Favorite Weeknight Meals

Here we are, half way through April, with less than two months of the school year to go. Of course, it feels like the year has flown by, and at the same time, I'm like the kid in the back seat on a road trip going "is it over yet??" Anyone else with me??

Of course our busy schedule doesn't help... Lily Claire- choir & band Mondy, Choir Tuesday, Band Wednesday, Orthodontist Thursdays... Ella, gymnastics Monday and Track Tuesdays. Plus, we've had non-stop colds and Camille is on her THIRD ear infection in a month! I'm currently waiting on the ENT to call with a consult for tubes.

So, I don't know about you, but I could use all the help I can get with planning quick, healthy meals for the family. If you follow me on Instagram @lilyseclaires, I frequently feature recipes on my stories. But, I thought, for convenience sake, I'd just post a few favorites in one place to give you inspiration. I hope these make meal planning a little easier for you this week!

French Dip Sliders

Ingredients:

1 pkg of hawaiian sweet dinner rolls
thinly sliced deli roast beef
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 sweet onion thinly sliced
6 tbs of butter divided
1 tbs ppoppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Instructions:
Sautee thinly sliced onion in 2 tbs of butter over medium heat until caramelized. This takes about 10 minutes, but while they are cooking you can start prepping the bread and other ingredients.

Remove the rolls from the package and slice completely in half with a serrated knife while still stuck together. You should have one half with bottoms and one half with tops. Place bottom half of rolls in a buttered or sprayed baking dish. Add a layer of thinly sliced roast beef and a layer of cheese. When the onions are done spread them over the layer of cheese and top with another layer of roast beef. Place the top half of rolls. In an oven safe bowl melt 4tbs of butter for 30 seconds, then add worcestershire sauce and seasonings and stir well. Pour butter sauce over the top of the rolls and then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes uncovered.

Sesame Chicken

1 large egg
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken leg/thigh portions
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
Ingredients for the Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1½ Tbsp brown sugar
1½ Tbsp rice vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Instructions for the Chicken:
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tbsp cornstarch.. Trim any excess fat from the chicken leg/thighs, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture.
Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil over very high heat. When the oil is very hot (it should look wavy on the surface), add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring only occasionally, until it is golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes). Drain off the excess oil, if desired. (If you double this recipe you may want to brown the chicken in batches so it all gets golden brown instead of just steaming.)
Instructions for the Sauce:
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds.
Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce. The sauce will begin to thicken as soon as it hits the hot skillet. Once the chicken is coated and the sauce thickened, turn off the heat.
Serve the chicken over a bed of rice and sprinkle the sliced green onions over top.

Broccolini & Sausage Penne

Ingredients:
1 bunch of broccolini
1 lb. penne or pasta of choice
olive oil
garlic sliced thinly (use as much as you like, I use a lot!)
red pepper flake
reserved pasta cooking water
1 pkg of cooked turkey sausage with artichoke & spinach (or any protein you like!)

Directions:
Cook the pasta just shy of al dente and reserve a mug full of the cooking water.  While pasta is cooking, in a heavy bottomed skillet, I always use cast iron, heat olive oil on medium heat and add garlic and pepper flake. Make sure it doesn't burn, just toasts lightly and turns golden.  When the pasta is done, drain, but don't toss out the water, and add to the garlic. Add the broccolini to the boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes, then drain and add to the skillet with pasta and garlic.  If needed add a little of your reserved cooking water to make a lose sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and more pepper if desired. Remove from heat and serve with parmesan or cheese of choice.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients:

4 regular sized chicken breast portions or 8-10 breast tenders
1 can of artichoke hearts drained and patted as dry as you can get them
1 can of pitted green olives
1 small can of black or kalamata olives pitted
1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into large strips
2 red potatoes sliced 1/2" thick
1/2 a red onion cut into thick slices
olive oil
fresh thyme
salt & pepper
granulated garlic
balsamic glaze (bought at Trader Joe's) (you don't need this but it makes it pretty and give it extra flavor)
fresh basil for garnish

Directions:
Spray a large sheet pan with non-stick spray and pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, place on a plate and season with salt, pepper, garlic and a little olive oil.  Place potatoes, peppers and onion on the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Toss until everything is evenly coated.  Sprinkle with the fresh thyme.  Place the chicken on the pan and put in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes add the artichokes and olives and place back in oven for 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before drizzling with glaze and garnishing with basil. Enjoy!