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Lunch

Southwest Chicken Wrap

This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All comments and opinions are my own.

This Southwest Chicken Wrap is a tasty lunch made with Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast, lettuce, tomato, beans, corn, cheese and a Skinny Chipotle Mayo wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

After those high calorie holiday meals and extra sugary treats, I force myself make smarter food choices to start off the new year, as many people do. Lunchtime is my “make it or break it” part to my day. It is so easy to grab a soda and fast food mid-day, so it takes extra effort to plan out my lunches and stick to it. Having something tasty, wholesome, convenient, filling and better for me is the goal and this Southwest Chicken Wrap hits all the notes. Plus, I am hitting the gym more frequently so a high protein diet is a must!

Tyson Grilled & Ready Fully Cooked Chicken

A delicious Southwest Chicken Wrap starts with quality chicken. Tyson Grilled & Ready chicken products can help simplify meal time by saving time and supplying protein. I find it in the freezer section at my local Walmart! Tyson Grilled & Ready Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast has 19g of protein per serving of its 100% all-natural, made with white meat chicken. No antibiotics are ever used!

Also try the Tyson Grilled & Ready Fully Cooked Grilled Fajita Chicken Strips for some extra flavor and 17g of protein per serving!

Save $1 on one Tyson Grilled & Ready product at Walmart with this Ibotta Rebate Offer.

Offer good from 1/12/19 – 2/10/19!

Southwest Chicken Wrap

This Southwest Chicken Wrap is a breeze to make thanks to Tyson Grilled and Ready products. You can quickly heat the chicken up in the microwave or cook on the stove-top for 3-5 minutes. I like to add just a drizzle of olive oil to a hot pan, add the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss the chicken until re-heated. SO easy, SO fast and SO convenient for various meals- not just these yummy Southwest Chicken Wraps. The meal possibilities are endless!

Skinny Chipotle Mayo

A good sandwich or wrap has a great sauce. A lot of sauces add a lot of fat/calories that I am trying to stay away from so this Skinny Chipotle Mayo is added to cut back a bit but still supply a lot of flavor.

What you need:

  • Light mayonnaise
  • Greek yogurt
  • Lime juice
  • Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- can be easily found at your local grocery store
  • Fresh cilantro

Place ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy. Store in a sealable container in the fridge for one week. Use on sandwiches, wraps, salads, as a dip and more!

I am getting hungry with all this Southwest Chicken Wrap and Skinny Chipotle Mayo talk. Time to get cooking because lunchtime is here.

#ad, Southwest Chicken Wrap, @tysonbrand Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast, lunch idea, lunch wrap, skinny chipotle mayonnaise
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Southwest Chicken Wrap

Southwest Chicken Wrap is a tasty lunch made with Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast, lettuce, tomato, beans, corn, cheese and a skinny Chipotle mayo wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
Course lunch
Keyword chicken, chipotle, lunch, mayo, wrap
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Amber

Ingredients

Southwest Chicken Wrap

  • 1/2 cup Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Grilled Fajita Chicken Strips can be substituted for extra flavor
  • 1 leaf of lettuce
  • 1 tortilla/wrap recommend whole wheat
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup black beans drained
  • 1/4 cup corn
  • 3 cherry tomatoes quartered
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon skinny Chipotle mayo

Skinny Chipotle Mayo

  • 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Make a batch of Skinny Chipotle Mayo by adding 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 Chipotle chiles from a can and 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro into a food processor or blend. Blend for 1 minute and store in a sealed container in the fridge. 
  • On the stove on a medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breasts to a hot pan with some olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss often for 3-5 minutes to reheat chicken. 
    Alternately, you can heat 1/2 cup Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breasts in the microwave for 1 minute. 
  • Wash the lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Drain the beans and corn if canned. Quarter the cherry tomatoes. 
  • Place heated Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breasts, 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup black beans, tomatoes, 1/4 cup cheese and a tablespoon of the Skinny Chipotle Mayo lined in the center of a tortilla. Roll up the ingredients and serve. 

