Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Chili

Crowd favorite flavors, but make it chili-esque. We needed some comfort post-election and this was a hit, as were the leftovers.

This was comforting, flavorful, and fun with all the toppings! We had some green beans on the side and crescent rolls.

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Chili
Ingredients:
(serves ~6)
28 oz pinto beans
1 1/2 roasted chicken breasts
2 carrots
4 oz can green chilis
2 tablespoons ranch powder (or 1 envelope)
1-2 cups chicken broth (for desired thickness)
1 cup cottage cheese, pureed (or 1/2 brick cream cheese)
~4 slices bacon
Green onions
shredded cheddar
corn chips

Directions:
Peal & chop the carrots, drain and rinse the beans (don’t drain for thicker chili), bacon, and puree the cottage cheese.
In a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil, cook the broth, beans, carrots, chilis, and ranch to a low boil for 8-10 minutes.
Shred the chicken.
Reduce heat to low for another 5 minutes. Stir in the cottage cheese puree and the chicken.
Cook for 5 minutes and remove from the heat.
Top with shredded cheese, green onions, more bacon, and corn chips.
Enjoy!

This was good! It was more soupy than some chili is, but we all liked it. Cooking everything together can be a gamble, but this one paid off (and crescents & green beans were some safe options).

This could go into a crock pot with raw chicken breasts for 4-6 hours with the cream cheese or pureed cottage cheese at the end.

Hibachi Rice Bowls

We are not hibachi connoisseurs but it was such a fun family birthday celebration for a special 9 year-old so I remembered these flavors and made them into rice bowls. A good rice bowl is customizable with a grain and has something raw, something cooked, and a special sauce.

Ours have rice, teriyaki chicken, sautéed zucchini, shredded carrot, and a yum yum sauce – which was just yum to one kid, and not at all yum to the other. Theirs was on the side so don’t worry to much about them.

Hibachi Rice Bowls
Ingredients: (for ~4)

1 1/2 cups rice + water/broth
1 pound of chicken, chopped into bite size chunks
1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce
1 zucchini
1-2 carrots
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
Cook the rice + water/broth. Mine went in the pressure cooker for 8 minutes.
Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce while the rice cooks. Chop the zucchini and grate the carrot.
Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add in a drizzle of vegetable/canola/avocado oil. Cook the chicken until cooked through with an internal temperature of 165-degrees.
Mix up the yum yum sauce with mayo, vinegar, ketchup, melted butter, spices.

Whisk together and refrigerate until serving.

Assemble the bowls as you wish – the kids wanted everything separate.

These were good – though I haven’t cracked the code on the restaurant yum yum sauce. I love how sweet it is – especially with the teriyaki but I wonder if theirs isn’t ketchup/paprika flavored…more turmeric/orange?

These won’t be our most requested, but I was glad for variety of flavors, and after a busy day it was a good dinner. Here are others – Italian themed rice bowls are always a hit, and the coconut rice/pineapple/pulled pork or kielbasa is my personal favorite.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Chicken Caesar salad turned into a pasta salad! This one provides the beloved flavors and works great as a hefty side or as a cool meal!

Use any pasta you have, any greens you have, and rotisserie chicken to make it quick!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients (serves 2 meals or ~4 sides)

~8 oz short pasta
1 chicken breast
1 head romaine
1/4 cup creamy caesar dressing
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
oil/vinegar
2 tablespoons parmesan

Directions:
Cook the pasta and allow to cool.
While the pasta cools, chop the chicken and romaine.
Stir the pasta, romaine (if serving right away), and chicken with the dressing and a splash of oil and vinegar.

Sprinkle on the parmesan and pepper.
Enjoy!

This is so cravable. I love these flavors and this is a nice but gentle twist. Make it in advance and stir in the lettuce just before serving!

We love caesar and it works just as well with other greens – I packed it for a work lunch with arugula to toss in.

Buffalo Chicken Burrito

Rice & crisping the outside turn this from wrap to burrito. It has crispy chicken tossed in buffalo sauce, rice, greens, carrots, just a little cheese, and dressing of your choice before getting crispy on the outside and melty on the inside.

Buffalo Chicken Burrito
Ingredients: for 2

1/2 cup cooked rice
2 tortillas, burrito size
~10 breaded chicken chunks
1 cup arugula
1 carrot
1/3 cup cheese
buffalo sauce
ranch/blue cheese

Directions:
Prepare the rice – I used brown rice in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes.
Cook/crisp the chicken.
Chop the arugula and chop or shred the carrot.
Cut the chicken if needed, toss the chicken in the buffalo.
Assemble the burritos with the tortilla, cheese, rice, arugula, carrot, chicken, and lastly the dressing.

Before rolling them up, preheat a pan to medium heat with a drizzle of oil or non-stick spray.
Tuck the ends towards the center, then roll it up, carefully tucking the sides inward.
Carefully cook rotating it to evenly crisp. Use tongs to ensure it stays rolled up.

Slice and enjoy!

It’s perfect. I thought about adding pickled onions and tomatoes but it seemed like it was bordering on too much. I loved it. It needs so little chicken and so little rice per burrito so it makes a great use of leftovers – it becomes impossible to wrap if it gets too full too!

Chicken Parmesan Rice Bowls

Will. It. Rice bowl? Of course! Anything can become a rice bowl! I took a few of our favorite flavors and turned them into a very quick rice bowl. Rice bowls are filling from the rice, with protein from the chicken, and a big veggie serving.

Chicken Parm Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

This would be great with risotto or orzo but I had leftover brown rice so I went with that. If by chance you don’t love arugula as much as I do, sautéed veggies or roasted broccoli or any veg!

Chicken Parmesan Rice Bowls
Ingredients: (for 2)

1 1/2 cups prepared rice (or other grain)
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
4 chicken tenders or ~8 chicken chunks
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella

Directions:
Cook or warm the rice and stir in 1/2 the parmesan.
Cook the chicken (mine was airfried).

Top the chicken with sauce and shredded mozzarella. Return to the oven/airfryer/toaster oven to melt the cheese.
Toss the arugula with Italian dressing or oil & vinegar.
Assemble the bowls with rice in the bottom and top with chicken, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and sprinkle remaining parmesan on top.
Enjoy!

Chicken Parm Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

This is really good and nicely filling. I love the melty cheese with the chicken, and the fresh arugula with a little bit of dressing adds brightness.

Some of our other fav grain bowls are:
Pineapple Coconut Rice Bowls
Winter Veggie Grain Bowls
Chicken, Bacon, & Avocado with Honey Mustard