TUE LUNCH · FROM THE VIDEO
Black Bean Burrito Bowl
- 20 min
- 8 min with Sunday prep
- 1–4 servings
- 480 kcal
- 20g protein
A colorful, no-fuss burrito bowl that layers fluffy rice, saucy black beans, sweet corn and melty cheddar with a spoonful of salsa on top. It's the kind of lunch that reheats beautifully and still tastes fresh at your desk on a Tuesday. Using Sunday's pre-cooked rice turns this into an 8-minute assembly job.
Adds this lunch's 5 groceries to your Walmart cart; you check out on Walmart. Part of 5 work lunches from one $25 grocery run · send the whole week to Walmart.
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cuplong grain white rice, uncooked
- 3/4 cupblack beans, canned, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cupcorn, canned, drained
- 1/4 cupsalsa
- 1/3 cupshredded cheddar cheese
From the pantry: olive oil, garlic, minced, ground cumin, salt, black pepper
Cookware
saucepan with lid · medium skillet · cutting board · chef's knife · meal-prep container
Directions
- Cook the rice: bring rice and water (2:1 ratio) to a boil in a saucepan, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15–18 minutes until tender, then fluff with a fork; skip this step if using Sunday's cooked rice.
- While the rice cooks, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the minced garlic, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the drained black beans and corn to the skillet, sprinkle with a pinch of ground cumin, salt and pepper, and stir for 3–4 minutes until heated through.
- Spoon the warm rice into the bottom of each meal-prep container as the base layer.
- Top the rice with the black bean and corn mixture, spreading it evenly.
- Spoon the salsa over the beans and corn, then sprinkle the shredded cheddar on top.
- Let the bowl cool for 5 minutes before sealing the lid to prevent condensation, then refrigerate.
Two tips
- Swap canned corn for frozen peas and carrots (already in your grocery list) if you want a different vegetable mix.
- Make it ahead by doubling the bean-corn mixture on Sunday so Tuesday's lunch is just a reheat-and-top job.
Packing
Pack the salsa and cheddar in a small separate container or layer them on top just before sealing so the rice doesn't get soggy; reheat the whole bowl in the microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, stirring once, or enjoy cold straight from the fridge.
Storage
Keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Freezes for up to 2 months without the fresh salsa and cheddar; add those after reheating from frozen.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 780 mg
The rest of the week
MonEgg Fried Rice
Day-old rice fried with peas, carrots and 3 scrambled eggs; soy sauce to finish.
rice · eggs · frozen peas and carrots · soy sauce
~22g proteinFull recipe →
WedLemon Chickpea Pasta with Spinach
Lemony chickpea pasta with extra chickpeas and a handful of spinach.
chickpea pasta · chickpeas · lemon · spinach
~24g proteinFull recipe →
ThuLoaded Baked Potato Bowl
Chopped baked potato with beans, cheddar, a jammy egg and Greek yogurt as sour cream.
potatoes · black beans · cheddar · Greek yogurt · eggs
~21g proteinFull recipe →
FriCrunchy Taco Salad Jar
Salsa and yogurt at the bottom, then beans, corn, cheese, romaine; chips on the side.
romaine · black beans · corn · salsa · cheddar · tortilla chips
~19g proteinFull recipe →
Recipe developed by MealPot for the “5 work lunches from one $25 grocery run” video. Nutrition is estimated from standard (USDA) data for the quantities above. Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the packed lunch.