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With just a few simple ingredients and just a few minutes you can have a delicious meal in the freezer ready to cook any time.  Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls are not only delicious, but super easy to cook for dinner.

Can you believe New Year’s Day is tomorrow?  I can’t either.  We are definitely changing things up this year at AKHA.  Admittedly, we have gained more weight than we care to admit.  So, this year, we’re getting healthy!

Yeah, I know.  Like 42% of the population, at least in America, sets resolutions in the new year.  Do you know how many of those 42% actually maintain their resolution?  Eight percent.  EIGHT PERCENT!!  I am totally hoping we’re one of those eight percent people.  I think once we start seeing results it will stick.

I’ve done this before.  However, I was just hoping that I would be able to retrain my brain to not eat so much food.  That didn’t happen.  Especially after we stopped smoking.  The pounds just kept piling on as I kept eating food and my metabolism keeps slowing down.  That’s what happens when you get older.  So, you young folks remember this!!  It’s true!  It’s not something you’re parents say.  This is a medical fact.

Now, since I’m a #carbhoor there’s no way I’m cutting those out.

You can get all the doctors you want to tell me otherwise, but it’s not the carbs that are the evil gremlins in your diet.  Calories.  Calories and protein are the evil gremlins in your diet.

My father will argue until he’s blue in the face about this.  He has diabetes and he “went to that seminar” where they told him to stop eating carbs.  Carbs turn to sugar and that is not good if you have diabetes.  Except, my father in law has diabetes and he eats carbs all the time.  In fact, he has to eat carbs for their diet.  Not that he’s on a diet, but they’ve chosen a meal plan, diet, menu, whatever you want to call it, that allows for carbs.

“How is that?” you ask?  Well, when calories and protein are equal, it doesn’t matter if you have a low carb lifestyle or a high carb lifestyle.  There are tons of medical studies on this.  And lots of articles explaining why carbs aren’t the enemy.  However, some carbs are better for you than others.  That’s the lesson we need to take away from this latest diet craze.

So, we’re not cutting the carbs out.  Ever.  We’re going to eat more fiber rich, complex carbs.  That’s for sure.  Brown rice some back.  Even if I have to splurge on the brown basmati I love so much.  Whole wheat pastas are coming back.  I might even try my hand at oat-sotto again.  It really is nutty delicious.

And OATMEAL!  I haven’t made oatmeal yet.  It’s not really been cold enough and I’ve been stuck on the bagel craze.  But I love me some steel cut oatmeal.  It’s so good and perfect for winter weather.  The bowl of warm, hearty goodness with a little bit of brown sugar and cinnamon.  Or go savory and add some turkey sausage and cheddar.  Yum!

Anyone else getting hungry?  Just me?  Okay…

So, that’s why you’re seeing some rice in the bottom of this salsa chicken burrito bowl.  It’s a staple of many diets around the world.  You cannot do Latin American without rice.  I made mine flavored with some garlic salt and cumin.  I love cumin.  Cumin scented rice is perfect for Latin American cooking and for Indian dishes!  That’s one reason why I love both.

Now, getting back to that 8%.

One of the reasons I plan on being in that 8% is planning.  Planning our meals.  Planning our food and what we’re going to eat every day.  It’s when I don’t plan or forget to stick on the plan where things go awry.

That’s where these healthy make ahead freezer meals come in handy!  You simply pop these in your frozen pantry – because that’s basically what a freezer is, right?  A frozen pantry stocked with healthy, easy to prepare foods?  Pop them in the freezer and you’re good for dinner.

Those meals that go from freezer to oven (or slow cooker, stove top, etc.) to table are lifesavers!  Forget to take meat out to cook for dinner?  No worries!  Take that casserole out and pop it in the oven.  Have some family time while it cooks and you’re ready for dinner in no time!

Planning is how I got healthy before I met the hubs and planning will get us healthy again!  Besides, who doesn’t want to come home to a delicious smelling meal like this one?  Just look at all those flavors in one bowl.  The tender chicken full of salsa flavor, the sharp onions, creamy cheese, and ripe tomatoes all combine into a bowl of delicious goodness.

I bet you’re asking how in the world is this a freezer meal?  Well, you take the chicken, the cream of chicken soup, and the salsa and you freeze that.  When you’re ready to cook, you thaw, cook, and then serve.  You can even freeze the rice beforehand, too.  However, I just prefer to use my rice cooker to have it all ready when I get home from work.

It’s such an easy freezer recipe, too.  You can swap out different types of salsa.  Want something tropical?  Then try a mango salsa.  Green chile salsa is one of my favorites in this recipe.  And chipotle salsa is always a pantry staple at our house.  Or try a chutney!  Now that would be good.

No matter what you put with the chicken, you can easily stock your freezer full of delicious meals for you family to eat.  Your freezer is not just for French fries and pizza rolls.  It’s an extension of your pantry you can stock with healthy meals for your family.  If you’re looking for more ideas, then check out recipes being shared this week.

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Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls

With just a few simple ingredients and just a few minutes you can have a delicious meal in the freezer ready to cook any time. Salsa Chicken Burrito Bowls are not only delicious, but super easy to cook for dinner.

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Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 10.25 ounces cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup salsa

For the burrito bowl:

• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 2 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated sharp, cheddar cheese

Instructions

For the chicken:

1. Combine the chicken breasts, soup, and salsa in a zip top freezer bag or vacuum seal bag. Freezer until ready to cook.

For the burrito bowls:

1. Place the contents of the freezer back in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and cook on low 5 to 7 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Place the chicken back in the slow cooker.
2. Combine the rice with the melted butter, garlic salt, and cumin. Divide evenly between four bowls. Top with shredded chicken, onion, tomatoes, and cheese. Garnish with the sliced avocado and serve.

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Healthy Make Ahead Freezer Meals

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• Chicken Sausage and Rice Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
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