Week 32 Healthy Meal with Healthy Leftovers Idea

Healthy food of the week: Baked Chicken and Rice

Healthy leftover idea: Chicken Melt Sandwich

Here’s a meal that can basically be made in a skillet inside the oven, making the whole thing so convenient. Aside from the minor prep work you need to do, for the most part once everything is placed inside the oven and the timer is set, you don’t need to do anything other than sit back and wait for it to go off. Plus, with the leftover food idea below, you can make these convenient Chicken Melt Sandwiches that, when combined with a piece of fruit and a bottle of water, will have a lunch that adds up to just 400 calories. That’s far superior to a fast food meal that often tops the 1200+ calorie mark, so this is a huge step forward in the right nutritional direction.

necessary equipment

– Oven-safe pan with lid (or foil)
– skillet
– vegetable pot

preparation time

– 15 minutes

Time to cook

– 40 minutes

Ingredients

(6-8 servings)

– 8-10 pieces of boneless chicken breasts
– 2 cups of rice
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 2 cans of mixed vegetables (or another of your choice)
– seasonings: pinches of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper
– 3 bay leaves

For chicken melt sandwiches

– healthy wholemeal bread
– butter
– low-fat cheese
– spatula

Addresses

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Open the package of chicken and rinse each piece under cold water in the sink. Put all the pieces on a plate in a dish where they will marinate.

two. Using two forks, repeatedly pierce each piece of chicken on both sides to help the seasonings really penetrate the meat. Sprinkle all the seasonings over the chicken pieces and continue using the forks to pierce the chicken pieces and push those tasty seasonings into them.

3. In a skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and allow each side to brown lightly, usually 3-4 minutes per side. Once finished, remove the chicken pieces from the pan and place them on a plate.

Four. Using the same skillet over medium heat, leaving any excess oil from the chicken in the skillet, add the two cups of rice and stir for a couple of minutes to allow it to “brown” then remove from heat.

5. Add rice to the pan you plan to use to bake everything in your oven, then add 4 cups of hot water, 3-5 drops of seasoned salt, and 3 bay leaves. Give everything a good stir, then drop the browned chicken pieces directly into the liquid and tightly cover the skillet with the oven-safe lid or a piece of aluminum foil. Place inside your oven and set the kitchen timer for 40 minutes.

6. When there are about 15 minutes left on the timer, you can open your canned vegetables and add to a pot on the stovetop, medium-low heat. Those should only take 10-12 minutes to heat up.

7. When the kitchen timer goes off, carefully remove the pan from the oven and everything should be ready to go. Serve proper portions, and don’t forget to save a piece or two of chicken for leftover sandwich melts if you plan on making them later. Don’t forget your big glass of water with this healthy meal and you’ll get around 400 calories.

Healthy Leftover Idea: Chicken Melt Sandwiches

Here’s an easy way to make a travel lunch that, when paired with a piece of fruit and a bottle of water, will fill you up and only weigh in at a total of about 450 calories. All you have to do is take one of the chicken pieces and carefully slice it down the middle so you end up with two large, thin slices. In other words, from each piece of chicken you can make two sandwiches.

Then, using a knife, spread a little butter on one side of the bread and then place it in a skillet over medium heat. Then add some grated cheese, some rice if you like, the chicken piece, then top with some more cheese. Finally add the top piece of bread buttered side up this time.

After a couple of minutes of cooking, carefully lift one side with a spatula to check the color of the bread. If it’s slightly brown (or to your liking), carefully flip it over to the other side. One tip when flipping these sandwiches is to use your other hand or fingers on the top slice (cold side) to help keep everything compressed so it doesn’t fall apart. Let it cook for a few minutes on this side and then it should be all set. Remove from heat and you can cut in half if you like. Wrap it in a piece of foil and put it in your fridge until you need it for lunch the next day.

Combine with a piece of fruit and a bottle of water and voila, a healthy lunch far superior to a fast food combo.

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Category: Home Kitchen