Easy Meal-Prep Greek Burger Bowls

What’s your favorite way to make dinner easier?  I love a meal that can be at least partly made in advance.  These easy meal-prep Greek burger bowls were part of a collection of recipes I created for Gluten Free Living Magazine, and they’re easily adaptable to be a Paleo, Whole30, make-ahead dinner.  You can also make these and store individually in travel containers for up to two days for a delicious healthy on-the-go lunch idea.

Easy “bowls” are one of my favorite meal-time hacks, and they became a regular favorite for dinners during a recent Whole30.  Although there are suggestions here for a hot-cold mix of crunchy, savory, fresh and filling ingredients, you can easily throw together a bowl with a hearty protein serving, a fun spice/seasoning blend, and lots of fresh vegetables.  These Greek burger bowls are a great example of how easy it is to feed yourself or a family a fast, healthy and delicious meal.  (These bowls start with pre-cooked ground beef – I suggest making a big batch of ground, seasoned beef, venison, chicken or turkey over the weekend, then using it to make a variety of meals all week!  Try spiralized zucchini with tomato meat sauce, “cheese”burger soup, or burger bowls.  You can even use ground beef instead of shrimp for these egg roll bowls.  Our kids ask for those again and again!

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Greek Burger Bowls

Course: easy dinner recipes, Main Course

Cuisine: gluten-free, grain-free

Keyword: meal prep, Paleo

Author: Angela Sackett | Everyday Welcome

Ingredients

For cauliflower rice:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ten-ounce package frozen riced cauliflower about 2 cups
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice reserve zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For bowls:

• 1 pound seasoned ground beef cooked
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 green onions chopped, green and white parts separated

To serve:

• 2 cups fresh arugula or spinach leaves
• ½ cup greek olives
• 2-4 radishes thinly sliced
• 1-2 roma tomatoes chopped
• 1 medium cucumber chopped
• ½ cup feta cheese optional
• Lemon slices optional

Directions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, combine olive oil with riced cauliflower, salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat until just starting to turn golden (about 5 minutes).
2. Stir in lemon juice and cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in parsley and divide evenly along the side, between 4 bowls.
4. Add ground beef to warm skillet and warm together with oregano, lemon zest and white part of onion.

To serve:

1. Add salad greens beside cooked cauliflower rice.
2. Top with warm ground beef, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, remaining green onion, and feta, if desired.

Recipe Notes

For a little more pizzazz: We whipped up a quick “tzatziki” sauce from plain greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice and fresh dill. You can also drizzle salad greens with olive oil and lemon or Greek dressing.

Hosting a crowd?  Dealing with food allergies?  Meal-prep burger bowls are easy to make with others, too.

Other ways to use this recipe:

• Make the meat and “rice” in advance and ask guests to bring the toppings
• Change the meat for your group’s preference
• Change the seasonings to add a different flavor profile to the bowls
• Make two or three dressings or vinaigrettes so guests can customize their bowls
• Layer the ingredients (hardy ones on the bottom) in a mason jar; cap and store for lunches for the week
• Double or triple the meat and freeze for a future meal (I love these Stasher reusable storage containers!)
• Try shredded chicken instead of ground meat to change this dish up

(For a delicious quick flavor-boost, try Primal Palate’s Super Gyro seasoning blend.  I use it with everything from eggs to roasted sweet potatoes, and it gives the ground beef a nice punch of Greek flavor!)

One more tip:

At the last minute, I used a fork to whisk together plain yogurt (coconut is great or use plain Greek yogurt) with lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh dill and a pinch of salt for a quick sauce.  If you’re doing a Whole30, try a quick homemade vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and even a compliant mayo for a perfect complement to this Greek burger bowl!  You can also try these ideas for topping your Greek Burger Bowls!

• A garlicky dairy-free Tzatziki from Allrecipes 
• A Paleo tzatziki from Jessica and Stacie (two of my favorite recipe writers) at Real Food Dietitians
• Low-Carb Tzatziki Sauce from Hayley at Health Starts in the Kitchen

Inspiring {healthy, fast} welcome,

Angela