Favorite 30 Minute {or Less} Meals

Wow, Vegas was a whirlwind and I have to say, I was definitely ready to come home! It was a fun trip but we tried to do way too much in not enough time. Joel and I always seem to do this when we have a little getaway without Noah. When I go somewhere for the first time (and if I’m not sure I’ll be going back again) I like to see and do everything possible…which translates into a packed vacation that lacks relaxation. After this trip, we vowed to not do that again. But I really can’t make any promises.

Plus, I had a whole airport fiasco that ended up in my being stuck in the Vegas airport for over 7 hours before I finally got to board a flight (and not my original). The flight I was supposed to be on got delayed almost 2 hours because of strong winds in Phoenix which would have meant I would miss my connection and be stuck there overnight. I kept being told that I would make the connection and they had me board then right before leaving the gate they called my name and pulled me off the flight saying that I wouldn’t make the connection…no way, the flight didn’t board until 6:40 and my connection was to take off at 7:20. Sooo, they put me on a direct flight at 8:20. I had to wait a little longer but at least I wouldn’t be stuck somewhere overnight. Once I got to my new gate, I found out it was delayed until 10:10 meaning I wouldn’t get home until 3 a.m. Luckily, my bag made it and I eventually got to my parents around 3:30. I got about 3 hours of sleep before Noah woke up and we had to drive the hour home so that Joel could get to work. It was a rough day to say the least.

I’m sure many of you out there get to the end of the day exhausted and needing to whip up a quick and easy dinner so today I’m sharing some of my favorite 30 minutes (or less) main dishes that I have featured here. Many of these are regular rotations for us during the week.

Veggie Stirfry, Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp, Ultimate Grilled Cheese, Oven Tacos

Stovetop Mac-n-Cheese, Honey Mustard Pork Burgers, Catalina Taco Salad, BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Steak Bites, Sesame Noodles, Buffalo Sloppy Joes, Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

Chicken Bulgogi

I love beef bulgogi (a Korean grilled marinated beef dish). I was introduced to it when I was a teenager by a good family friend. Every year they invited me to camp with them over Labor Day weekend and bulgogi always graced the table. And just to clarify, when I say camp I mean in a cabin, with beds and a shower. I don’t do tent camping. No thanks.

So when I came across this recipe, it brought back memories of our days on the river and nights roasting marshmallows and playing cards. I knew I had to make it even though it wasn’t the beef bulgogi I have had in the past. I was kind of skeptical since it didn’t seem as traditional and I just thought it would be one of the few dishes that I would prefer with beef rather than chicken. Well, I was wrong because it was just as good as the traditional beef version of this dish.

Using chicken thighs made it more flavorful and moist than chicken breast would have but they will certainly work too.

And the best thing about this recipe, my chicken hater husband really loved it and my no-meat eating little dude did too. Total win.

Chicken Bulgogi
recipe from Korean Bapsang

1 pound boneless chicken thigh and/or breast.

Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey (or 1-1/3 more tablespoons brown sugar)
1 tablespoon rice wine (or mirin)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1. Rinse chicken pieces. Trim off excess fat. Cut each of the chicken pieces into small sizes (about 2-inch long and 1-inch wide).

2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator (I marinated it for about 4 hours).

4. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Cook until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes each side. (The sugar and honey in the marinade will burn easily, so watch it carefully and add the reserved marinade by tablespoon when the pan gets dry. You can slightly reduce the heat to avoid burning, if needed).

Crock Pot Cafe Rio Chicken

Crock pot meals are totally where it’s at right now in our humble abode. As I said before, picking up Joel from work every day is totally cramping my cooking style so I have to adjust until a darn space in a parking garage opens up.

The ingredients combine to create a zesty, smokey and slightly spicy chicken that is just perfect in tacos and burritos or atop tostados and salads. Trust me, I have had it in all these forms. I think my favorite was definitely the tostado which is pictured below. I’ll be sharing the recipe for some delicous {crock pot, duh} refried beans that was just perfect to go with this yummy chicken.

I have never been to Cafe Rio so I can’t make a comparision but it was so great that it will become a regular around here. But if I ever get the chance, I will totally be there.

Cafe Rio Chicken
recipe from Mandy’s Recipe Box

2 lbs chicken breasts
1 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 packet ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Mix Italian dressing, garlic, ranch dressing mix, chili powder and cumin in the crock pot. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Shred with a fork and serve.

