I'm always getting asked about weekend meal prep. I'm going to give you guys a glimpse into what I like to do on the weekends to prep for easy week night meals. I always make ONE thing on the weekends. That ONE thing is, basically, the theme for my upcoming week night meals. My #WeekendOneThing this weekend is Mesquite Lime Chicken. I have 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I am marinating them with a Mesquite Lime Marinade. I will grill those and they will be the base for 3 different meals this week. Here are the three recipes that will incorporate my Mesquite Lime Chicken for this week.
1. Mesquite Lime Chicken Tacos
MESQUITE LIME CHICKEN TACOS
SERVES 6 TO 8
Slaw
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
½ cup matchstick carrots
½ cup thinly sliced radishes
Creamy Harissa
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Harissa
Mesquite Lime Chicken, grilled and chopped
16-ounce package corn tortillas, warmed
2 cups crumbled cotija cheese
Garnish
Fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
PREPARE SLAW
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper.
Add cabbage, carrots and radishes to dressing and toss together. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
MAKE CREAMY HARISSA
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and Harissa. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
ASSEMBLE
Place equal amounts of chicken, slaw and creamy harissa on each tortilla. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
NOTE
Substitute homemade harissa with store-bought harissa, or use your favorite hot sauce or spicy chili sauce.
2. Swiss Chicken Pasta Salad
SWISS CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
SERVES 6 TO 8
Pasta & Peas
1 pound cavatappi pasta
2 cups fresh Michigan peas, washed and shelled (or thawed frozen peas)
Dressing
2 cups shredded or cubed Mesquite Lime Chicken
1 cup diced celery
2 cups salad dressing or mayonnaise
2 cups cubed Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¾ teaspoon dill weed
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Bibb or romaine lettuce leaves
Optional garnishes
Fresh dill
Sliced radishes
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Lemon zest
PREPARE PASTA & PEAS
Add pasta to boiling, salted water and cook for approximately 12 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add peas to pasta water. Drain and rinse with cold water for 1 to 2 minutes.
MAKE DRESSING
In a large bowl, mix all dressing ingredients together.
ASSEMBLE
Add pasta and peas to the dressing mixture, and fold all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled. Serve with or in lettuce leaves. Garnish with fresh dill, radishes or cherry tomatoes.
OPTIONAL
Add the Swiss Chicken Pasta Salad from above to a casserole dish to make Swiss Chicken Pasta Casserole.
Top with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup panko breadcrumbs. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Asparagus Crust White Chicken Pizza
ASPARAGUS CRUST WHITE CHICKEN PIZZA
SERVES 8
Asparagus Crust
2 cups cut-up fresh or frozen Michigan asparagus, blanched
1 egg
⅔ cup grated Parmesan
⅔ cup shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
White Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped leeks
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Toppings
1 cup cubed, cooked Mesquite Lime Chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
½ cup cut-up fresh or frozen Michigan asparagus, blanched and seasoned with some avocado oil and lemon pepper seasoning
¼ cup chopped prosciutto
Fresh chives or basil, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
MAKE ASPARAGUS CRUST
Add blanched asparagus to a food processor and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, add asparagus puree, egg, Parmesan, mozzarella and lemon pepper seasoning. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Press asparagus mixture into a circular shape on a parchment paper-lined pizza stone (or baking sheet). Press a layer of paper towel over the crust and gently press down to remove excess moisture. Repeat one more time, or until paper towel is no longer absorbing moisture. Discard wet paper towels.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes.
MAKE WHITE SAUCE
Add butter, leeks and garlic to a saucepan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add in milk, continually whisking, and cook until thickened. Add Parmesan, then remove from heat and set aside.
ASSEMBLE
Pour the white sauce over the partially baked asparagus crust, and top with chicken and mozzarella. Add peas, asparagus and prosciutto. Bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted. Garnish with fresh chives or basil.
NOTE
Lemon pepper seasoning substitute: lemon zest, salt, black pepper and granulated garlic.
MESQUITE LIME CHICKEN
1 tablespoon House Seasoning (recipe below)
1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
PREPARE CHICKEN
Add all ingredients to a large zip-top bag and marinate for a few hours. Remove chicken and discard marinade.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from grill, let rest.
HOUSE SEASONING
¼ cup salt
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons granulated onion
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Mix all seasonings together and store in an air-tight container.