How do you plan on building smarter eating habits this year? Let me know in the comments below and tell me how Tyson Grilled & Ready products are going to help you out!

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Autumn Pasta Salad

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BarillaProteinPLUS #CollectiveBias

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a high-protein Fall inspired cold pasta made from Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne with fresh broccoli, red onion, pumpkin seeds,  dried cranberry, feta cheese, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken with a delicious cranberry vinaigrette.

A recent visit to the doctor revealed that my son is underweight. I am a small person so I don’t expect my child to be built like a linebacker but we are working extra hard to ensure that the whole family is eating more nutrient dense foods and consuming lot’s of protein.

As a family full of pasta lovers, a protein packed pasta is as good as gold! Barilla ProteinPLUS has 17g of protein to fuel your body. Today, I am sharing a protein packed Autumn Pasta Salad that is perfect for lunchtime this Fall season.

On  my weekly grocery trip to Kroger, I browsed the pasta aisle and picked up Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne for todays recipe and Barilla ProteinPLUS Spaghetti for later in the week. I was also able to grab some fresh broccoli, sweet potatoes, red onion, chicken and the other ingredients needed for my recipe.

Get more recipe inspiration from Barilla!

Click HERE.

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Autumn Pasta Salad

Pasta Salads are one of my families favorite lunches. I like to make a big batch on Sunday and portion it out into containers so everyone can grab one for school or work during the week.

I have made this Autumn Pasta Salad two different ways. One way is to roast the chicken and potatoes for 20 minutes and then add onion and broccoli to the oven for another 25 minutes. Today, the instructions are to just roast the chicken and potatoes and add the onion and broccoli raw in the pasta salad. Both ways turn out great!

Let’s get cooking!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and boil a large pot of water. Wash the vegetables well and dice the onion, sweet potatoes and cut the florets from a bunch of broccoli. On a baking sheet, add chicken and diced potatoes, then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake 45 minutes. I like to use organic, thinly sliced chicken for this recipe.

Cook the Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne according to box instructions and drain. Grab a large bowl and add all the pasta salad ingredients and mix up the cranberry vinaigrette. Add about 3/4 of the cranberry vinaigrette to start and you can add the remainder if you wish depending on how much you like.

You may want to add the pumpkin seeds when serving to keep crisp so keep that in mind when mixing all the ingredients together!

Autumn Pasta Salad
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Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pasta #recipe #ad #BarillaProteinPLUS #CollectiveBias

Autumn Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a high-protein Fall inspired cold pasta made from Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne with fresh broccoli, red onion, pumpkin seeds,  dried cranberry, feta cheese, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken with a delicious cranberry vinaigrette.

Yields: 7 servings

  • Autumn Pasta Salad
  • 1 pound Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 pound chicken breast, thin sliced
  • .5 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, florets
  • .5 red onion
  • .5 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup feta cheese
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cranberry Vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • 3 teaspoons Dijon
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a large pot, boil water and cook the Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne according to box instructions.
  3. Wash all the vegetables well and dice the sweet potato, red onion and cut the florets from the broccoli bunch.
  4. Add chicken and diced sweet potatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 minutes, turning half way through. Keep and eye on it in the last 10 minutes of roasting to ensure the potatoes aren't getting too crispy.
  5. Make the cranberry vinaigrette. Whisk 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup cranberry juice, 3 teaspoons Dijon, 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. Dice the cooked chicken.
  7. In a large bowl, add the cooked Barilla ProteinPLUS Penne, diced chicken, roasted potatoes, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced red onion, broccoli florets, 3/4 cup feta cheese and 3/4 of your cranberry vinaigrette. Stir all ingredients together.
  8. You will have extra cranberry vinaigrette to add now or later depending on your personal taste.
  9. Add the pumpkin seeds before serving.
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes

Comment below with what some of your favorite Autumn inspired recipes are!

