraged by the early edition hamburger bowl described above (again, sorry Mom!); this is like hamburger bowl on steroids. And the best part? It's a mix and match free for all. It can be as healthy, (or unhealthy) as you want it to be!

The (ingredient) players:

Meat: We frequently do ground turkey, regular ground hamburger, or sometimes ground chicken!

Veggies:  I personally love to put kale in. Spinach is a house favorite. I enjoy throwing a can of diced tomatoes in as well. Mushrooms and peppers have made appearances as well. Get creative!

Seasonings: This is important. I like to throw a variety of seasonings in. This bowl goes from good to great with the right seasonings. We like to use Tony Chachere, and any of the Grillmates (they have all sorts of delicious flavors!). Also used at times... minced onions. And salt and pepper to taste, obviously. Every now and again I'll use a flavor package (like Italian!).

Cheese: A little Parmesan or sharp cheddar  is my favorite. Just enough to give it a little cohesiveness.

Now, we typically stick with protein and veggies (as to make this a cleaner eat) but your options are unlimited.

Why not throw in....
-rice
-quinoa
-tortilla shells
-macaroni
-salsa
-plain greek yogurt (for creaminess)
-ranch
-chopped asparagus
-broccoli
-corn
-onions
-peppers
-mozzarella
-goat cheese

I mean, the options are truly unlimited. For the most part, I like to make the bowl look colorful. And  that usually ends up being ground turkey, spinach/kale, mushrooms, tomatoes (Rotel), fresh Parmesan and seasonings. So easy, but so flavorful.

Directions:
1. Brown meat choice in a deep skillet with some seasonings.
2. Drain any excess grease or water off.
3. Add veggies and steam with meat until veggies are tender (or you can have the veggies steaming in another skillet and then combine... your choice! I like ONE dirty pan! :) ) I like to make sure the spinach has cooked down,  or if I use kale, that it is dark green and tender.
4. Combine meat choice with veggies ( and stir until combined. Add more seasoning (sometimes you lose quite a bit when you drain!)
5. Remove from heat, toss with cheese. Add more salt or pepper if necessary.

SO SIMPLE!!


When I need lunch at work or on the go, I want something I can eat cold or heat up for 30 seconds. At the same time, I want nutrients and convenience.
Back in the day, I used to be a frozen meal person. Everyday at work I would heat up my "SmartOnes" or "Lean Cuisine." But now, that seems absolutely ridiculous. I can make 6 meals for the price of one. It stores in the fridge (or freezer) and I know the ingredients are fresh, because I made it!

All of that being said, here is my most recent hamburger bowl.

 

I know, it's not going on the cover of Food Network. What do you expect from a jumble of meat and veggies? But seriously: what you will get is an extremely easy meal to throw together that is convenient to access AND saves you money.

Turns out, my Mom knew what she was doing all along! (Well, sort of ;) )

If you aren't feeling creative in the kitchen for dinner tonight, check your fridge. I'll bet you have everything you need to  make your own version of Hamburger Bowl!

Happy cooking!

xoxo