Mom a la Mode’s Meals in Minutes (Recipe and Giveaway!)

As much as this mama is an avid cook and self-proclaimed foodie, there are times when even mom a la mode needs a little help from her friends to get a healthy meal on the table.  And it’s on those nights that I’ve found the following pantry and freezer staples to do the trick:

For the Entire Family:

Mom a la Mode’s Pollo Marinara con Carciofi©
(Chicken Marinara with Artichokes)

Don’t let the fancy Italian name fool you.  This is one of those semi-homemade meals, utilizing — yes, a jarred marinara sauce — that is super healthy, super easy and a breeze to clean up if you decide to bake the chicken in foil. And utilizing only five ingredients?  Winner, winner – chicken dinner!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 jar Giada Marinara Sauce with Artichokes (available exclusively at Target)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Fresh Ground Pepper and Sea Salt for Taste
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cooking Spray for pan

Steps:
Spray roasting pan with Cooking Spray.  Simply slice a package of boneless chicken breast so that you have approximately 3-4 pieces per breast. Arrange in a roasting pan, taking care not to overlap (use two pans if needed.) Smash 2 cloves of garlic and toss into roasting pan.  Sprinkle with sea salt and coarse black pepper and drizzle with EVOO. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending upon the thickness/thinness of your chicken) at 350 – they should be white and opaque.  Pour a jar of the Giada Marinara with Artichokes over the chicken and bake uncovered for another 7-10 minutes so that the sauce is hot and bubbling.

Serve over your choice of starch:
-whole wheat pasta
-brown or white rice
-polenta

For the Kiddies:

Kidfresh Frozen Meals

Perfect for lunch or a super-quick dinner, Kidfresh provides 100% natural ingredients, a full serving of vegetables and superior taste in each and every eco-friendly box.  My son loves Kidfresh’s Wagon Wheels Mac  + Cheese (shhh! Don’t tell him there are pureed carrots inside!), the Muy Cheesey Quesadilla and the Spaghetti Loops Bolognese. And because the portions are a generous size for a toddler appetite, I can attest that the entrees are quite yummy!  You know you can’t go wrong when the company is founded by a daddy who was looking for convenient meal options that are healthy and nutritious for his child, and that Kidfresh works closely with an executive chef and pediatric nutritionist to  develop the meals.  Look for Kidfresh in your local grocer’s freezer aisle or visit their site to find where to buy in your area: www.kidfresh.com

Because Kidfresh knows how hectic back to school time can be, they are giving one lucky mom a la mode reader a week’s worth of free Kidfresh meals. Stock your freezer for those much needed nights off from the stove! Find out how to enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are some of your go-to meals on those busy weeknights?  Have a favorite food blog or site that provides helpful recipes for quick dinners? Share with us below…

oxox

-mom a la mode

{The recipe in this post is an original recipe of Mom a la Mode’s that utilizes a store-bought, jarred sauce product.  Please feel free to share with others, but kindly include credit to Mom a la Mode (http://momalamode.net) if printing, posting via social media, sharing electronically, etc. While I was not compensated monetarily for this post, I did receive complimentary product samples for review purposes from Kidfresh.  As always, all opinions expressed in this post are solely mine.}