I love to cook, but generally I want my home cooked meals to taste like my favorite restaurants.

I have a feeling that my attempts at recreating restaurant food from my kitchen aren’t technically cheaper than going out to eat, but at least it’s not an added expense. Groceries are budgeted out each week and there’s a sense of pride that comes with using what I have in my fridge before it goes bad.

This practice also curbs the craving for my favorite restaurant food. I wake up nearly every morning already wanting a Chipotle burrito bowl. If I could eat a burrito bowl for every meal, I would probably do it. So, unsurprisingly, my favorite copy-cat recipe is the veggie burrito bowl with a big ole portion of homemade guacamole on top.  

Burrito bowl ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

One green bell pepper

1/2 of a yellow onion

Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce

1 8 ounce can of black beans

1 8 ounce can of corn

1 8 ounce bag of instant brown rice

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Your favorite salsa

Guacamole ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 medium tomato

1 stalk of green onion

1/2 of a jalapeno

A pinch of minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon of cilantro

Juice from 1/2 of a small lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the green bell pepper and the onion into long, thin strips. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on medium high and add the chopped veggies. Drizzle the veggies with the Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce for flavor, salt and pepper, then cook until soft and slightly browned in places, stirring occasionally.

Empty the contents of the black bean and corn cans into separate sauce pans and heat on low, stirring occasionally while the veggies cook.

Now would be a good time whip up the guacamole. Cut the avocado in half and spoon out the center, disposing of the pit. Mash the avocado to desired degree using a fork. Stir in diced tomato, chopped green onion, diced jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro. Drizzle with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Once the veggies are cooked and the corn and beans are sufficiently warm, follow the microwave directions for the instant rice. Once cooked, pour instant rice into the bowl, followed by the beans and corn. Add the veggies and the guacamole, then top with desired amounts of sour cream, cheese, and salsa.