Pomegranate Kale Salad

Pomegranate Kale Salad

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. All opinions are mine alone. #InstantMealsBx #WishIHadAWetOnes

Pomegranate Kale Salad with fresh kale, pomegranate arils, apple slices, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese and a spritz of Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Place in a Rubbermaid container with Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes for clean-up to make lunchtime a bit easier.

You may think that us food bloggers spend all day cooking from scratch everyday of the week. False. Even foodies like myself need some go-to products and simple recipes to make life easier. Between raising two young children, working, doing household chores, school activities, family time, and everything in between, I need ways to save time in the kitchen!

Not only do I have a great recipe today for a Kale Pomegranate Salad, I am also sharing a day of family friendly meal planning.

Breakfast

You have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! A hot breakfast can get you motivated and filling the kiddos bellies before school is important so they can focus on their schoolwork. Make a batch of Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix with some fresh blueberries or mini chocolate chips sprinkled in. Just add water and cook according to box directions.

You can even freeze pancakes to reheat in the mornings. Make a big batch and place in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, stack them and place in a freezer bag. To reheat, place stack of pancakes into the microwave for 2 minutes!

Lunch

Pomegranate Kale Salad

Time for the Pomegranate Kale Salad. This salad is so easy to put together and tasty (even the kids enjoyed). We are making 4 today and can easily make less or more depending on your needs.

Begin by washing all your fruits and vegetables. Place equal amounts of kale into each Rubbermaid container and chop the apple. Place 1/4 cup of both pumpkin seeds and feta cheese on top. Remove the pomegranate arils from the pomegranate and toss 1/4 cup worth of pomegranate arils on each salad. Spray with Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Seal the lid and place a pack of Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes on top to pack in the work/school bags.

To easily remove the arils (seeds) from your pomegranate, cut into quarters and place into a bowl of water. Remove the seeds with your hands in the bowl of water.

Pomegranate Kale Salad
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Pomegranate Kale Salad, Wet Ones, Fruit Vinegar, Organic Herbs, #ad, #InstantMealsBx #WishIHadAWetOnes , BabbleBoxx

Pomegranate Kale Salad with fresh kale, pomegranate arils, apple slices, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese and a spritz of Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Place in a Rubbermaid container with Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes for clean-up to make lunchtime a bit easier.

  • 2 bunches fresh kale
  • 1 pomegranate (1 cup pomegranate arils/seeds)
  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • Spritz of Simply Beyond® Organic Fruit Vinegar, Pomegranate
  1. Wash kale and apples.
  2. Chop kale and finely chop apple.
  3. Remove seeds from pomegranate.
  4. In 4 separate containers, place 1/4 cup feta, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 diced apple, 1/4 cups pomegranate seeds on top of 1/2 bunch of chopped kale.
  5. Spray each with Simply Beyond® Pomegranate Organic Fruit Vinegar. Use as much or as little as you like.

More About Organic Fruit Vinegar

Simply Beyond® Organic Fruit Vinegar is crafted from the purest, organic ingredients. You get the perfect balance of red wine vinegar and cranberry or pomegranate juice to enhance the sweetness of a dish. Spritz on salads, pork chops or try some on top of ice cream with fresh berries.

Find out more about Simply Beyond® products and use code babblebox10 for 10% off on all orders through 11/30/2017.

Click HERE.

More About Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes

Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes are a must-have product, especially for moms like myself. Wipe out dirt and kills 99.99% of germs without soap and water. Wet Ones® come in travel packs and singles that are perfect for throwing into your bag and are hypoallergenic and easy on skin. Wet Ones® are also the best addition to the lunchbox to keep hands clean.

For more information on Wet Ones®

Click HERE.

Dinner

You can make dinner in a cinch with sheet pan chicken and roasted green beans with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and a spray of Simply Beyond® Spray-On Herbs® Garlic. Place 4 your thinly cut chicken breasts onto a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, turn and add fresh green beans to one side with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Now the fun part! Spray on your Spray-On Herbs® Garlic over both the chicken and green beans. Place in oven another 20 minutes or until chicken is at 170 degrees. These garlic roasted green beans are delicious!

