Move over fast-food take-out. Today’s crazy-busy moms rock it with foil packet meals! Foil packet food is versatile, nutritious, and quick to prepare. Eat straight from the package and clean-up is practically nil.
Our Foil Packet Meals - Salsa Verde Chicken with rice, explodes with a spicy kick of South of the Border flavors. Everybody says Olé!
There are tons of benefits to cooking in foil packets. But, we think Big Beauty is your ability to modify meals for picky eaters.
Somebody doesn’t like it hot? No worries. Just omit fiery-flavoring, such as chili powder, and use less salsa verde.
Plus, you can monitor portion sizes or leave out ingredients, if a family member has food allergies.
Before popping each pack into the oven, label it with the intended’s name.
We’d suggest you perfect the pattern for creating foil packet meals, by preparing Salsa Verde Chicken a couple of times.
The Basic Pattern goes something like this:
Fill them up
Place your Meat in the center of foil. It takes longer to cook. (Bite-sized pieces work well for the kiddos, who haven’t mastered meat cutting.) Add seasonings. Layer Vegetables.
If using fresh veggies, cut into chunks. Excepting carrots or potatoes. Cut them into thin slices and arrange around the meat. The same goes for rice. These need to cook about the same length of time as the meat.
Fold Them
Hold the two longest edges of foil upward over the contents, like a tent. Fold edges together and roll downwards. Leave an inch or so, to allow expansion room for steam.
Fold the shorter edges to complete your foil pack.
Bake and Serve
Cook to done. No need to hover, since stirring, etc. isn’t involved. When food is ready, remove packets from the oven. Open with care, because steam will pour out.
The aroma will be divine and the taste, heavenly!
Tip:
Don’t skimp on the foil. Use only the top-quality, heavy-duty type. Coat the inside with non-stick baking spray.
After mastering your Basic Pattern, you won’t need to rely on particular recipes. Simply pick your protein, veggies, and favorite whatever’s. Possibilities are endless, now you can do make-ahead foil packet dinners.
Get the family involved in packet meal planning and eliminate the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?” Forever.
Ingredients
-
- Instant Brown rice (or White rice)
- Taco seasoning (for rice)
- water
- 2 chicken breasts (7-oz each)
- cream cheese
- salsa verde
- roasted corn
- black beans
- bell peppers
- Mozzarella cheese (or any melting cheese)
For Chicken Seasoning:
-
- cumin powder (garlic powder, salt, and pepper, chili powder)
- paprika powder
Toppings (Optional)
- roasted green chiles (or lime, cilantro, and sour cream)
Step by step instructions
Preparation:
1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare 2 large sheets of foil and grease with cooking spray. You don't want your rice to stick to the bottom.
Weigh and pound your chicken to get (2) 7 oz each piece with ½ inch thickness.
2 Toss together the instant rice and water, add ½ tablespoon of taco seasoning. Mix all together and set aside.
3 In a bowl, toss together all of the seasonings: cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and paprika powder.
4 Dredge each chicken breast evenly in the seasonings (both sides).
Divide the rice and water mixture evenly among the 2 foil packets.
Place the seasoned chicken on top.
5 Put corn and black beans next to each chicken breast. Add a few pieces of thinly sliced red pepper to each packet. Add other optional toppings as desired.
6 Slice the cream cheese into 4 equal pieces and place 2 pieces on top of each chicken breast.
7 Pour 3 tablespoons of salsa verde on top of each chicken breast.
Top some cheese on top of the chicken.
8 Seal the packet allowing for expansion and make sure it is 100% sealed. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Watch How to Make The Foil Packet Meals:
Credit: theforkbite
Full Recipe
Foil Packet Meals – Foil Pack Dinner
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Instant Brown rice (or White rice)
- ½ tablespoon Taco seasoning (for rice)
- ½ cup water
- 2 pieces chicken breasts (7-oz each)
- 1 oz cream cheese
- 6 tablespoon salsa verde
- ½ cup roasted corn
- ½ cup black beans
- ½ cup thin-sliced bell peppers
- ½ cup Mozarella cheese (or any melting cheese)
For Chicken Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (garlic powder, salt and pepper, chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
Toppings (Optional)
- roasted green chiles (or lime, cilantro and sour cream)
Watch the Video:
Instructions:
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare 2 large sheets of foil and grease with cooking spray. You don't want your rice to stick to the bottom.
- Weigh and pound your chicken to get (2) 7 oz each piece with ½ inch thickness.
- Toss together the instant rice and water, add ½ tablespoon of taco seasoning. Mix all together and set aside.
- In a bowl, toss together all of the seasonings: cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder and paprika powder.
- Dredge each chicken breast evenly in the seasonings (both sides).
- Divide the rice and water mixture evenly among the 2 foil packets.
- Place the seasoned chicken on top.
- Put corn and black beans next to each chicken breast. Add a few pieces of thinly sliced red pepper to each packet. Add other optional toppings as desired.
- Slice the cream cheese into 4 equal pieces and place 2 pieces on top of each chicken breast.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of salsa verde on top of each chicken breast.
- Top some cheese on top of the chicken.
- Seal the packet allowing for expansion and make sure it is 100% sealed.
- Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Amy @ The Cook Report says
This is such a good idea! Looks really tasty
Silvia says
So convenient. Easy, delicious and fewer dishes to wash. Win win. 😀
Jagruti says
Foil packet dinners sound like such a great idea and are something new for me to try!
Emily says
Great idea, I love easy dinners like this!
Nicola @ Happy Healthy Motivated says
I've seen these all over the internet, but I've never gave them a try! My boyfriend hates it when all ingredients of a meal are cooked together because he thinks it makes it all taste the same. I totally disagree, but there we go. But I bet even he wouldn't say that the ingredients in these foil packet meals all taste the same. Yum!
Amanda | Chew Town says
What a great quick and easy way to serve a midweek meal... and less washing up which is ALWAYS a bonus. Love that you can eat straight from the foil packet. I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight.