Goldilocks, I'll Call You When They're Hiring

Mrs. Hillbilly Mom has found a new fast-food treat. It's the Hardees/Red Burrito Grilled Chicken Bowl.

I had one of these last weekend make that the one before, because he was gone to Sweden this past weekend), when Farmer H wanted me to bring him a taco salad. Of course I wanted a taco salad, but after an argument with myself in T-Hoe on the way there, I twisted my arm behind my back and agreed to make a wiser choice. So Grilled Chicken Bowl it was. And for only 430 calories! You can't beat that with a stick! Or with the tasty shell of a taco salad.

The chicken bowl comes in a plastic bowl (thus the name), and is more substantial than you might think. Starting from the bottom, it contains a layer of Spanish rice, a layer of refried beans, some chunks of grilled chicken, a sprinkling of shredded cheddar, a smattering of salsa, and a dollop of sour cream. Nom-nom!

I admit that I have sampled it three times now. The original taste, then after a long day at the casino with my favorite gambling aunt, and today, which was not planned, but will be discussed elsewhere. After three samples, it is evident that Hardees/Red Burrito needs to hire Goldilocks for quality control purposes.

The first chicken bowl had a lot of rice. In fact, it was mostly rice, but there was enough of the other stuff to make Mrs. HM say, "What do you expect for a fast food chicken bowl? It's pretty good for 430 calories."

The second chicken bowl had very little rice, and more refried beans, lending itself to a Mrs. HM thought-bubble of, "Hmm...this is actually better than the first one. I like refried beans."

The third chicken bowl had LOTS of chicken, and very little refried beans, which made Mrs. HM giddy with such a discovery under the steamy lid. "Wow! That's a lot of chicken. The better for my protein needs."

In all instances, when I got my bowl home, I added some salsa on the side. Very few calories in salsa, but if you're watching your sodium, I can't recommend it, or the grilled chicken bowl itself. Though I'm sure you could make a lower-sodium version at home for your own self.

In fact, I have washed the bowls (there's a lot of my mom in me) to assure portion control, and plan to make my own during the week. With added diced onions!

Still, Hardees/Red Burrito needs to look into their chicken bowl assembly process. I figure Goldilocks would be the best trainer (you can't expect her to work for minimum wage) to make sure they get it JUST RIGHT.