Pair with Uncle Ben’s Minute Rice for a simple dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

More About Spray-On Herbs®

Simply Beyond® Spray-On Herbs® is life changing! Made with only 2 ingredients in a non-aerosol spray so you can use a little or use a lot for the flavor intensity you desire. Customize everyday dishes with fresh herb flavors from grilled chicken, seafood to sauces, fries and even popcorn!

See the full range of Simply Beyond® products and don’t forget to use code babblebox10 for 10% off on all orders through 11/30/2017.

Click HERE.

Dessert

Sometimes a girl just needs a little chocolate (or boy because boys need chocolate too). Whip up this Perfect Size cake that serves 5 in under an hour from Duncan Hines!

Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SandwichWithTheBest #CollectiveBias

Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo is what’s on the menu. A monster sized sandwich with hearty bread, thin sliced deli meat, crispy cucumber, fresh sprouts, and a touch of spice stacked high.

Spring is here and I am craving fresh ingredients and cold sandwiches. Now, if  someone could tell Cincinnati that spring has arrived, that would be fantastic. Last week the temperature got up to a whopping 76 degrees and the next day it snowed. I wish I was kidding. This weather is such a teaser but that is alright. Cincinnati may not be ready for spring but I sure am!

 

#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

 

What is the secret to building a perfect sandwich for the spring season ahead? Quality ingredients and simplicity.

During this time of year, sandwiches are basically an everyday lunch item in my household. The Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo has only 6 ingredients but is not short on flavor. My Walmart grocery list always has Pepperidge Farm® bread, Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham, Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise, fresh fruits and vegetables as part of my pantry and fridge basics. I added a spicy sriracha today for that extra special touch.

 

#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

 

Pepperidge Farm is a staple in my household and the star of any sandwich. In my opinion, it is all about the freshness of bread due to the double sealed packaging and the hearty wholesome ingredients that make it so delicious. I also really enjoy Pepperidge Farm for my morning toast with a cup of coffee on the side.

 

#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

 

Not all lunch meats are created equal. Hillshire Farm® has no artificial flavors or bi-products and is slow roasted for hours making it taste so much better than other lunch meats. Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham has a touch of sweetness and double packaged to ensure freshness.

Does anyone else wash and reuse those plastic containers or is it just me?

 

#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

 

To be honest, I am not a big mayonnaise person. My family loves it but I am picky in this department. How I eat my mayonnaise: Using Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise and intensifying the flavor. Today, I intensified the flavor with sriracha which really takes this sandwich to the next level of deliciousness.  I also love the fact that Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise is made with real, simple ingredients including eggs, oil and vinegar. Sometimes, simple is better!

Have you ever tried Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise on the outside of your bread for a crispy grilled sandwich? Hello yumminess! Give it a whirl, you will not be sorry.

 

#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

 

What do you need to put on your next Walmart shopping list to make this hearty, fresh sandwich?

  1. 20 ounce squeezable Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise
  2. 9 ounce package Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham
  3. loaf of Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Oatmeal bread
  4. sriracha
  5. cucumber
  6. fresh sprouts (I prefer the broccoli sprouts)

Looking for more delicious sandwich ideas?  Check out these simple meal ideas here.

 

Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo
Print
Ham, Cucumber and Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo
  • 2 slices Pepperidge Farm® Whole Grain Oatmeal bread
  • 4 slices cucumber
  • 1/4 cup fresh sprouts
  • 1 serving Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham lunch meat
  • 1/4 cup Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
  1. Gather all ingredients, cutting board, knife, small bowl and spoon.
  2. Thinly slice your cucumber.
  3. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce. Mix with spoon and place on a slice of Pepperidge Farm® Whole Grain Oatmeal bread.
  4. On the second slice of bread, stack the sprouts, 1 serving Hillshire Farm® Thin Sliced Honey Ham lunch meat, and 4 slices of cucumber.
  5. Place your mayonnaise spread slice of bread on top and serve.

 

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#SandwichWithTheBest, #ad, Ham Cucumber & Sprout Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

12 Must Try Pasta Salad Recipes

12 Must Try Pasta Salad Recipes

Round up time once again and we put together some of the best pasta salad recipes around! Pasta Salad is so simple to make and perfect for lunches, side dishes, main dishes from at work to neighborhood barbeques.

Mexican Pasta Salad from Savory Tooth with avocado, cheese, corn, beans, bacon and a spicy mayo.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

Southwest Pasta Salad from Jordan’s Onion, a simple pasta salad with a southwest twist.

[Click here for recipe]

Southwest Pasta Salad

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad with pickles, dill, cheese, and onion from Spend with Pennies.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

Italian Pasta Salad with Fresh Summer Vegetables from An Italian in my Kitchen.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

Vegan Ranch Pasta Salad from V Nutrition, the perfect side dish for barbeques.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

More amazing pasta salad recipes:

Pasta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Cincy Shopper.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

Greek Pasta Salad from here at Simply Made Recipes.

[Click here for recipe]

Greek Pasta Salad

Quick and Easy Turkey Club Pasta Salad from Small Town Woman with added crispy lettuce for a delish cold pasta.

[Click here for recipe]

pasta salad

Even more pasta salad recipes from around the web:

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad from Snappy Gourmet.

5 Ingredient Thai Peanut Lo Mein Salad from Happy Day Happy Deal.

Tortellini Salad Recipe from 3 Boys and a Dog.

Broccoli and Pasta Salad from The Country Chic Cottage.

Pin now to share with friends:

12 Must Try Pasta Salad Recipes

 

Which pasta salad recipe will you start with?

Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad

Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad with goat cheese, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and simple dressing. Eat it hot or cold!

 

Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad

 

I have been hanging on these photos and post for a couple weeks now. Just been so busy this month with everything. The beginning of the month, as some of you know, Recipe Swap Club makes it picks and I received The Cheerful Kitchen. Immediately, I went to the website and searched around. There are soooo many great recipes to pick from and the photography on the site is so beautiful so choosing was not easy. I did end up going with this Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad because we love pasta salads and this one is out of the norm for us.

 

Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad

 

Pasta salad is perfect year round. Barbeques, lunches, dinners, side or main. Hot or cold. So simple to make and the perfect dish to cook up on a Sunday afternoon for the family to snack on through the week.  We really enjoyed this pasta salad because of the balsamic and sun dried tomatoes and the goat cheese leaves this dish so nice and creamy. We actually did not change a single ingredient in this recipe either… I have a bad habit of looking at a recipe and doing my own thing…. but hey, I guess that’s why I develop recipes now. The site recommended possibly swapping feta for the goat cheese and that sounds like it would really work too.

See original recipe HERE.

 

 

Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad
Print
Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad
  • 1 package of orzo pasta
  • 6oz of goat cheese
  • 1 handful of fresh parsley
  • 1 package of sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1 jar of roasted red peppers
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  1. Gather ingredients, measuring cups, small bowl, large bowl, whisk, large pot, strainer, knife, and cutting board.
  2. Boil water in the large pot and cook according to the package directions.
  3. Drain artichokes and red peppers.
  4. While the pasta cooks, chop artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, red peppers and handful of parsley. Throw into a large bowl. Reserve a bit of the parsley to garnish.
  5. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together. Set it aside.
  6. When the pasta is done cooking, strain and add directly to the bowl with the chopped ingredients.
  7. Pour the dressing over the pasta and crumble in 3/4 of the goat cheese. Mix it all together until the goat cheese is mostly melted into the pasta and it's creamy.
  8. When servings, sprinkle more parsley and crumble the rest of the goat cheese over the top.

 

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Creamy Orzo Pasta Salad

10 Not So Boring Lunch Ideas

 

 

10 Not So Boring Lunch Ideas features 10 awesome lunch ideas from some of the best food blogs around. These recipes are focused on simple options to take to work in a brown bag and everything is eaten cold or needs just a quick reheat in the microwave. Lunch is the most difficult meal to plan for in our house. We are so busy and the basic turkey sandwich or unhealthy hot pocket just doesn’t cut it. Forget about spending money on eating out everyday, we would go broke real quick. So we have stepped up those boring turkey sandwiches and even found a hot pocket replacement down below that is a must make if you love Shepherd’s Pie as much as we do!

 

10 Not So Boring Lunch Ideas

 

The Ultimate Vegan BLT from Strength and Sunshine features a wonderful BLT option made with sliced eggplant in replace of bacon!

vegan-blt

 

Copycat PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps from Baking Beauty with delicious flavors  in a lettuce wrap.

pf-changs-lettuce-wrap

 

Avocado Egg Salad from Sugar, Spice, and Family Life feature a wonderful sandwich amps up your regular egg salad with added avocados and some nice seasoning.

Avocado Egg Salad

Avocado Stuffed BLT from Wholesum Yum is exactly what it sounds like, an avocado with bacon, lettuce and tomato inside and they look amazing!

avocado-stuffed-blt

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Croissants from here at Simply Made Recipes with a must have recipe for Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard.

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Croissants

Bacon Avocado Broccoli Salad again from Wholesum Yum has bacon pieces, avocado chunks, broccoli, cheddar cheese and mayo.

bacon-avocado-broccoli-salad

Shepherd’s Pie Pockets from Eat.Thrive.Glow. When I saw these I knew they had to be on the list with lamb, peas, carrots, and potatoes wrapped in a crescent roll. Everything you love in a Shepherd’s Pie but in an easy reheat hand pocket.

shepherds-pie-pocket

Three-Cheese Veggie Sandwich from Diabetic Foodie. Diabetic Foodie had me at 3 cheese. Provolone, cheddar, and swiss cheeses with a Sundried Tomato Pesto.

3 cheese veggie sandwich

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Avocado Chicken Salad Wraps from Love Bakes Good Cakes. Say that 5 times fast. There is just something about avocado, bacon, chicken and tomatoes together that just make a perfect lunch and wraps are perfect and so simple to take for lunch.

bacon-lettuce-avocado-wraps

Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich here at Simply Made Recipes has a delicious homemade kale pesto that is to die for!

Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich

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10 Not So Boring Lunch Ideas

 

Simply Made Recipes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This costs nothing extra to you and helps keep Simply Made Recipes running!

 

Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich with a kale almond pesto sauce, tomatoes, chicken on French bread. Perfect for a warm lunch straight out of the oven or reheated the next day. We eat these cold too, prepare and wrap them in foil the night before and grab a lunch on the go. This sandwich really is all about that kale pesto! Fresh ingredients and nutritious kale with almonds and a little bit of olive oil and garlic. If you have never made a pesto before, do not at all be intimidated. All the ingredients get dumped in the food processor and blend until it is a nice and consistent paste like sauce. The rest of the sandwich is basic, simple baked chicken and cheese with tomatoes so the kale pesto really amps up your boring, regular sandwich into something you can look forward to at lunch.  You may have some kale pesto left over, you can store in a sealed container in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

 

Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich
Print
Kale Pesto Chicken Sandwich
  • French bread (I bought two small ones today)
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1/2 bunch of kale
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 4 slices provolone cheese
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more
  • 3/4 cup almonds
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  1. Gather ingredients, cutting board, knife, foil, food processor and baking sheet.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Wash all fruits and vegetables.
  4. Take both the chicken breasts and fillet them because you want them to be thinner for the sandwich.
  5. Lay foil over baking sheet with the 4 pieces of chicken. Cover with a pinch of olive oil, salt and pepper and all sides. Let cook for 40 minutes.
  6. While the chicken cooks, begin the kale pesto sauce.
  7. In the food processor, dump 3/4 cup almonds, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and 10 kale leaves. Blend for 3 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Blend 1 more minute.
  8. Slice tomatoes.
  9. After chicken is finished cooking, remove from oven.
  10. Assemble sandwiches with chicken on bottom, cheese, tomatoes, and kale (optional), slather top of French bread with the kale pesto and viola!

 

 

kale-pesto

 

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Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant is a simple lunch sandwich that is perfect for on the go busy people like myself. Start with a nice buttery, flaky croissant and add a few slices of black forest ham from the deli counter, a slice of pepper jack cheese, and spread a generous amount of our spicy buffalo honey mustard. Wrap the sandwiches up in foil and set in fridge. On the way out the door, grab a wrapped sandwich and heat up for 45 seconds at lunchtime. The kids take them to school and eat cold. This spicy buffalo honey mustard is amazing! There is a hint of barbeque sauce in the honey mustard and has just a little kick of spicy. So good and this sauce can be used with all sorts of foods… chicken tenders, french fries,  on a salad, in a wrap, you name it.

 

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

 

Before being a stay at home mom, I worked in a hospital. I know that many of you out there can relate to this schedule. 7:30am: start work. 10:00am: break if the stars are in proper alignment and a patient cancelled by chance. 12 noon: lunch. 12:20: actually able to sit down for lunch after catching up on morning work, 12:25: shove food in face because next patient is here but hey maybe it will be your lucky day and you can have a snack break before you leave at 4pm. Anybody relate? This is a perfect lunch time croissant, if you have THAT schedule or any other and ideal for kids lunch boxes.  You can eat this sandwich cold or remove from foil and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Preparation is really easy and I make 8 on Sunday night and set into fridge for everyone to grab in the mornings through the week.

 

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

 

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant
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Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

Yields: 8 sandwiches

  • 3 pounds deli sliced black forest ham
  • 8 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 8 croissants
  • 1 cup honey mustard
  • 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
  1. Gather ingredients, cutting board, serrated knife, small bowl, spoon and foil.
  2. In the bowl, use your spoon to mix 1 cup honey mustard, 1/4 buffalo sauce and 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce together. Mix until completely blended for your spicy buffalo honey mustard spread.
  3. Take the croissants and cut each to open up.
  4. Layer croissants with 4-6 slices ham, 1 slice pepper jack cheese and desired amount of spicy buffalo honey mustard.
  5. Wrap each in foil and set in fridge.
  6. At lunch, unwrap from foil and eat cold or heat in microwave for 45 seconds.
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes

 

 

Spicy Buffalo Honey Mustard Ham and Cheese Croissant

 

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Chicken BLTA Salad

Super easy Chicken BLTA Salad with a creamy avocado “Bomb” Sauce. All fresh avocado, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, spinach with grilled or baked chicken, crispy bacon and freshly grated Monterey jack cheese topped with a homemade creamy avocado sauce on a bed of baby spinach. Perfect salad for a  lunch or dinner any day of the week to keep you full and satisfied. The pictures don’t do this salad justice! So delicious.

 

 

Chicken BLTA Salad

Chicken BLTA Salad

Bomb Sauce

 

Chicken BLTA Salad
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  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 1/2 chicken breast
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • desired amount of "Bomb"Sauce
  1. Gather ingredients, knife, cutting board, salad bowl, pan, tongs, and cheese grater.
  2. Wash fruits and vegetables.
  3. Grill or bake chicken until done. 45 minutes on 350 degrees in the oven. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces once fully cooked.
  4. Cook bacon in the pan on a medium heat until crispy, use your tongs to flip bacon often. Chop bacon once fully cooked.
  5. Prepare "Bomb"Sauce for a creamy avocado dressing according to link's directions.
  6. Cut 1/2 an avocado into bite size pieces and cut cherry tomatoes in half.
  7. Slice 1/2 jalapeno.
  8. Place 3 cups of baby spinach into salad bowl and assemble chicken, bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes on top.
  9. Use the cheese grater to shred 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
  10. Toss sliced jalapeno on top.
  11. Pour the "Bomb"Sauce on in your desired amount.
  12. Enjoy!

 

Chicken BLTA Salad

 

Simply Made Recipes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This costs nothing extra to you and helps keep Simply Made Recipes running!