I love Mexican food

Luckily I live in an area where GOOD Mexican food is plentiful, but for me, Mexican food is nostalgic. It always reminds me of going to my mom’s godparent’s house as a kid, seeing the pepper bush when we drove up (those peppers were not for the faint of heart), knowing we were going to get REAL beans and all other kinds of goodness. It reminds me of going to Mexico as a kid before we needed passports to walk over the border, watching the vendors make street tacos and going to the bullfights with my Spanish class.

In many ways, Mexican food is similar to Italian food when it comes to being comfort food for me. I love the bright flavors, the smell of cilantro and peppers, and all the freshness of the veggies.

So I’m always on the hunt to take a twist on the classic Mexican food that I love just to switch things up. Since I love a good burrito, I thought deconstructing a burrito into a bowl would be a good place to start. Especially with homemade Salsa Verde because holy moly, salsa verde is so amazing and so easy to make. Luckily this recipe will leave you with enough leftover Salsa Verde that you could use it for other recipes or for a snack with some chips (because who doesn’t love chips and salsa?).

Salsa verde chicken bowl

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 4 hours

Serves: 4 people

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup rice, cooked

2 zucchini, diced

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

salsa verde

15 tomatillos

3 jalapeños, cut in half and seeded

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 bunch of cilantro

1/2 cup broth or water

Grab your slow cooker, spray with non stick spray and put in your chicken, cooking on high for 4 hours. After it’s cooked, pull it out, shred it in a bowl and set it aside.

While it cooks, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees, line a cookie sheet with tin foil and non-stick spray, placing your zucchini and red onion on the sheet in a single layer. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until roasted and set aside.

Increase your oven temperature to 425 degrees, find a large cookie sheet, line it with tin foil and place your tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic on the sheet. Spread your olive oil and salt over the veggies and toss until evenly coated. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Toss your veggies (with all the juices) and the rest of the salsa ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Toss half of it with your chicken and place the rest of it in your refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Once you’re ready to serve, place some rice, chicken, veggies and some more salsa into a bowl, top with your cheese and whatever else you like (avocado and sour cream are awesome with it) and serve hot! Enjoy!