40 Must-Try Meals in a Bowl
Updated: Aug. 08, 2019For supper tonight, leave your plates in the cupboard. Home cooks are sharing their sauciest, creamiest dinner ideas that taste best when scooped from a bowl.
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California Burger Bowls
Burgers are a weekly staple at our house year-round. Skip the fries, chips and bun—you won’t need them with these loaded veggie & fruit burgers. To spice up the mayo, add 1/2 tsp. of chipotle powder. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas
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Cheesy Broccoli Soup in a Bread Bowl
This creamy, cheesy broccoli soup tastes just like the one served at Panera Bread! My family requests it all the time. You can even make your own homemade bread bowls with the recipe on my blog, Yammie's Noshery. —Rachel Preus, Marshall, Michigan 3 / 40
Tacos in a Bowl
This easy skillet dish offers a tasty use for leftover taco meat. Garnish it with sour cream and salsa for southwestern flavor and crushed tortilla chips for a nice added crunch! —Sue Schoening, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 4 / 40
Mediterranean Bulgur Bowl
You can also transform this tasty bowl into an Italian version with mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, spinach and basil. —Renata Smith, Brookline, Massachusetts 5 / 40
Caesar Salad in Peppered Parmesan Bowls
This cheese bowl salad looks impressive but is a cinch to make. I won't tell if you don't! —Melissa Wilkes, St. Augustine, Florida 6 / 40
East Coast Shrimp and Lentil Bowls
If you have frozen shrimp, a few seasoning ingredients, bagged spinach and lentils on hand in your pantry, you can make this dish in no time. It's so delicious, nobody needs to know that it's healthy, too! —Mary Kay LaBrie, Clermont, Florida 7 / 40
Edamame and Soba Noodle Bowl
Toothsome soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour. —Matthew Hass, Franklin, Wisconsin 8 / 40
Soup-Bowl Cabbage Rolls
This fabulous alternative to traditional stuffed cabbage rolls is so handy for busy weeknights. It warms you up from head to toe. —Terri Pearce, Houston, Texas 9 / 40
Easy Chicken Tamale Pie
All you need are some simple ingredients from the pantry to put this slow-cooker meal together. I love that I can go fishing while it cooks. —Peter Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas 10 / 40
Shrimp 'n' Noodle Bowls
Here's a quick meal that feels as if it came from a restaurant. Cooked shrimp, bagged slaw and bottled dressing reduce the time needed to get it on the table. —Mary Bergfeld, Eugene, Oregon 11 / 40
Fajita in a Bowl
Pull out the skewers and take a stab at grilling peppers, onions and corn for an awesome steak salad that’s all summer and smoke. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 12 / 40
Egg Roll Noodle Bowl
We love Asian egg rolls, but they can be challenging to make. Simplify everything with this deconstructed egg roll made on the stovetop and served in a bowl. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas 13 / 40
BLT Quinoa Bowls
I absolutely love a BLT with sliced avocado and an egg. Recently, I've been trying out grain bowls, and I thought the flavors of my favorite sandwich would work really well. My family agreed! —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah 14 / 40
Tomato-Garlic Lentil Bowls
An Ethiopian recipe inspired this feel-good dinner that's tangy, creamy and packed with hearty comfort. —Rachael Cushing, Portland, Oregon 15 / 40
Poached Egg Buddha Bowls
I love cooking for my husband and this is the first dish of the year that we enjoy out in our back yard. I often include fresh peas and cherry tomatoes, halved. —Amy McDonough, Carlton, Oregon 16 / 40
Greek Brown and Wild Rice Bowls
This fresh rice dish tastes like the Mediterranean in a bowl! It's short on ingredients, but packs in so much flavor. For a hand-held version, leave out the rice and tuck the rest of the ingredients in a pita pocket. —Darla Andrews, Schertz, Texas 17 / 40
Slow-Cooker Barbacoa
My husband adores this barbacoa, which is beef roast simmered in lime juice, chipotle and cumin. He would eat it one a week if I would make it that often! We have it over rice with cilantro and a spritz of lime. —Aundrea McCormick, Denver, Colorado 18 / 40
Carolina Shrimp & Cheddar Grits
Shrimp and grits were a house favorite—if only we could agree on how to make them. I stirred up a winner for the whole family with some cheddar and Cajun seasoning. —Charlotte Price, Raleigh, North Carolina 19 / 40
Curry Turkey Stir-Fry
Just open the fridge and go to town making this throw-together curry. We prefer turkey, but if you like chicken, shrimp, even bean sprouts and carrots, by all means, add them. —Lauren Rush, Clark, New Jersey 20 / 40
Chicken Quinoa Bowls with Balsamic Dressing
