This chicken recipe is a great option when you don’t have time to fuss over dinner preparations. I believe in all-natural ingredients that are preservative-free. I find it impossible to purchase lunch meat that’s additive-free. So, I’ve started cooking my own meats to use for lunch the next day.
This chicken recipe is actually two recipes! One tray is for dinner and the other tray is for lunches over the next couple days.
The chicken dinner is delicious with pasta & is kid-approved.
This recipe makes 3 adult dinner portions (or two adults and a few little kids). And, plenty of chicken lunches. I used 2, 7 x 11″ trays.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Dinner Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Jar tomato sauce (350g), I use tomato & basil – you could make a sauce from scratch but if you are going for the 5-minute prep time, use a jar!
3 Mushrooms, sliced
4 Cherry Tomatos, sliced
Salt, Pepper, Parsley
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Lunch Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Lemon, sliced. The other 1/2 is for squeezing.
1/2 Stock cube mixed with boiled water
Salt, Pepper, Dried Sage & Basil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350f / 180c Fan oven.
2. Start boiling water if you are making pasta.
3. Slice all 6 chicken breasts lengthways so you have long, thin slices of chicken.
4. Layer the slices from 3 breasts into one tray and the slices from the other 3 breasts into a second tray.
5. For the dinner tray:
– Season the chicken with salt, pepper, & parsley.
– Place the mushroom & tomato slices over the chicken.
– Pour the jar of sauce over the chicken.
6. For the lunch tray:
– Generously season the chicken with salt, pepper, sage & basil.
– Layer the lemon slices on top, and squeeze the other half of the lemon all over the chicken.
– Pour the stock over so it just covers the chicken.
7. Cover both trays with aluminum foil & place them in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the dinner tray, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and return it to the oven uncovered for another ten minutes. Note: The total cook time for both trays is 30 minutes. The lunch tray remains covered for the entire cook time.
8. Remove both trays after 30 minutes of cooking.
9. Serve the chicken dinner with side dishes of your choice! The day I made this recipe I was in such a rush so we had quick veg and pasta. It went down a treat.
10. Let the lunch chicken cool and store it in the fridge. I take it out of the juices and keep it in a Tupperware container. It’s delicious cut into thin slices on a sandwich or with salad.
If you have more time to spend on prep, try my Ultimate Chicken Bake,it’s also kid approved!
