Category: Rice Bowls

Posted in Chicken Meals, Rice Bowls, Seasonal

Harvest Chicken & Green Bean Rice Bowls

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Remember those green beans we put in the freezer earlier this week?

Now they’re dinner.

These Harvest Chicken & Green Bean Rice Bowls are a simple example of why I like preserving ingredients instead of only preserving finished meals. A portion of frozen green beans, some cooked chicken, rice, and a handful of pantry staples come together in a warm, satisfying bowl.

It’s not complicated.

It’s not fancy.

It’s just a good meal waiting in the freezer.

And that’s exactly what we’re after this September.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Uses frozen green beans, making it a great follow-up to our Put a Little Back feature.
  • A practical way to use leftover or meal-prepped chicken.
  • Makes just 2 servings, perfect for a small household.
  • Uses inexpensive pantry staples.
  • The vegetables, protein, and grain are all in one bowl.
  • Easy to customize with whatever vegetables you have available.
  • A good example of turning preserved ingredients into an actual meal.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base

Cooked brown or white rice.

Protein

Cooked chicken, shredded or chopped.

Vegetables

Frozen green beans, plus optional additional vegetables such as carrots, corn, or bell peppers.

Sauce

A simple savory garlic-soy sauce.

Fresh Finish

Fresh parsley or sliced green onion adds a little brightness.

Optional Toppings

  • Sesame seeds
  • Sliced green onion
  • A small sprinkle of shredded Parmesan
  • A squeeze of lemon

Make It Your Own

This is a bowl, not a rulebook.

Use whatever rice you have. Swap the chicken for cooked turkey. Add another vegetable. Change the sauce.

The important part is the basic formula:

Grain + protein + vegetables + sauce = dinner.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Harvest Chicken & Green Bean Rice Bowls

A portion of frozen green beans, some cooked chicken, rice, and a handful of pantry staples come together in a warm, satisfying bowl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 475
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Bowls
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cups frozen green beans prepared for freezing and thawed
  • 2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the Simple Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For Serving
  • 1 tablespoon sliced green onion or fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional

Method
 

Prepare the Rice
  1. If you don’t already have cooked rice available, prepare enough for about 1 1/2 cups cooked rice.
  2. Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe.
  3. If you’re using refrigerated leftover rice, make sure it has been stored properly and reheat it thoroughly before serving.
Make the Sauce
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth or water, honey, rice vinegar or lemon juice, and garlic powder.
  2. Set aside.
Cook the Vegetables
  1. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the carrots and bell pepper. Cook for about 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the frozen green beans.
  4. Cook for another 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are hot and tender-crisp.
  5. If the green beans are already fully cooked from a previous preparation, they only need enough time to heat through.
Add the Chicken
  1. Add the cooked chicken to the skillet.
  2. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, and salt.
  3. Stir everything together and cook until the chicken is heated through.
Add the Sauce
  1. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
  2. Stir gently and cook for another 1–2 minutes, just long enough for the sauce to coat everything.
  3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Build the Bowls
  1. Divide the warm rice between two bowls.
  2. Top each with half of the chicken and vegetable mixture.
  3. Finish with fresh parsley or green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.
  4. Serve warm.

Notes

A Very Good Use for Frozen Green Beans

This is exactly why I like freezing vegetables in meal-sized portions.
The green beans don’t have to become a recipe all by themselves.
They can simply become part of a recipe.
On Wednesday, they’re a package in the freezer.
On Friday, they’re vegetables in dinner.
That’s a pretty good return on a little bit of preservation work.

Use What You Have

The basic combination here is chicken, green beans, and rice, but you can easily adjust it.

Swap the Protein

Try:

  • Cooked turkey
  • Leftover pork
  • Rotisserie chicken
  • Cooked shrimp

Change the Vegetables

Use what needs to be used.

Try:

  • Corn
  • Peas
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Zucchini
  • Mushrooms
  • Extra carrots
  • Frozen mixed vegetables

Change the Grain

Rice is inexpensive and versatile, but you could also use:

  • Brown rice
  • Wild rice blend
  • Quinoa
  • Barley
  • Farro

Or skip the grain and serve the chicken and vegetables over mashed potatoes.