I love this recipe because its simplicity allows me to spend time with my family while not sacrificing taste or nutrition. Plus the fresh spring flavors really shine through! —Allyson Meyler, Greensboro, North Carolina 21 / 40
Israeli Couscous & Chicken Sausage Skillet
Our comfort food is a big plate of sausage with couscous. Add some onion, celery, a little heat and a sprinkle of feta. —Angela Spengler, Tampa, Florida 22 / 40
Caribbean Shrimp & Rice Bowl
I had a similar rice bowl on vacation and re-created this lighter version at home. It takes me back to the islands every time I make it. Try grilling the shrimp for more beachy flavor. —Lauren Katz, Ashburn, Virginia 23 / 40
Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms add an earthy flavor to this creamy classic, while shredded rotisserie chicken makes it a snap to prepare. You'll savor every bite. —Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, Florida 24 / 40
Slow-Cooked Enchilada Casserole
Tortilla chips and a side salad turn this casserole into a fun meal with very little effort. —Denise Waller, Omaha, Nebraska 25 / 40
Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Quinoa
Help yourself to a plate full—generous servings are still lower in calories and big on protein. If you have company, you can add a salad and call it a day. —Keri Whitney, Castro Valley, California 26 / 40
Slow-Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Pork
Chinese food is a big temptation for us, so I lightened up a favorite takeout dish. As the pork cooks, the aroma is beyond mouthwatering. —Elyse Ellis, Layton, Utah 27 / 40
Quick Italian Veggie Skillet
When you don’t know what to serve, Italian flavors are a good starting point. We combine cannellini and garbanzo beans for this snappy rice dish. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California 28 / 40
Tomato & Garlic Butter Bean Dinner
On the days I get home late and just want a warm meal, I stir together tomatoes, garlic and butter beans. Ladle it over noodles if you're in the mood for pasta. —Jessica Meyers, Austin, Texas 29 / 40
Thai Salmon Brown Rice Bowls
This speedy salmon recipe couldn't be any easier. The store-bought sesame ginger dressing saves time and adds extra flavor to this healthy dish. — Naylet LaRochelle, Miami, Florida 30 / 40
Shortcut Sausage Jambalaya
Secret ingredient alert: A pinch of coffee crystals gives my jambalaya its roasty, toasty flavor. This quick and easy dinner is one of my husband’s top picks. —Betty Henagin, Medford, Oregon 31 / 40
Chicken Cordon Bleu Stroganoff
I enjoy beef Stroganoff but wanted a version with chicken. For a French twist, I added ham, Swiss and Dijon. It quickly became a family favorite. —Jeanne Holt, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 32 / 40
Mediterranean Turkey Skillet
I've always heard that it’s important to eat a rainbow of colors to get all of the nutrients we need. Thanks to my garden-grown veggies, this dish certainly fits the bill. —Nicole Ehlert, Burlington, Wisconsin 33 / 40
Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet
You need only one skillet to pull off this delicious meal. Talk about simple! —Lisa Renshaw, Kansas City, Missouri 34 / 40
Spicy Tilapia Rice Bowl
I love healthy living and tilapia is a staple in my kitchen. Fresh vegetables are always good but take more prep time, so I use boil-in-bag rice for a shortcut. —Rosalin Johnson, Tupelo, Mississippi 35 / 40
Savory Braised Chicken with Vegetables
My braised chicken is a recipe my mom used to make when I was small. It tastes much more complicated than it actually is! —Michelle Collins, Lake Orion, Michigan 36 / 40
Stir-Fry Rice Bowl
My meatless version of Korean bibimbap is tasty, pretty and easy to tweak for different spice levels. —Devon Delaney, Westport, Connecticut 37 / 40
Chicken & Egg Noodle Casserole
A friend and her family went through a really difficult time, and I felt so awful for them. Bringing over this chicken noodle casserole was the one thing I could think of to help them out in a tiny way and let them know I was thinking of them. —Lin Krankel, Oxford, Michigan 38 / 40
Pizza in a Bowl
On busy days, it's a comfort to know that my family can sit down to dinner minutes after we walk in the door. Double it to wow at a potluck. This recipe works in a slow cooker, too. —Virginia Krites, Cridersville, Ohio 39 / 40
Moroccan Apple Beef Stew
I love the mix of sweet and savory flavors in this stew. It's the perfect blend of adventurous and comforting, and makes a fun dish to share with guests. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho 40 / 40
Korean Sausage Bowl
When we hosted a student from South Korea, she shared some of her favorite Korean dishes. We especially like bibimbap. I created a variation on the dish with Italian sausage. —Michal Riege, Cedarburg, Wisconsin Originally Published: August 07, 2019
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