As the summer starts to wind down, fall is just around the corner.  That means less barbecuing and more time in the kitchen with the oven and Crock Pots.  That also means kids are going back to school and time is precious between getting home and bed time.  Learning to balance your time in the kitchen to work around busy scheduling can be tricky but it doesn’t need to be hard or stressful.

Food prep is incredibly important when you’re in a time crunch.  Figuring out which gadgets you need in the kitchen can be vital.  I personally have a serious problem and seem to think I need them all!  I have a large collection of kitchen appliances and gadgets that will assist in all sorts of different recipes.  (I had to buy myself a bookshelf for storage because I ran out of room in my cupboards.)  The essential kitchen gadget for this dinner (and I HIGHLY recommend it for mass food prep) would be a mandolin.  This handy dandy gadget can slice and julienne veggies and potatoes in no time at all.

This dinner can be sliced up and thrown together, giving you more time to relax at the end of a long day.  You can take the time to play with your dog, hang out with your kids, or just simply check out for a bit in front of the TV.  Once it’s all cut up, all you have to do is throw it all in a tin foil pack.  *Fun tip: this is a great way to cook when you’re camping.  You can just set them in the coals to cook or lay them on top of a grate if you have one!*

There is no need to make a mess of a baking pan and it’s incredibly easy to clean up.  This is also a fun dinner to get the kids involved with.  They can pick and choose what goes in their foil pack if they’re picky!  The method of cooking is extremely versatile and has endless possibilities.  This can easily be mass produced on your food prep day and you’d have foil packs for lunches.  They would also be nice to have on an incredibly busy night when you just don’t have the time to stand in the kitchen for an hour.

The combination of the potatoes and veggies tossed in olive oil is a perfect balance.  You get the healthy fat but it’s still a lighter dish because you aren’t putting too much of any one thing inside.  The chicken topped with rosemary is the perfect star of the dish.  The steaming process really brings out the flavor of the rosemary more than if it were just baked.

Prep Time: 10 mins // Cook Time: 35 mins // Makes 4 servings

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Onion (sliced thin)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (sliced thin)
• 1 Large Red Potato (julienned)
• ¼ lb. Fresh Green Beans
• 1 tsp. Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Rosemary – to taste

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.  Tear off 4 pieces of tin foil about 12” long.  Spray them with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cut up the potatoes and veggies.  Put them in a bowl together and drizzle with the olive oil.  Mix well.
3. Trim the chicken and slice lengthwise to create 4 thinner chicken breasts.
4. Start assembling the foil packs.  Lay down the potatoes, then the onion and bell pepper, and then the green beans.  Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic.
5. Lay the chicken on top of the pile and season with all of the spices to taste.
6. Put the two ends of the foil together and roll tight to close but leave a little room for steaming.  Then close both sides by using the same method of rolling or folding.
7. Set directly on the oven rack and cook for 35 minutes.  Once done, pull out and eat right out of the foil to save some dishes!