Dinner-on-the-Run

We've all been there.  Run in the door, late already to the kids' rehearsal, and the everyone needs to eat in five minutes or less!  Help me!  Somebody help me!

Here's a quick, easy solution.  On a day when you have an extra 40 minutes or already have something in the oven, bake some bone-in chicken breasts (salt and pepper, 400 F, for about 30 minutes, internal temp. 165 F).  Throw the puppies in the fridge for later in the week.  Believe me; you're going to need them!  Then as quick as you can say, "Everybody make a salad," you have a chicken salad ready to go.  Do you have some tortillas?  How about chicken burritos?  Or a pasta and veggie mix?

Quick dinners don't have to sacrifice flavor.  Check out some of these menu items you can use with already-cooked chicken.

1. Chicken Avocado Provolone Wraps
2. Chicken Noodle Salad with Peanut-Ginger Dressing
3. Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole
4. Italian Penne Pasta Salad
5. Southern Chicken Salad

You can find all of these recipes and any substitutions in the Recipe Index.

My chicken just came out of the oven. Tonight's dinner will be the Italian Penne Pasta Salad since I have leftover penne pasta from last night's pesto dish. With a little planning you can leave those drive-throughs behind.