Meal Planning- The EASIEST and most delicious baked chicken ever (courtesy of my SIL!)

I am going to include the baked chicken recipe and also the recipes for the two EASY sides I always make with this meal: sautéed spinach and yummy rice (wish I could come up with a better name, but it is yummy!)

I can't take credit for this delicious and easy baked chicken recipe.  My sister-in-law, Stephanie, made it up, and it is one of our favorites. (I got her permission to share it on my blog!)  It was included in a cookbook my Aunt Lauren made for me as an engagement gift, that is compiled of recipes from friends and family (side note: this priceless cookbook is one of my favorite gifts EVER!  I love looking through it and making recipes from all my favorite people!)  So here is this simple recipe that you will LOVE:

From the Store:

2 chicken breasts with ribs and skin (I LOVE the Publix Greenwise split breasts w/ribs)

olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

That is ALL...and you probably have 3 of the 4 ingredients in your kitchen already.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Wash the chicken breasts and place in a medium sized casserole dish.

2. Pour olive oil on top of chicken breasts (I always hate when recipes don't give amounts, but you really can't mess it up.) 

3. Add kosher salt and pepper.

4. Place chicken breasts (uncovered) in oven and bake at 375 for an hour. (Cooking time can vary....these are usually large chicken breasts so can sometimes take longer.  I take them out at an hour and cut open, and if they aren't done, I add 5-10 minutes.)

5. ENJOY!  This is seriously my favorite way to make chicken.  

Sauteed Spinach

My mother-in-law made spinach this way one time when she was visiting, and I have made it weekly since.  It is SO easy and a great way to get your greens.

From the Store:

1 bag of spinach

grape tomatoes

salt

pepper

1. Heat a large pan on medium to high heat.

2. Wash the grape tomatoes and slice them in half (I use the brand with Elmo on the sticker, because Cole always spots them...Once he even opened them and poured them out in the store, because he thought they were "Elmo Balls."  That was fun!)

I only use about half of the tomatoes, but this is a personal preference.  

3. Pour olive oil into bottom of the pan and add the tomatoes. 

4. Next, pour the bag of spinach into the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and add salt and pepper.

5. Stir the spinach and add a little more salt and pepper.  (The whole process should only take about 5 minutes.)

6. ENJOY!

Yummy Rice:

I got this rice recipe from my best friend, Katie.  She used to make it all the time when I lived with her.  I am waiting to find out where she got it so I can give credit.  I think there are a lot of versions of this recipe out there, so here is how I make it.

From the Store:

2 cans beef consomme

1 onion

1 cup of original condensed rice

sliced mushrooms (optional- I almost always make it with mushrooms, but yesterday they didn't look good at the store, so this time I didn't include them)

butter/soy sauce (to sauté the mushrooms)

1. Chop the onion. (Or you can use a can of french onion soup!  If you do that, only use 1.5 cans of the beef consomme.)

2. Add the rice, onion, and beef consomme to a large pan.

3. Bring to a boil, uncovered.

4. OPTIONAL- saute mushrooms in butter/a small amount of soy sauce while you're bringing the rice to a boil.  Add to mixture.

5.  Cover rice and leave on low heat. It takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your burner is.  I think it tastes better if you cook it longer on lower heat.

6. Stir occasionally. 

7. Enjoy!  You will know it is done when the liquid is soaked up.  Make sure not to leave it too long, because the rice will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.

This is what the meal looks like all together.  I also like to dip my rice and chicken in ranch (because I like to dip everything in ranch!)  Cooking timing tip: I typically start the rice right after I put the chicken in the oven.  Once the rice is ready, I put it in a dish with the lid and make the spinach.  Usually by the time the spinach is done, the chicken is ready!  ENJOY!!!

Recipe Card: Baked Chicken.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Wash the chicken breasts and place in a medium sized casserole dish.

2. Pour olive oil on top of chicken breasts (I always hate when recipes don't give amounts, but you really can't mess it up.) 

3. Add kosher salt and pepper.

4. Place chicken breasts (uncovered) in oven and bake at 375 for an hour. (Cooking time can vary....these are usually large chicken breasts so can sometimes take longer.  I take them out at an hour and cut open, and if they aren't done, I add 5-10 minutes.)

5. ENJOY!  This is seriously my favorite way to make chicken.

Recipe Card- Sauteed Spinach.

1. Heat a large pan on medium to high heat.

2. Wash the grape tomatoes and slice them in half.
3. Pour olive oil into bottom of the pan and add the tomatoes.
4. Next, pour the bag of spinach into the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and add salt and pepper.
5. Stir the spinach and add a little more salt and pepper.  (The whole process should only take about 5 minutes.)
6. ENJOY

Recipe Card: Yummy Rice
1. Chop the onion.
2. Add the rice, onion, and beef consomme to a large pan.

3. Bring to a boil, uncovered.

4. OPTIONAL- saute mushrooms in butter/a small amount of soy sauce while you're bringing the rice to a boil.  Add to mixture.

5.  Cover rice and leave on low heat. It takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your burner is.  I think it tastes better if you cook it longer on lower heat.
6. Stir occasionally.
7. Enjoy!  You will know it is done when the liquid is soaked up.  Make sure not to leave it too long, because the rice will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.