Are you tired of thinking about what you're going to do for lunch every day? Or dinner? Me too. We live in a fast-paced world that lends itself to opting for outside food. But with restaurant prices skyrocketing, it's time to look in our kitchens. Groceries are up too, I know. But if you shop smart and plan ahead you can keep your budget under control and most likely eat healthier too. So for this meal prep suggestion, I'm making rosemary grilled chicken with broccoli and sweet potatoes.
For Easy Meal Prep Go With Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes
For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know I love my dark meat chicken. I also enjoy chicken breast, obviously, but it needs to be marinated or stuffed with things for me to get really into it. The good thing is that white meat chicken is lean and healthy so if you're looking for healthy meal prep for lunches or dinner- this is a great option. I love pairing chicken and rosemary since it is one of my favorite herbs. The marinade for this one comes together quickly, and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Yay!
Meal Prep: Planning Ahead Has Never Been Easier
So you want to plan ahead, do you? There are a couple of different ways you can do this.
- First, always cook with leftovers in mind. I do this frequently. I simply make more than I need for any given meal. You’re already in the kitchen cooking a meal. Why not make a bit more than you need? The leftovers go in containers and are eaten for lunches for a day or two.
- Second, you can approach meal prep by making specific meals just for lunches. Simply pack them into cute little containers that make you feel oh-so organized and efficient. I recently purchased four bento-box style meal prep containers. They each fit into their own zippable carry bag and I love them! But really, any container will do!
Benefits of Meal Prep:
- No more spending your hard-earned money on take-out food. The prices are getting so high it’s really not affordable to do this too often.
- Preparing food in your own kitchen means you know exactly what’s going in your food.
- If you are working from home, you don’t have to stop and make something new for lunch. Simply reheat your already-prepared food. This gives you more time to relax and really enjoy your break!
Now go forth and meal prep!
Healthy Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes
This one couldn't be easier to make, plus it's light and healthy!
Looking for More Meal Prep & Leftovers for Lunches Ideas? No Problem!
- BBQ Chicken Thighs w/Asparagus & Baked Potato
- Garam Masala Chicken Tenders w/Garlic Boy Choy and Squash
- Easy Chicken Tikka Masala (one of my favorite make-ahead lunches)
- Comfort Food: Shepherd's Pie
- Cardamom Chicken Thighs w/Coconut Raisin Rice
- The Best Grilled Chicken and Marinated Tomatoes
- Coconut Tofu w/Crushed Pineapple & Broccolini
- One-Pan Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions
MEAL PREP: Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Description
Marinated grilled chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. Meal prep: for people with busy lives who like to plan ahead.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half
- 1 medium head of broccoli, chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, cut in rounds
- olive oil, as needed
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the marinade
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
TOTAL TIME DOES NOT INCLUDE MARINADE TIME
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch my video with all the step-by-step instructions for this recipe!
- Start by making the marinade. Thinly slice the garlic clove and add to large bowl. Pull rosemary from stems and finely chop then add to bowl. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, pepper and salt.
- Whisk ingredients together until well combined. Set aside. If you don’t have red wine vinegar – white vinegar and balsamic vinegar work too!
- Trim fat from around the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise to make four pieces of chicken total.
- Cover chicken in plastic wrap and pound with mallet, rolling pin or a pan. We’re looking for uniformity in shape so focus on getting the thicker end of chicken flattened down so the chicken will cook evenly. We don’t want these too thin – just uniform in thickness.
- Once finished, season both sides with a dusting of salt and pepper. Let it sit for a few minutes.
- Add chicken to marinade bowl and fully coat all pieces, give it a forking, add additional sprigs of rosemary if you like. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate three hours to overnight. I usually go overnight with it.
- Once chicken is fully marinated, start your other prep. Slice the sweet potato into ½” rounds. Transfer to sheet pan, add olive oil and toss pieces to coat. Season with salt and pepper on top side only. Cook in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Add water to a pot along with a steamer insert. Water should just barely reach the bottom of steamer insert. Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Cook on high heat – COVERED – for about 10 minutes or until your preferred tenderness.
- I used a cast iron grill skillet to cook the chicken. I heated the skillet on medium-to-high heat for about 5 minutes before I brushed some olive oil onto it. Let the oil heat another minute then add the marinated chicken. Then don’t touch it. I mean it. Just let it cook. At the 5-6 minute mark, turn the chicken and you will have beautiful grill marks. Let the chicken cook another 3-4 minutes then transfer to a plate or small sheet pan.
- By this time the sweet potatoes and broccoli will also be finished. Now it’s time to assemble your bento boxes! You don’t have to use bento boxes, but I recently purchased mine and I love them! Technically, any container will do. Divide the portions to four containers and you’re done!
- SEE NOTES FOR OTHER COOKING METHODS
Equipment
Bento Boxes (can hold soup too!)
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Lodge Cast Iron Ribbed Skillet (square)
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Steamer Insert, Stainless Steel
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Kitchen Mallet (Meat Tenderizer)
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- SEARING IN PAN: If you are searing chicken in a pan, heat pan on medium-to-high heat for minute or two, add olive oil let heat for a minute. Add chicken and let it cook for five minutes without touching it. We want it to get a little crust/sear on each side so leave it alone until it’s time to turn. Cook another 3-4 minutes on other side.
- BROILING IN OVEN: Place rack on highest level under broiler. Turn broiler on high. Place chicken on a sheet pan and cook under broiler about 5 minutes before turning. Ovens are all different. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. If you have a psycho broiler that is too hot, move the rack down one level. Mine is only sometimes psycho so just mentioning it.
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