Chicken Enchilada Soup {Chili’s Copycat}

I love soup. Broccoli cheese, chicken noodle, clam chowder and potato soup are some of my favorites but I also love a good enchilada soup. I will fully admit I don’t like a whole lot of veggies in my soup so I am sometimes leary about ordering enchilada soup. I have never had Chili’s version but my mom has told me it’s delish. After looking at the recipe, I knew most of my household would love it (Joel is a soup hater, boo).

Masa harina, a flour made of ground corn, is used to make tortillas, tamales and other traditional Mexican dishes. In this recipe, it not only lends that traditional enchilada taste to the soup but it also helps thicken it. Masa harina is usually found in the baking aisle by the flour or in the Mexican/ethnic food aisle. I’ve seen it at Wal-Mart so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. But if you can’t find it, or don’t wish to buy it for one recipe (although you could make this delicious dish with it), you could mince up some flour tortillas and they will dissolve into the soup for added flavor and texture.

The Chili’s version does not include corn or black beans but we like them around here and they add more texture and yumminess so I decided to add them. This is a really simple, convenient meal that is quick to throw together so it would be a great option for a busy weeknight or for when you don’t feel like cooking.

This makes a huge amount of soup so I should have halved it, especially considering the whiny boy. I ate it for lunch for a few days and froze the rest in individual portions. I will have to update on how the freezing went once I try some.

Chicken Enchilada Soup {Chili’s Copycat}
recipe from Lindsay’s Lucious

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz). can tomato sauce
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz. cans)
1 cup masa harina (or 6 small corn tortillas, minced)
16 oz. Velveeta, cubed
1 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
1 (22 oz.) bag Tyson roasted and diced chicken, thawed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (optional)
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
Garnishes: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot.

2. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken, corn and black beans. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender).

3. Add the chicken pieces, corn and black beans and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.

Quick Grilled Hunan Chicken

As I’m sure you already know, I am a big fan of Asian food. I made the menu for the next few weeks and about half of it ended up being Asian dishes…oops. But there is so much variety that it never seems like we are eating the same thing which is why I love it so much! So needless to say, there is going to be a lot of Asian food up in here for awhile. Yep, I just said that.

I am not a fan of hoisin sauce so I wasn’t sure how this chicken would go over but I was pleasantly surprised. The peanut butter, soy sauce and oils combined with the hoisin so that it wasn’t overwhelming but complimented it instead. It was a really great, quick weeknight meal. And it was even warm enough to grill it outside. Take that Minnesota!

Quick Grilled Hunan Chicken
recipe from food.com

4 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon hot pepper oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1. Pound chicken breasts to 1/2″ thickness.
2. Mix together hoisin sauce, peanut butter, garlic, and oil; spread over both sides of chicken.

3. Grill or broil chicken 4-5 inches from heat source until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

4. Slice chicken diagonally across the breast and serve on a piece of iceberg lettuce.

5. If you desire, serve with ramen noodles and steamed snow peas, as fast and easy side dishes.

Crispy Chicken Black Bean Tacos

We seriously love us some tacos around here and would probably eat them once a week without complaints. The only way we differ is that I prefer corn tortillas and Joel prefers flour. I usually have each available so that we are both happy but Joel totally jumped on the corn train when I served these.

I usually fry the corn tortillas then fill them but with this recipe, you place the tortilla in the hot oil, fill and fry. They were incredibly crispy and satisfying and though I made them weeks ago, I am still dreaming about them.

This recipe is from Cornerstone Cooking, the cookbook of food blogger Nick of macheesmo.com. I am an avid follower and really enjoy all of the unique, creative recipes he shares on his blog. Make sure you check it out!

Crispy Chicken Black Bean Tacos
recipe adapted from Cornerstone Cooking via Endless Simmer

2-3 large chicken breasts (I used polo asada from Trader Joe’s), cooked and thinly sliced
1 cup black beans, cooked
1/4 cup red onion, minced (I omitted these)
1/1 tsp. cumin
1/1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

1.  In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

3. Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1/8 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a few slices of chicken and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Be careful not to overfill or they will not fold.

4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5. As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

6. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

7. When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

8. Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados and sour cream.

