Dinner in 30 minutes or less!

Sounds promising right?!?! I don’t know about you – but in my world, all dinners would be prepared in under 30 minutes. Once I start heading towards the kitchen my kids start that “need for a snack” request train and the last thing I want to do is give in to snacks to keep them happy while I’m cooking! I use my crockpot A LOT especially in the colder months, but you can only have so many crockpot meals! So in turn, I also use my freezer A LOT!!!! And I do A LOT of prep work early in the week so I can quickly make a delicious dinner later on!

 I started doing Wildtree freezer parties with my friends and I LOVE them! Sure any type of “Moms Night Out” is fun but with these parties not only do you get a night out you come home with a stockpile of fresh and healthy meals for your family all ready to be frozen and pulled out for a quick convenient meal during the week!!! One thing I’ve learned is although these parties come with a pre-made menu and suggested sides – I make them my own so they fit my lifestyle! I’ve found greek yogurt is a great substitute for any sort of cream cheese, sour cream or cream of whatever soup you traditionally would use!!! The seasonings are all organic and non GMO which makes for a healthy mama!!! On to tonight’s 30 minute dinner…

Rosemary Chicken and Colorful Quinoa

 

A few weeks ago I had prepared two freezer bags – you could do this the night before and put in the fridge or weeks before to freeze and use when ready. By all means you could even do this the day of…but personally I rarely have that much time all in one day! Like I said…this is a  30 minute meal!

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

 

• Chicken and Veggie Prepared Freezer Bags* – see below for instructions

• 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa

• 2 cups Fresh Spinach

• Avocado (optional)

• Crumbled Feta (optional)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

 

1. The night before: prep chicken and veggies or pull freezer bags out of freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge for approximately 24 hours. This is why meal planning is SOOO important…this was already done, no need to try to “quickly” thaw.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp garlic grapeseed oil or olive oil.

3. Remove chicken from marinade, cook through in pan, turning once.

4. There are two options with the quinoa. 1) While chicken is cooking, prepare quinoa** according to package instructions – OR – 2) Take pre-cooked quinoa out of the fridge. I like to cook a big batch of quinoa at the start of the week and then use for multiple recipes later in the week. It makes for a great carb to include with lunch, a topping on a salad or even in a wrap!

5. When chicken has cooked through, remove from pan and add precut veggies. (Be sure to drain any liquid from the veggies if prepared as a freezer meal.) Season veggies with salt and pepper, if desired, and sauté until cooked. Add cooked quinoa to veggies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When cooled slightly, add fresh spinach. Top with sliced chicken and garnish with avocado and/or feta crumbles, if desired.

 

And there you have it!  We had company and  this meal made enough for 4 adults and one (very hungry) toddler and we had enough for leftovers for one more dinner! Since I had prepped everything previously and the meal just needed cooked – I was able to have dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes exactly! It tasted fresh, was full of flavor and was something DIFFERENT from our normal weeknight meals! This was definitely one we’ll be repeating in the future!

Night 1:

 

Night 2: (I preferred the salad – great way to fill up on those greens for the 21-day fixers!!!)

The freezer bags:

* Bag 1 – Chicken

2 lb chicken breast (thin sliced, butterfly style)
1/2 cup Wildtree Rosemary Garlic Dressing

Bag 2 – Veggies

• 2 zucchini/squash diced 
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tablespoon Wildtree Garlic Grapeseed Oil (could use Olive Oil and Fresh Garlic to taste)

** The recipe called for orzo but I chose to swap out quinoa for a healthier, higher protein option!

I used to struggle with meal planning and coming up with new and healthy ideas my entire family could enjoy! If you’re anything like me and you succeed when part of a group atmosphere join my upcoming Clean Eating Challenge group! We’ll share ideas, tips and motivation to come up with a plan that suits YOU and YOUR family! Just fill out the application for a spot!!!