A Simple Sauce Goes a Long Way

You don’t need a complicated sauce to make a good bowl.

The combination of a little low-sodium soy sauce, honey, acid, and garlic gives the chicken and vegetables plenty of flavor without making the meal heavily seasoned.

If you prefer a different direction, try a simple lemon-herb sauce instead.

Or use a spoonful of your favorite prepared sauce from the refrigerator.

This is one of the advantages of bowl meals:

the basic ingredients can stay the same while the flavor changes.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

This is a particularly economical meal because several of the ingredients can do double duty.

Cook a little extra chicken for another meal.

Make extra rice and refrigerate or freeze it in useful portions.

Buy green beans when they’re plentiful and preserve some for later.

Use the last carrot or bell pepper in the refrigerator instead of letting it become waste.

You’re not trying to make an elaborate meal from expensive ingredients.

You’re combining inexpensive ingredients that you already know how to use.

Waste Not, Want Not

This recipe is practically designed for leftovers.

Have half a bell pepper?

Use it.

A lonely carrot?

Dice it up.

A little leftover chicken?

Perfect.

Some cooked rice from yesterday?

Even better.

That’s one of my favorite kinds of cooking—looking at what you already have and figuring out how to make it into something worth eating.

Cooking for One or Two

This recipe makes 2 servings, but it’s easy to adjust.

Cooking for one?

Make one bowl and refrigerate the remaining ingredients separately for another meal.

Cooking for two?

Make both bowls and enjoy dinner together.

If you’re planning ahead, you can also prepare the chicken, vegetables, and rice separately and assemble the bowls when you’re ready to eat.

Meal Prep Note

This recipe works especially well as a small meal-prep project.

Prepare the chicken, rice, and vegetables ahead of time and refrigerate them separately.

When you’re ready for dinner, reheat what you need and add the sauce.

You can also portion the cooked components into two meal containers for easy lunches.

The key is keeping the components useful enough that you’re not locked into eating exactly the same meal twice.

Storage & Freezing

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container.

For best quality, enjoy refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days.

If you’re using previously frozen green beans, thaw them safely and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them.

I don’t recommend refreezing the completed rice bowl. Instead, freeze the individual ingredients when appropriate and assemble fresh bowls when you’re ready to eat.

For current food-storage and food-safety recommendations, the USDA’s guidance on Freezing and Food Safety is a useful reference.

Recipe Information

Yield: About 4 cups, 2 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: About 20 minutes
Equipment: 10-inch skillet, small mixing bowl

Today’s Harvest, Tomorrow’s Dinner

This bowl is really the whole September preservation idea in miniature.

You bought or harvested the green beans while they were plentiful.

You prepared and froze them.

You labeled them and put them away.

And now you’ve pulled them back out and made dinner.

That’s the point of putting food back.

Not a freezer full of food you never use.

Not a collection of containers that eventually become mystery packages.

Just good ingredients, saved at the right time, ready when you need them.

Today’s harvest really can become tomorrow’s dinner.

Posted in Rice Bowls

Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls

Posted on by simplegoodfood

A colorful, protein-packed bowl that turns seasonal corn into an easy meal for today—or months from now.

There is something satisfying about putting food away when it’s at its best and then actually using it later.

That’s exactly what these Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls are about.

Tender seasoned chicken, sweet corn, colorful vegetables, and fluffy brown rice come together in a simple bowl topped with a fresh squeeze of lime and a little parsley. It’s an easy meal during harvest season, but it’s also a perfect way to use some of that sweet corn you froze when it was plentiful.