3 Cup Chicken

Asian food is one of my favorite types of food to cook and eat. Although Asian recipes often call for a lot of ingredients, once you have them stocked in your pantry/fridge, the possiblities are pretty much endless in what you can whip up. I have a whole section of my refrigerator door dedicated to Asian ingredients, yum!

This 3 Cup Chicken is one of my new favorite Asian dishes. Not only is it delicious but it’s easy to prepare and you can make it from start to finish in about 30 minutes. You all know those are big, important factors in my weeknight meals.

3 Cup Chicken
recipe from Simply Vicky

1/3 cup sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

20 cloves garlic

10 ginger slices

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

2 large handfuls of fresh basil, loosely chopped

3 green onion stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 cups rice, cooked

1. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon sesame oil (to tenderize the meat). Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

2. Heat large wok or dutch oven to high heat and add 3 tablespoons sesame oil. Once hot, add in garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add in chicken thighs and brown well, about 4 minutes.

4. Stir in soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar to cover chicken.

5. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium low. Let simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions (I use a rice cooker, but stovetop works too).

7. After the sauce has thickened in consistency, turn heat up to medium heat and add in basil and scallions. Cook until basil and scallions wilt, about 2 minutes.

8. Serve over white rice and enjoy!

Cap’n Crunch Chicken

I love any kind of chicken that is breaded. It’s pretty much my favorite as evidenced here and here. So, when I saw this recipe I got really excited and thought it would be a big hit in my house. When I told Joel about it, he wasn’t so sure. He thought it sounded weird and was quite leery of the whole thing. I think the fact that it had cornflakes in the mix helped balance out the sweetness of the Cap’n Crunch, creating the perfect balance. It was moist and juicy with a crispy coating…perfect in my book! And once again, it’s an easy weeknight meal that will be ready in less than 30 minutes!

Noah loves noise and destruction so this was the perfect recipe to have his assistance. He was great at smashing up the cereal with the rolling pin.

And then he had to check out his handiwork.

And yes, his shirt says ”Certified Hunk” because he totally is.

Cap’n Crunch Chicken
recipe from Forkful of Comfort

2 lbs. chicken breast, boneless & skinless, cut into strips
2 cups Cap’n Crunch cereal, crushed
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
vegetable oil, for frying

1. Combine the cereals in a large bowl.  In another bowl beat egg with the milk and set aside.  Stir together the flour, onion and garlic powders and salt & pepper.  Set aside

2. Dip chicken strips into the flour, coat and shake off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, coating well, then dip into cereal mixture, coating well.

3. Heat about one inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet to 350 degrees F. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels and serve

Stovetop Sausage Mac-N-Cheese

One of my very favorite foods is macaroni and cheese…I guess I never fully grew up. But seriously, what’s not to like about pasta covered in cheese? I’m normally a baked mac-n-cheese kind of girl but this creamy stovetop version definitely got me thinking. It’s so simple to throw together on a weeknight and it is lightened up with low fat ingredients which makes it even better (you can’t even tell)!

I love mac-n-cheese with broccoli so I usually steam some to stir into my bowl. Obviously, I like anything if it’s smothered in cheese.

Stovetop Sausage Mac-n-Cheese
recipe from Taste and Tell

4 ounces chicken sausage, chopped
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
5 cups hot cooked noodles (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta, use whole wheat to bump up the health factor)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly. Stir in pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Although this recipe looked delicious, I was worried about making it because it seemed involved and complicated with the pounding, filling, wrapping, breading and baking. Turns out it wasn’t so bad once I had all the required ingredients collected and placed in a little assembly line.

I knew I would love this recipe because it combines some of my very favorite foods: chicken, cheese and broccoli. Plus, it has a cripsy coating but is still healthy. I couldn’t really ask for more in a dinner. Well, maybe I could ask for more cheese but everything could always use more cheese in my world.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
recipe adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny

4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
1/2-3/4 cup steamed and finely chopped broccoli (depends on size of chicken)
1 large egg
2 tsp. water
3/4 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine egg, water and a little salt.  Beat with a fork to make an egg wash.  Set aside.  Fill a second bowl with breadcrumbs.

2. Butterfly chicken breasts then pound them to make them thinner and so that they are easier to roll.

3. On half of the chicken, sprinkle lightly with cheese then top with broccoli. Wrap chicken around to completely cover cheese, using toothpicks to secure.  Season with a little salt.  Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.  Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray and place chicken on cookie sheet.

Lightly spray chicken and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked.