Oh. Wow. This Chicken and Bacon Fried Rice has been established in our home as the best “unplanned and amazingly delicious” meal ever.

Initially made on a whim one night when I had leftover rice in the fridge, I’ve been making this fried rice with bacon and chicken for years now and finally was able to get some updated photos so that I can share it with you.

The whole family very happily gives this dinner two thumbs up each time I make it.

Chicken Bacon Fried Rice

There really aren’t many meals that top the convenience of combining leftover rice with a bit of bacon and some leftover chicken in a way that delivers so much deliciousness.

Chicken fried rice and bacon fried rice have become such staples in our weeknight dinner plans, I regularly double or triple the amount of rice needed for a meal, just to make sure there is plenty leftover for a fried rice dinner too.

And for the easiest “leftover” chicken ever, I often pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store. Full disclosure, with two teenage boys and a very rapidly growing 10 (almost 11) year old in the house, there’s rarely anything truly leftover after most meals.

And if there is? You just might find it in my fridge with a giant note on the container that says “DO NOT EAT THIS” if I actually want it to be there for a recipe the following day. Anyone else relate to this?

Fried Rice with Bacon

Can you go wrong adding bacon to fried rice? I say that it’s impossible. As evidenced by this mouthwatering Chicken and Bacon Stir Fry that we’ve been making for almost ten years now, the combination of chicken + bacon + Asian flavors is absolutely fantastic.

Tender chicken, salty bacon, along with bites of egg, onion, and peas in a very flavorful rice skillet? Oh yeah, you need to make this.

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Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl

This Mexican chicken burrito bowl starts with delicious cilantro lime rice topped with our sticky Mexican chicken and then pile on all the toppings! I’m here for allllll the toppings — corn, peppers, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and avocado cilantro lime dressing! Drooling!

For some reason, I’m bowl obsessed. There’s something about all the flavors and textures that makes me all giddy. It just feels so exciting to me! It’s also a family-friendly, affordable, healthy and easy weeknight meal.

What is a Burrito Bowl?

It seems like Chipotle was the restaurant to make the burrito bowl popular, but now you can find them almost everywhere. A burrito bowl is basically the filling of a burrito put into a bowl instead of wrapped in a tortilla. They are lower in carbs without the tortilla making them quite popular and also gluten free. And they are so versatile, you can make them exactly how you want them.

Ingredients for a Chicken Burrito Bowl

This recipe is a little different than our usual recipes because you start with three of our other favorite recipes to assemble a whole bowl. I will briefly describe each of those recipes (head to those individual posts for the full recipes). and then finish off with the ingredients to make these burrito bowls.

Cilantro Lime Rice

• Ingredients: rice, water, unsalted butter, chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, lime, and green chiles
• Time: 25 minutes
• PRO TIP: This is a copycat recipe for the rice served at Cafe Rio. It’s so easy to make at home!

Sticky Mexican Chicken

• Ingredients: chicken breasts, taco seasoning, olive oil, green onions, honey, and lime juice
• Time: 10 minutes
• PRO TIP: You only need 6 ingredients for this simple recipe, and the flavor is phenomenal!

Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

• Ingredients: avocado, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, tomatillo, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey, coriander, olive oil, Kosher salt, and water
• Time: 5 minutes
• PRO TIP: Can be made up to a day ahead of time. The flavor actually gets better if it sits for a few hours before serving.

Toppings

• Greens: feel free to choose whatever is your favorite — mixed greens, all romaine lettuce or green leaf
• Corn: fresh corn on the cob with the kernels sliced off is best, but you can also use frozen corn if needed, adds sweetness and crunch
• Red and Orange Bell Peppers: seeds removed and diced, adds flavor, color and texture
• Red Onion: adds flavor, color and texture
• Jalapeno: adds heat and flavor
• Avocado: adds a creaminess and healthy fat
• Cherry Tomatoes: adds brightness, col

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Our summer has already been a whirlwind of visits with friends and family and I have been enjoying all of the company. Sean and I have plans to finally see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie tonight and I can hardly wait.

Psssst – don’t miss today’s giveaway at the bottom of this newsletter!

ON THE BLOGS this week: With a little bit of sweet and salty goodness in every bite, GORP is a snack mix that my family devours every time we make it. Lucky for all of us, it’s an easy hassle-free trail mix to make.

The BEST chicken tetrazzini recipe begins with chicken, mushrooms, and pasta tossed together with a creamy, garlicky sauce. Layer that deliciousness in a baking dish and sprinkle it with just a handful of cheese before baking just long enough to melt everything together. Served with warm bread and a salad, this meal is a hit every time.

This cake. Hershey’s Chocolate Cake is the most versatile and the easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. (traditional and gluten-free variations are included with this recipe)

Chock-full of bacon and beef, sweetened with molasses, and simmered until thick and sweet, Cowboy Baked Beans are sure to impress!

Sweet bits of pineapple and spicy jalapeño combine to make this easy pineapple salsa one of our favorite condiments and snacks.

Infused with the flavors of balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh herbs, you will want to pour these mouth-watering Marinated Tomatoes over everything.

The bold flavors of ripe, juicy tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinegar with plenty of seasonings make this delightful Tomato Pasta Salad an easy winner.

Gooey mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant basil on toasted sourdough are going to make this Caprese Grilled Cheese your new favorite lunch option.

This creamy, sweet, fluffy three-ingredient peanut butter spread was a fun discovery when we moved to Amish country a few years ago. The kids fell in love with it as soon as they tasted it.

Nutty Bars Ice Cream is a rich peanut butter ice cream loaded to the absolute max with chunks of Little Debbie’s classic Nutty Buddy Wafer Bars

Nutty Bars Ice Cream is a rich peanut butter ice cream loaded to the absolute max with chunks of Little Debbie’s classic Nutty Buddy Wafer Bars.

Over the top? Maybe a little bit, but who is going to complain when you hand them a bowl of ice cream that literally tastes like a peanut butter cup filled with chunks of nutty bars? No one. That is who.

Nutty Bars Ice Cream

A bowl of this ice cream tastes like a childhood dream come true – if your childhood happened to include Nutty Buddy Bars. Full disclosure, mine did not.

However, Sean introduced me to these irresistible peanut butter-filled, chocolate-coated wafer bars when we were first married and oh man, I made up for lost time.

Nutty Bars are his first choice for a packaged snack and have been for about as long as I’ve known him. (Side note – the bars are branded differently now, no clue why. They may be Nutty Buddy bars or just Nutty Bars where you are.)

So, naturally, when I had the idea for Nutty Buddy Ice Cream? It needed to happen just as soon as I could get to the store for a box of Nutty Bars.

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting

With a little bit of sweet and salty goodness in every bite, GORP is a snack mix that my family devours every time we make it. Lucky for all of us, it’s an easy hassle-free trail mix to make.

GORP is the classic trail mix you probably recall from childhood and I’m happy to report that it’s just as tasty as I remembered. Whether it’s for a quick road trip, a movie night, or a longer camping trip, GORP has long been a favorite for all of us.

What Is GORP?

GORP is an acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts” which was, according to some, the very first trail mix. Chocolate is traditionally included in most recipes for GORP. Today, GORP and trail mix are more or less synonymous.

I grew up munching on GORP whenever my family was road tripping. Some variation of this recipe was always our trail mix of choice. Typically, my family made their trail mix with peanuts, raisins, and m&ms or chocolate chips.

I’ve been traveling a lot over the past 6 weeks and am constantly in need of quick, easy, and tasty snacks to enjoy on the go. There are so many pre-packaged snacks available these days but GORP has remained the travel-friendly snack I reach for the most.

GORP

Trail mix is the perfect sweet and salty snack for long driving days, or for days spent on the go exploring a new city.

GORP probably became THE travel food (and the snack hikers took on long trails) because it’s easy to pack and carry and doesn’t spoil. Luckily, it also happens to be pretty nutritious for a convenience food!

The blend of dried fruit for energy and nuts for protein and fat helps keep hunger at bay and keeps you going all travel day long.

That said, GORP is also one of my favorite snacks for a night-in or to have in my bag on a long day of running errands. Easy to proportion into ziploc bags or small serving containers, this trail mix is also ideal for packing in lunches and tucking into backpacks.

This handy square canister of snack mix has a regular place in my camper kitchen and we all reach for it often. I have probably mixed together a batch of GORP at least once if not twice a week all summer long.

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