Today’s harvest really can become tomorrow’s dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Uses seasonal ingredients: Sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini are right at home here.
  • Great for preserved corn: Pull a portion of frozen sweet corn from the freezer when fresh corn is no longer available.
  • High in protein: Chicken provides a satisfying protein base.
  • Meal-prep friendly: The components can be prepared ahead and assembled when you’re ready to eat.
  • Flexible: Change the vegetables, grain, or toppings to suit what you have.
  • Small-batch friendly: Four servings means dinner for two with leftovers, or easy individual lunches.
  • Budget conscious: Rice and seasonal vegetables help stretch a pound of chicken.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base:
Brown rice

Protein:
Seasoned chicken breast

Vegetables:
Sweet corn, zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes

Sauce:
A simple lime-and-olive-oil drizzle

Fresh Finish:
Fresh parsley and lime juice

Optional Toppings:
Avocado, a sprinkle of Parmesan, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt

Make It Your Own:
Use whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand. Yellow squash can replace zucchini, green beans can replace the peppers, and leftover roasted vegetables work beautifully, too.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls

There is something satisfying about putting food away when it's at its best and then actually using it later.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 475
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Rice Bowls
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup sweet corn fresh or thawed frozen
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the Lime Drizzle
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 small clove garlic finely minced
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

Cook the rice.
  1. Prepare the brown rice according to the package directions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and keep warm.
Season the chicken.
  1. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and black pepper.
Cook the chicken.
  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
Cook the vegetables.
  1. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the zucchini and bell pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
Add the harvest vegetables.
  1. Stir in the corn and tomatoes. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, until the corn is heated through and the tomatoes begin to soften.
Return the chicken.
  1. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and stir everything together. Cook for another minute or two to bring the flavors together.
Make the lime drizzle.
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
Build the bowls.
  1. Divide the warm rice among four bowls. Top with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Drizzle lightly with the lime dressing and finish with fresh parsley.
Serve.
  1. Add any optional toppings you like and serve warm.

Notes

Using Your Frozen Sweet Corn

This is where Wednesday’s “Today’s Corn, Tomorrow’s Meals” idea gets to shine.
If you froze sweet corn during the September harvest, you can use it directly from the freezer after thawing it. Drain away any excess moisture before adding it to the skillet.
You don’t need to wait for fresh corn season to make this meal.
That’s the whole point.
A portion of corn that you prepared when it was fresh and plentiful can become part of an easy dinner weeks or months later.

Make It Your Own

The bowl is a formula more than a strict set of rules.

Try:

  • Quinoa or barley instead of brown rice.
  • Yellow squash instead of zucchini.
  • Green beans instead of bell pepper.
  • Leftover roasted vegetables when you have them.
  • Rotisserie chicken when you need a shortcut.
  • Turkey instead of chicken.
  • A sprinkle of shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack for a little extra richness.

For a little more flavor without making the dish overly spicy, try adding a pinch of smoked paprika to the chicken.

Meal Prep Tips

These bowls are easy to prepare ahead.

Cook the rice, chicken, and vegetables and store them separately or in individual meal containers. Keep the lime drizzle in a small covered container and add it just before eating.

For the best texture, reheat the rice, chicken, and vegetables before adding the fresh parsley and lime dressing.

If you’re cooking for one or two, portioning the ingredients individually means you can grab exactly one meal when you need it.

A Little Leftover Magic

Have a little chicken and vegetable mixture left over?

Don’t make another identical bowl.

Use it to make:

  • A chicken and corn quesadilla
  • A quick skillet scramble
  • A wrap
  • A simple soup
  • A stuffed baked potato

That’s one of the easiest ways to stretch a meal without making leftovers feel like punishment.

Nutrition Estimate

Per serving: approximately 475 calories and 39g protein, including the rice and lime drizzle.

Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used.

Food Safety Note

Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.

If preparing these bowls ahead of time, refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. For best quality and safety, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days.

From Today’s Harvest to Tomorrow’s Dinner

This is exactly why I like the idea of putting a little back.

The corn doesn’t have to be the whole meal.

It doesn’t even have to be the star.

It just has to be there when you need it.

A cup of frozen sweet corn can turn a little chicken and rice into a colorful, satisfying bowl. Add a few vegetables, a simple dressing, and you’ve got dinner.

That’s the payoff for doing a little work when the harvest was at its peak.

Buy it when it’s good. Preserve what you’ll use. Then enjoy it later.

Today’s corn just became tomorrow’s meal.

Posted in Rice Bowls

Harvest Vegetable Fried Rice

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Saturday is a good day to look around the refrigerator and ask one very important question:

What needs to be used?

Maybe there’s a little roasted squash left from Thursday’s Autumn Harvest Rice Bowl. Maybe you’ve got some carrots, zucchini, corn, peppers, or onions hanging around from earlier in the week.

And maybe there’s some cooked rice waiting in the refrigerator.

That’s dinner.

This Harvest Vegetable Fried Rice is designed for exactly those moments. It doesn’t require a specific collection of vegetables. It simply gives all those little leftovers somewhere to go.

The result is a quick, colorful skillet meal that’s inexpensive, filling, and a whole lot better than throwing good food away.

It’s Waste Not, Want Not in a bowl—or, in this case, a skillet. 🍚🌾

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Harvest Vegetable Fried Rice

Give leftover vegetables and cooked rice a delicious second life with this easy one-skillet fried rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 315
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cold cooked rice
  • 2 cups mixed leftover vegetables chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 small onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional
Good vegetables to use:
  • Roasted carrots
  • Corn
  • Zucchini
  • Peppers
  • Green beans
  • Peas
  • Mushrooms
  • Roasted squash or sweet potatoes
  • Cooked broccoli

Method
 

Prepare the rice.
  1. Break up any clumps in the cold cooked rice with your fingers or a fork. Cold rice works particularly well because it is less likely to become mushy in the skillet.
Cook the eggs.
  1. Heat a large skillet or electric skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the olive oil. Beat the eggs lightly, add them to the skillet, and gently scramble until just cooked. Transfer them to a plate.
Sauté the onion.
  1. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened.
Add the vegetables.
  1. Stir in the leftover vegetables and cook for 2–4 minutes, depending on how firm they are. Since most of the vegetables are already cooked, you’re simply heating and lightly browning them.
Add the rice.
  1. Add the cold rice to the skillet. Stir and toss everything together. Cook for about 4–5 minutes, allowing the rice to heat through and pick up a little color.
Season.
  1. Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Return the eggs.
  1. Add the cooked eggs back to the skillet and gently stir them into the rice and vegetables.
Finish.
  1. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and fresh parsley, if using. Taste and add a little more soy sauce if needed.

Notes

🌾 The Beauty of Leftovers
This recipe doesn’t have a “correct” vegetable list.
That’s intentional.
If you have a cup of leftover roasted vegetables and half a cup of something else, use them.
If your vegetables are already seasoned, that’s fine.
If they’re a little soft, that’s okay, too. Fried rice is an excellent place for vegetables that aren’t quite at their fresh-from-the-garden best anymore.
The goal is to use them while they’re still good, not wait until they’re perfect.

🥢 Make It Your Own

Want more protein?

Add:

  • Leftover cooked chicken
  • Cooked ground beef
  • Cooked pork
  • Shrimp

Want more vegetables?

Add frozen peas, corn, or carrots straight from the freezer.

Want to keep it meatless?

The eggs provide protein and make this a satisfying meatless meal.

For a little extra flavor, add fresh ginger or a small amount of minced garlic if you have it.

🏕️ Campground Kitchen Tip

This is an especially good recipe for an electric skillet because you have plenty of surface area for the rice to brown without having to juggle several pans.

It’s also a great campground meal because it turns leftovers into something that feels completely different.

Nobody needs to know that Thursday’s roasted vegetables are making a return appearance. 😉

🧊 Meal Prep Tip

If you’re intentionally making fried rice for leftovers, cool the finished rice promptly and refrigerate it in a shallow container.

When reheating, heat the portion thoroughly until steaming hot.

And remember that cooked rice should be handled just like other perishable cooked foods—don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for hours.

Posted in Miscellaneous (Unsorted), Rice Bowls

Autumn Harvest Rice Bowl

Posted on by simplegoodfood

By September, the vegetables on the table begin to change.

The bright summer zucchini and corn are still around, but now we’re starting to see winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables that seem to belong to the cooler months.

This Autumn Harvest Rice Bowl brings those flavors together in one simple meal.

Roasted vegetables are the stars here. Rice gives them a hearty base, while beef or chicken adds protein and makes the bowl satisfying enough for dinner. A simple sauce brings everything together without overpowering the vegetables.

And just like our other Build-A-Bowl recipes, you can change the personality of the meal simply by changing the seasoning and sauce.

It’s a great way to start letting your cooking move from summer toward fall—one bowl at a time. 🍂

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base:
Cooked brown or white rice

Protein:
Cooked lean ground beef, sliced steak, or chopped chicken

Vegetables:
Roasted winter squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions

Sauce:
Choose one of the Flavor Builder combinations below

Fresh Finish:
Chopped fresh parsley or green onions

Optional Toppings:
Toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta, Parmesan, or sliced almonds

Make It Your Own:
Use whatever autumn vegetables are available and affordable. Butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and even leftover roasted vegetables can all find a home here.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Autumn Harvest Rice Bowl

Roasted squash or sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, rice, and tender beef or chicken come together in this cozy fall-inspired Build-A-Bowl.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Bowls
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cups cooked lean beef or chicken chopped or shredded
  • 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash or sweet potato
  • 1 cup carrots sliced
  • 1 medium onion cut into wedges
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onions
Choose Your Flavor Builder
🌿 Herb Garden
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
🌶️ Southwest
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
🥢 Asian-Inspired
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
🧄 Garlic Butter
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Method
 

Prepare the vegetables.
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the squash or sweet potato into small, evenly sized cubes. Slice the carrots and cut the onion into wedges.
Season.
  1. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
Roast.
  1. Roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned around the edges.
Warm the protein.
  1. While the vegetables roast, warm the cooked beef or chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or broth if needed to keep it moist.
Prepare the Flavor Builder.
  1. Whisk together the ingredients for your chosen sauce.
Build the bowls.
  1. Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Add the warm protein and roasted vegetables.
Finish.
  1. Drizzle each bowl with your chosen sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley or green onions. Add your favorite optional topping.

Notes

🎨 Flavor Builder
This is where one basic bowl can head in four completely different directions.
🌿 Herb Garden
Thyme and parsley make the roasted vegetables taste like they came straight from an autumn kitchen garden.
🌶️ Southwest
A little cumin, chili powder, and lime give the sweet vegetables a savory Southwestern twist.
🥢 Asian-Inspired
Soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and a tiny bit of sesame oil make an especially nice contrast with roasted squash or sweet potatoes.
🧄 Garlic Butter
Rich and comforting, with Parmesan adding a little savory depth.
And if you aren’t a fan of highly spiced food, the Herb Garden or Garlic Butter versions are especially gentle.

🧺 A Good Use for Leftovers

This recipe is practically designed for leftovers.

Roasting vegetables takes a little time, so roast extra while you’re already doing it.

The next day, those vegetables can become:

  • A quick rice bowl
  • A filling for a wrap
  • A topping for a baked potato
  • An addition to scrambled eggs
  • A simple soup ingredient

That’s one of the easiest ways to put a little back without actually putting anything in a jar.

You’re simply making tonight’s cooking do some of tomorrow’s work.

🫙 Pantry Builder Connection

A well-stocked pantry isn’t just canned goods.

Rice is a pantry staple.

Frozen chicken or beef can become the protein.

Frozen vegetables can stand in for fresh.

And a few basic seasonings can completely change the flavor of the same ingredients.

The more of those building blocks you keep available, the easier it becomes to make a meal without starting from scratch.

Posted in Rice Bowls

Harvest Chicken Rice Bowl

Posted on by simplegoodfood

There is something wonderfully satisfying about a bowl built from simple ingredients.

A little rice. Some roasted vegetables. Tender chicken. A flavorful sauce. Maybe a fresh garnish to brighten everything up.

That’s all you need.

This Harvest Chicken Rice Bowl is designed to make good use of the vegetables that are still plentiful as summer winds down. Roast a big batch of vegetables, cook some rice, and add chicken—and you’ve got the makings of several easy meals.

And because this is a Build-A-Bowl recipe, there’s no single “right” flavor. The same basic ingredients can take on a completely different personality depending on the sauce or seasoning you choose.

It’s one meal.

Four different directions.

That’s practical cooking at its best.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base:
Cooked brown or white rice

Protein:
Cooked chicken, shredded or chopped

Vegetables:
Roasted zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, onions, or whatever seasonal vegetables you have available

Sauce:
Choose one of the Flavor Builder combinations below

Fresh Finish:
Chopped fresh parsley or green onions

Optional Toppings:
A sprinkle of Parmesan, toasted pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, or a little crumbled feta

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Harvest Chicken Rice Bowl

There is something wonderfully satisfying about a bowl built from simple ingredients.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 425
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Bowls
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded
  • 3 cups mixed vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onions
For the Sauce
  • Choose one:
Garlic Herb
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Pinch of salt
Italian
  • 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
Maple Dijon
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon water
Lemon Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method
 

Roast the vegetables.
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Roast until tender.
  1. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Prepare the chicken.
  1. While the vegetables roast, warm the cooked chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until heated through.
Prepare your sauce.
  1. Whisk together the ingredients for your chosen Flavor Builder.
Build the bowls.
  1. Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Add the warm chicken and roasted vegetables.
Finish.
  1. Drizzle with your chosen sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley or green onions. Add any optional toppings you like.

Notes

🎨 Flavor Builder
Here’s where the fun starts.
🌿 Garlic Herb
Cool, creamy, and fresh. The Greek-yogurt sauce works especially well with roasted carrots and zucchini.
🇮🇹 Italian
Italian dressing and Parmesan give the bowl a savory, familiar flavor that’s especially good with peppers, onions, and zucchini.
🍁 Maple Dijon
A little sweet, a little tangy, and wonderful with roasted carrots and sweet potatoes.
🍋 Lemon Pepper
Bright and fresh, with enough acidity to keep the bowl from feeling heavy.
Same chicken. Same rice. Same roasted vegetables. Completely different dinner.

Make It Your Own:
Use the vegetables you already have. This is a bowl, not a rigid recipe. A little more chicken, a different vegetable, or a different sauce can turn the same basic ingredients into an entirely new meal.

🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly

This is a terrific recipe for using a little planned leftovers.

If you’re already roasting vegetables for dinner, roast extra.

If you’re cooking chicken, cook enough for another meal.

And if you’re making rice, make a little more than you need.

Store the components separately in the refrigerator and assemble bowls as needed.

For best quality, keep the sauce separate until you’re ready to eat.

🌾 Pantry Builder Connection

This bowl also shows why putting food back doesn’t have to mean everything goes into a jar.

A container of cooked rice in the freezer, a package of cooked chicken, or a bag of frozen vegetables can all become part of tomorrow’s dinner.

A practical pantry isn’t just what’s sitting on a shelf. It’s the food you’ve prepared and stored wisely so you have options when you need them.

Posted in Rice Bowls

Beef Stroganoff Rice Bowl

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Introduction

Beef stroganoff has always been one of those wonderfully comforting meals that doesn’t need to be complicated.

Tender beef, mushrooms, onions, and a creamy sauce are a pretty hard combination to argue with.

For this Beef Stroganoff Rice Bowl, we’re taking that familiar flavor combination and giving it a little more flexibility. Instead of serving the beef and mushroom sauce over noodles, we’re spooning it over rice.

That makes this version especially useful for the Cooking Today, Planning for Tomorrow theme. Cooked rice can be prepared ahead, and the beef and mushroom mixture can be made separately and refrigerated or frozen for another meal.

It’s familiar comfort food with a practical little twist.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • All the familiar stroganoff flavors without a complicated recipe.
  • Rice makes an inexpensive, flexible base.
  • Mushrooms add savory flavor and bulk without requiring more meat.
  • The creamy sauce is light enough to keep the bowl from feeling heavy.
  • It reheats well, making it useful for meal prep.
  • The beef mixture can be used as a freezer meal starter.
  • It’s easy to make in a regular skillet or electric skillet at the campground.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base

Cooked rice

White or brown rice both work beautifully. Use leftover rice when you have it, or prepare a fresh batch.

Protein

Savory ground beef

Lean ground beef is browned with onions and seasoned simply so it complements the mushroom sauce.

Vegetables

Mushrooms and onions

The mushrooms provide that classic stroganoff flavor while onions add sweetness and depth.

Sauce

Light Creamy Mushroom Sauce

A combination of low-sodium beef broth, Greek yogurt, and a small amount of flour creates a creamy sauce without needing a heavy amount of cream.

Fresh Finish

Fresh parsley

A little chopped parsley adds color and freshness to an otherwise rich-looking dish.

Optional Toppings

  • sliced green onions
  • a sprinkle of Parmesan
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • additional sautéed mushrooms

Make It Your Own

Want more vegetables? Add finely chopped spinach, peas, or green beans to the beef and mushroom mixture.

Have leftover beef from earlier in the week? Use it here instead of starting with raw ground beef.

Prefer noodles? You can absolutely serve the stroganoff mixture over egg noodles. But the rice bowl version gives us a nice change of pace.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Beef Stroganoff Rice Bowl

Love beef stroganoff but want something a little different?
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 510
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Beef & Mushroom Mixture
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
For Serving
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Method
 

Brown the Beef
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles as it browns.
  3. Once the beef is cooked through, transfer it to a bowl and drain excess fat if necessary.
Cook the Mushrooms and Onion
  1. Reduce the heat to medium.
  2. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
  3. Add the onion and mushrooms.
  4. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the mushrooms have released their moisture and begun to brown.
  5. Don’t rush this step. Allowing the mushrooms to actually brown gives the finished stroganoff much more flavor.
Add the Garlic and Seasonings
  1. Return the beef to the skillet.
  2. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Make the Sauce
  1. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and mushroom mixture.
  2. Stir well and cook for about 1 minute.
  3. Gradually pour in the beef broth while stirring to prevent lumps.
  4. Add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard.
  5. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  6. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the Greek Yogurt
  1. Remove the skillet from the heat.
  2. Let it cool for about a minute, then stir in the Greek yogurt.
  3. Don’t boil the sauce after adding the yogurt.
  4. This keeps the sauce creamy and helps prevent the yogurt from separating.
  5. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Build the Bowls
  1. Divide the cooked rice among four bowls.
  2. Spoon the beef and mushroom stroganoff over the rice.
  3. Finish with fresh parsley.
  4. Serve warm.

Notes

🍄 Kitchen Confidence: Don’t Crowd Your Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain a surprising amount of water.
If you pack too many into a crowded skillet, they’ll release that water and essentially steam themselves.
For nicely browned mushrooms:
  • Use a large skillet.
  • Give them room to spread out.
  • Don’t stir constantly.
  • Let the moisture cook away before adding the sauce.
You’re looking for mushrooms that are golden around the edges and deeply savory, not pale and watery.
That one little technique makes a big difference in this dish.

Cooking Today, Planning for Tomorrow

This recipe is another opportunity to separate the components.

For tonight:

Build the bowls with hot rice and fresh parsley.

For tomorrow:

Store the beef stroganoff mixture separately and make fresh rice when you’re ready to eat.

For later:

Freeze the cooled beef and mushroom mixture in meal-sized portions.

Label it:

Beef Stroganoff — Add Rice
Prepared: 8/27/26

Then you’ve got the foundation of another dinner waiting for you.

This is exactly what we mean by a freezer meal kit that isn’t a complete frozen dinner.

Storage

Store the beef stroganoff mixture and rice separately in covered containers.

Refrigerate leftovers and use within 3–4 days.

For longer storage, freeze the beef and mushroom mixture separately from the rice.

When reheating, warm the stroganoff gently. Avoid bringing the yogurt-based sauce to a hard boil.

If the sauce has thickened too much in the refrigerator, add a tablespoon or two of beef broth or water while reheating.