4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Chicken Taco Rice Bowls

Total Time: 4 minutes

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Could you use some help to stay on track with your New Year's Resolutions this month? These 4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Chicken Taco Rice Bowls make preparing a nutritious and delicious lunch or dinner a breeze -- at home, at your office, or on the run.

Many of us have high aspirations for cooking dinner at home every night, for incorporating healthy ingredients in the menu, and for sitting down at the table as a family every night. Those are wonderful goals, but sometimes life gets in the way!

Our schedules are jam-packed with commitments, our kids might not want to eat that veggie dish we prepared, or we may just run out of time and energy to think about a meal plan and do the shopping. I've been there -- and so has just about every other busy mom. That's why it's so great to share ideas with other parents and to find quick-assembly recipes that make a healthy mealtime SIMPLE to achieve!

When we were visiting my brother and his family in Florida last summer, my sister-in-law and I were sitting on the couch at one point holding our newest babies. We both have two older boys, and had just added infants to our families...making life even more wonderful...and even more hectic. As we were discussing life with the addition of a third baby, we both agreed that mealtime is one of the biggest challenges. Whether it's a new baby, a busy work schedule, or extracurricular activities, we all have those times when we struggle to get a nutritious dinner on the table. Jackie and I were both tired, overwhelmed, and in need of some help!

I gave Jackie a few suggestions from my go-to arsenal of dinners that require minimal effort on my part, and she did the same for me. According to Jackie, this particular recipe for Chicken Taco Rice Bowls is one of my brother's absolute favorite dinners...and she loves it because it's so easy to prepare. In fact, she often just leaves out the chicken entirely and instead uses a can of drained, rinsed beans. Talk about an affordable option!

And while this meal is definitely one of those crowd-pleasing gems that everyone loves, it's especially ideal because it involves ZERO "cooking." Instead, my microwave does the work in seconds, and my job is just to assemble the short list of ingredients.

I also love that the recipe is 100% customizable. Add or subtract any ingredients that you love, and set up a little "bar" or assembly line for your kids to stir in their own toppings as well. You can copy Jackie and swap the chicken for beans, or you can take advantage of left-over shrimp, fish, or beef that you might have on hand. Prefer low-fat cheese? Like your salsa spicy? Anything goes with these easy Chicken Taco Rice Bowls!

Here's my 4-minute recipe for your new favorite lunch or dinner:

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4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Chicken Taco Rice Bowls

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 4 minutes

Servings 1

Author The Seasoned Mom

Ingredients

• 1 cup microwaveable rice I used Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice
• ¼ cup cooked shredded chicken breast (or substitute with drained, rinsed beans for a vegetarian option)
• ¼ cup salsa
• ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
• Optional additional toppings if time permits!: sliced black olives, sliced green onion, pinto beans, guacamole

Instructions

• Microwave rice cup according to package instructions. Place rice in a serving bowl. Stir in chicken and salsa. Top with cheese. Microwave for approximately 30 more seconds to warm entire dish, if desired.
• Top with any additional ingredients of choice!