A lot of people are doing meal prep this time of year, whether it’s for budgetary reasons, health reasons, or perhaps you just want to improve your time management and organization skills.
I write this blog post simply to remind you that meal preparation doesn’t have to be difficult. This dish Apronese believes that people follow very easily and quickly.
Of course, you can modify it to suit your local taste or your family’s own taste.
Don’t hesitate any longer, do it now.
Meal Preparation Formula
The easiest way to meal prep is to use a simple formula and just plug ingredients into the formula. So for this meal prep, I used the protein + veg + veg formula.
Sometimes I do a protein + veg + grain. Either way, I keep the cooking method and seasonings simple to reduce effort.
There is a third formula I occasionally experiment with, which I think is a little more complicated, but I think it’s worth exploring.
It involves mixing a refrigerator salad with a protein, which is a little more involved, in my opinion, since salads do take a bit more prep work than simple roasted vegetables.
Options for Other Vegetables
In addition to being a great way to prepare meals for the week, one of the reasons I love this meal prep is the fact that it is so customizable.
If you are not a fan of the vegetables I used, then you can replace them with just about anything. Here are some things you can do:
- Roasted mushrooms
- Roasted squash
- Roasted potatoes
- Steamed or roasted broccoli
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted Asparagus
- Steamed green beans
- Lemon pepper zucchini
- Steamed or roasted carrots
Seasonings Should Be Kept Simple
To make this meal prep fast and easy, it’s important not to overthink the seasonings. This is one time where I usually use premade seasoning blends heavily. Instead of pulling out ten different bottles of herbs and spices, I only want to sprinkle a little bit of something and that.
You can use steak seasoning, cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, chili seasoning, za’atar, curry powder, garlic herb seasoning, lemon pepper, or Greek seasoning as seasoning options.
Usually, I use a heavy hand when seasoning the proteins, whereas the seasonings for the vegetables are quite simple (salt, pepper, maybe garlic powder) so that they don’t make too much of a fuss.
Bulk it Up
The addition of grains is a great way to add bulk to this meal without having to add way too much to the cost of the meal.
You may choose to add rice, quinoa, bulgur, farro, or barley to make this meal a bit more filling, and you may cook them in broth instead of water for a more flavorful result.
Meal Prep with Chicken and Vegetables
Whether you are preparing a meal for the family or preparing a meal ahead of time for your lunches, this simple chicken and vegetable meal prep is a great way to save money and time.
Author: Beth
Prep Time: 15 mins/ Cook Time: 30 mins/ Total Time 50 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts ($1.99)
- 1.25 lbs sweet potato ($1.25)
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided ($0.12)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 1.3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($6.79)
- 2 tsp steak seasoning ($0.20)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.10)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rinse the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Wash the sweet potato then slice it in half lengthwise. Prick the outside surface with a fork. Rub 1 Tbsp oil over all surfaces of the sweet potato. Place the sweet potato, cut sides down, on the baking sheet with the Brussels sprouts.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir the Brussels sprouts, then return the baking sheet to the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts have reached your desired level of browning. If the sweet potato is not softened all the way through at this point, just remove the sprouts and return the sweet potato to the oven.
- While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the chicken breast. Combine the steak seasoning, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika in a bowl. Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning mixture.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts.
- Cook the chicken breasts, without flipping, for about 8 minutes, or until well browned on the bottom. Flip the breasts and cook on the second side until well browned and cooked through (internal temperature 165ºF). Cooking time will vary with the thickness of the chicken.
- Transfer the cooked chicken breast to a clean cutting board to rest for five minutes before slicing.
- Cut the sweet potato halves in half once again to create four portions. Divide the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and sliced chicken between four containers. Add a pat of butter to each piece of sweet potato. Refrigerate up to four days.
*I had one very large sweet potato and used ¼ of the potato per portion. You could also use two smaller sweet potatoes and use ½ of each per meal prep.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 serving ・ Calories: 461 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 40 g ・ Protein: 38 g ・ Fat: 18 g ・ Sodium: 448 mg ・ Fiber: 9 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Equipment
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Meal Prep with Chicken and Vegetables – Step by Step Photos
The oven needs to be preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse one pound of Brussels sprouts and slice them in half diagonally.
Place the Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper, tossing to coat all sides.
You need to first wash a sweet potato (or two) and slice it in half lengthwise. Try to prick the outer skin with a fork-pricker.
Apply a generous amount of cooking oil to all surfaces of the sweet potato. Place the sweet potato on the baking sheet with the Brussels sprouts, cut side down.
When you have roasted the vegetables for 20 minutes, stir them into the Brussels sprouts and place everything back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are cooked to your liking.
In the event that the sweet potatoes are not completely softened, you can simply remove the Brussels from the sweet potato and place it back in the oven until it is.
In the meantime, prepare the chicken. Lay out two boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a baking sheet along with 1/2 cup of smoked paprika, 1/2 cup of sweet paprika, and 1/2 tablespoons steak seasoning.
Meanwhile, place the vegetables in the oven and place the chicken in the oven.
Using a large skillet, warm 1 Tbsp of cooking oil on the stovetop at a medium temperature.
The chicken breasts should be added to the skillet or oil once they are hot.
Approximately 8 minutes after you start cooking the chicken breasts, flip them over and cook until they are well browned on the bottom.
Flip them over, and continue cooking until they are well browned and cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees).
Once the chicken breast has been transferred to a clean cutting board, let it rest for five minutes before slicing it with a sharp knife.
Using a meal prep container, divide the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and chicken between four containers. Brush each sweet potato with butter and refrigerate up to four days before serving.
Well, that’s it, a delicious vegetable and chicken dish for your family to change their taste. A dish that Apronese believes many people will like and be addicted to.
Remember to share how you cook and your enjoyable experience with more people.
