It’s me again. I’ve been pretty inconsistent with posting my recipes to this lil blog, and I apologize! I’ve gotten into the habit of posting simplified instructions on my instagram at least, but I vow to make sure I’m updating at least once a week on here for easier access as well. Recently, I’ve been focusing more on simple dishes and sides that I can whip up in bigger batches to have throughout the week. Meal planning is a real thing people, and a life-saver, too. Minimal brain power, but yummy food? Sign me up. Because the last thing I want to do after coming home from a day of work is come up with a creative meal with what I’ve got in the fridge…well, SOMETIMES I do like that š
So, this will be the first of a small “mini series” of posts that feature some of my favorite simple and easy go-to sides or dishes that often pop up in my meals on instagram time and time again. Whether it’s a meat, fish, or veggie, I have a few staples that I mix and match together to keep my tastebuds happy, but still on their toes (or buds, or nerves, or…whatever).
One of my favorite foods to prepare in batches for the week is just a simple baked chicken breast. It’s actually pretty fool proof. Bake up a couple breasts, store in the fridge, eat for a week! They are great for salad toppings, sandwich fillings, or even eating plain with a side of roasted veggies. I’ve recently come to realize that I actually like eating my chicken cold as opposed to hot – not sure if that’s due to the heat that the summer is bringing, or if it’s just a random preference of the moment sorta thing. Regardless, I’ve been preparing my chicken this way for the last 3 months, and it keeps me coming back every time!
Since I do tend to rotate this chicken in and out of multiple dishes throughout the week, I like to keep the spices and flavorings pretty basic so that the chicken can go well with multiple “cuisines”, if you will. That being said, if you prefer one or two seasonings over another, feel free to sub in those that you eat and enjoy more frequently!
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
- ground pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- ground cumin, to taste
- Preheat oven to 425*F, and line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Season thawed chicken breasts with ground pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin to desired taste.
- Once oven is preheated, place chicken breasts on aluminum foil and allow to bake for 30 minutes, or until juices run clear and temperature is 145*F.
- Allow to cool before storing in air tight container in fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Adjust number of chicken breasts to your desire. I usually make enough for about 3-4 different meals, and the number of breasts needed depends on how big they are!
- I like to store them in the fridge "whole", and then cut them up when they are cold. The cut is a lot cleaner and looks pretty legit and Panera-worthy.
