I need to be honest – I love cooking for my family, but not always a huge fan of cooking dinner every night. If your family is anything like my family, then you have a lot going on. School, sports, after-school activities, work, all kinds of things that fill up the spaces on our calendars. It can seem like the only way to feed them dinner is to grab something from a drive-thru or get take-out.
While convenient, these are not the healthiest options. It is a priority for me to feed my family foods that they will eat and that I feel good about feeding them. Instead of having to rely on delivery, I have come up with a few ways to get a healthy dinner on the table every night of the week.
1. I don’t always meal plan, but I always have a plan. What does that even mean? Well, I have a rough idea of what we are going to eat throughout the week, but I am not tied to it. I take inventory in the beginning of the week of what is in my fridge and freezer and plan around that. I fill in as needed, and make changes according to what is going on during the week.
2. I take some time (when I have the time) to get ahead. I like to take an hour or two on the weekend to get organized and prep what I can. I clean the produce, cut chicken into cubes if I am making a stir-fry or pasta dish, cook some brown rice and get ready for the coming week.
3. If I roast one chicken, I always roast two. It is the same exact amount of work, and I get two meals out of it. I will serve a roast chicken one night and then make an entirely different dinner with the other chicken. I do this with as many things that I can. Roast vegetables, turkey breast, meatballs, anything that can be made more than one way. It saves a ton of time.
4. Rethink the idea of dinner. A simple turkey sandwich with some fruit can be a really healthy dinner. A bowl of oatmeal. Toast with avocado and sea salt. Dinner doesn’t have to be elaborate or involved to be called dinner.
5. Keep a few things in the freezer for emergencies (AKA any random Wednesday night). I like to keep some soup, a baked pasta dish, or pizza pockets in the freezer so that I can pull it out, bake it off, and serve dinner with minimal effort on my part.
My BBQ Chicken Pizza Pockets are ideal for a busy weeknight. I throw some whole wheat pizza dough ingredients into my bread maker and it does all of the work for me. I almost always double this, and eat one the day that I make it, and freeze the other half. I shred some chicken, toss in a few extra ingredients and seal them. After baking, cool the pockets completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then add to a plastic freezer bag. When ready to reheat, either thaw in the fridge in the morning and bake as directed, or bake from frozen adding additional bake time.
This recipe is a springboard, you can fill them with anything you like. A great way to use leftovers, or produce that has seen better days.
BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA POCKETS
1 whole wheat pizza dough ball (my favorite recipe below) or 2 lbs. Store-bought dough
1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1. Divide the pizza dough into six pieces. Roll out on a floured board.
2. Mix the BBQ sauce and shredded chicken until combined.
3. Add chicken, red pepper, green onion, and cilantro to one half of the pizza dough. Top with cheese.
4. Lay the top half of the dough over and press shut. Twist the dough or press with a fork to create a tight seal.
5. Add the pizza pockets to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with extra shredded cheese if you like. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
BREAD MACHINE WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH
1 1/3 cup water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Add the ingredients in the order listed to a bread machine. Run on the dough cycle.
*Wheat gluten is used to add stretch to the dough that whole wheat flour does not have. *
About the Author
Bree Hester is the blogger, photographer, and videographer behind BakedBree.com. Baked Bree is a place where you will find great recipes and inspiration for your next family adventure. Follow along with all of her adventures on Instagram @BreeHester