Pesto Broccoli, Avocado & Chicken Bowl with Ranch

Umm….the ranch obsession continues over here and I’m not sorry about it at all.

I first got the idea to combine sauces like this (you know, my homemade ranch + EVERYTHING) a couple months ago when I saw Chimichurri Ranch Chicken wings on a restaurant’s appetizer menu. But of course, they had some form of gluten (read: weapon of mass intestinal destruction for celiacs) in them, so I couldn’t eat them. And naturally, I had to make them at home myself, which resulted in my BOMB Chimichurri Ranch Chicken Wings.

So then, more recently, I had a bunch of leftovers of this pesto chicken bowl I’d ordered at a restaurant. It was pretty solid, something I would make at home…kind of like a burrito bowl, but instead of chipotle-style ingredients, it was baked chicken breast, broccoli, tomatoes, all mixed together over a bed of rice, topped off with pesto and avocado.

{insert reader’s gasp here. WHAT!? Yes, I eat rice sometimes. No, it’s not strict paleo. But I feel okay when I eat it sooo there you go. You do what works best for you, friends, and I’ll do what works best for me and my body 🙂 }

Anyway. Said bowl was, as I talked about before, pretty solid. I might order it again, but I also KNEW I could make it better at home. Jack it up a little bit, if you will, with some pumped up seasonings, cauliflower rice, more flavorful chicken, and the like. Plus, my ULTIMATE dairy-free pesto, which makes everything better. So when I reached into the fridge to eat said leftovers, what would my hand land on first, but my jar of homemade ranch dressing.

LIGHTBULB.

Yeah, I drizzled some ranch on there. Fireworks went off on my tastebuds. And a recipe idea baby was born.  And now it’s HERE and soooooo good. I love this bowl because it’s so easy to switch up the ingredients too! You don’t have broccoli on hand, and want to substitute some of your leftover roasted veggies instead? Go for it. I love switching the broccoli for roasted brussels sprouts or zucchini. Just did a kick-butt workout? I’ll throw some roasted sweet potatoes in there. Prefer chicken breast to thighs? Be my guest. Guaranteed it’ll be delicious!!

Also. I definitely thought the combo of ranch and pesto sounded beyond gross before I tried it. But just TRUST me on this one. Don’t knock it til you try it!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pesto Broccoli, Avocado & Chicken Bowl with Ranch

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Pesto Ranch Chicken Bowl Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Serves 4

Dana: Real Food with Dana

Serves: 4 serivings

Ingredients

Make these in advance (or first!)

• 1 batch pesto(you’ll need ⅓ cup for this recipe)
• 1 batch homemade ranch dressing, for drizzling

For the bowls

• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 1 head cauliflower cored, chopped and riced in thefood processor
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 small head broccoli, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, pit and skin removed, diced
• Pine nuts, for garnish
• Sea salt + pepper, to taste

Directions

1. If you don’t have leftovers of these already, make a batch of homemade pesto and ranch dressing each!
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes, until hot. Pat dry and season the chicken thighs with a small pinch of salt and pepper on both sides. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes a side, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and add the riced cauliflower + teaspoon of minced garlic and ¼ tsp sea salt . Stir every few minutes with a wooden spoon, until cooked but not mushy. You could also do this in the oven (see these instructions!) This should take about 6-8 minutes. Once cooked, take it off the heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, steam the chopped broccoli in microwave in a large, covered microwave-proof dish with ¼ cup water in the bottom for about 4 minutes on high. (You could also steam it another way, the microwave is just faster and easier for me!)
5. Allow the chicken thighs to cool for a minute, until you can handle them with your hands. Dice with a large knife into bite sized pieces.
6. Assemble the bowls: start with cauliflower rice for the base, then mix in the broccoli, tomatoes, chicken, and a heaping tablespoon of pesto. Top with avocado and drizzle of ranch. Garnish with pine nuts.
7. Devour!

Notes

Feel free to substitute any other kind of vegetable you have on hand for the broccoli. I love to sub leftovers of roasted brussels sprouts or zucchini, and add in some roasted sweet potato wedges after a workout!

3.5.3208

Like this? You’ll love these recipes with ranch too!

Chimichurri Chicken Wings with Ranch Dressing
Buffalo Ranch Sweet Potato Fries 
Sriracha Ranch Chicken Cobb Salad 
Buffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch Skillet with Brussels Sprouts