Seriously, this meal couldn’t have been any easier to make or quicker to cook. To be honest, this isn’t what I set out to cook. Have you ever had a great recipe idea fall to pieces?

For starters, I wanted to cook steak and broccoli, but the grocery was out of broccoli, and I forgot to stop somewhere else and just happened to have Brussel sprouts at home. Score! Also, I had a more intense seasoning blend to use, but that too failed because I slap forgot to get essential ingredients.

Dinner must go on.

I was determined to make something edible out the things I did have: beef tips, Brussel sprouts, and a pre-bottled marinade. Low and behold it was enough. (There is more profound life message there, but I will spare you, ha).

You notice that the marinade I used is a Kroger brand. It is all I had on hand, but I feel confident you can use your favorite Asian marinade in its place. You could also get fancy like I had intended and make one from scratch. However, it was refreshing to open a bottle and pour it out.

The directions are as simple as the ingredient list.

There are a few options of how you can choose to put this sheet-pan meal together.

What you see are beef tips, bought precut into cubes. If you want a higher quality steak, go for it. Just take the time to cut them into uniform squares. Remember, the thickness of the steak will determine the cooking time. My beef tips were bite-sized. As you can see, the Brussel sprouts were larger than the meat.

Next, you have options with vegetables. Broccoli would make for an excellent substitute for Brussel sprouts. However, I thoroughly enjoyed them in this recipe. It will depend on your family’s preferences. Or try it with different vegetables on different occasions. I bet papers and onions would be delicious! If you choose Brussel sprouts, cut them in half for quicker cooking time.

I highly recommend thinking ahead and marinating the meat for several hours or overnight. Allowing it to marinate will provide the beef with more flavor, and provide you with a tenderer steak. Put your meat of choice in a zip top bag and generously pour in the marinade.

When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450F for a fast dinner. If you have more time or thicker cuts of meat, back that down to 350-375F and know it will take longer in the oven.

Grease a sheet pan.

Assemble the vegetables on the pan and spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Add the meat with the marinade and all to the pan. Mix the vegetables in with the marinade.

Bake at 450F for 10-12 minutes. Check in around 5-7 minutes to make sure it isn’t cooking to fast (you’ll have dry steak) and stir it. You want the internal temp of the meat to be 145F.

Seriously, this cooked in 10 minutes!

The steam from the extra marinade helped the Brussel sprouts cook faster than traditional baking times.

Serve over rice, orzo (shown here), or your favorite whole grain.

Get creative; just get cooking! I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty this sheet-pan meal turned out. If you rate this plate, you get a protein from the beef, a carb from your rice or grain of choice, a vegetable because of the Brussel sprouts and a healthy fat due to the olive oil and meat. It is a complete meal in under 30 minutes.

Chicken tenders are as American as apple pie, maybe even more because I would bet that American households consume more chicken tenders than apple pie. No scientific evidence to prove it, just a hunch. Chances are your family (especially your kids) enjoy a deep-fried piece of yardbird on occasion. No shame in that, any foods, including fried can fit into a healthy lifestyle. However, if there is a better alternative to fixing a family favorite at home, then why not give it a try?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our Ninja Foodie, and I am in no way compensated or encouraged by the company to promote their kitchen device or recipes. It is just the best birthday present the husband has gotten me in a while, and we all benefit from it.

One of the main selling points for the Ninja Foodie for our family was the addition of the air fryer along with the crockpot, sauté feature and pressure cooker. It seemed like a no-brainer to have them all in one.

I’ll admit, I haven’t played with the air fryer as much as the pressure cooker, but that all changed last night. And, I feel I’ll get more comfortable now that these chicken strips were a huge hit.

***If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t click away.

You can still make this recipe in your oven.***

The ingredients are simple, low in sodium, and already pantry stables.

You’ll need:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken strips

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Panko crumbs

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Next prepare your mixtures:

• Beat the 3 eggs in a bowl

• Add the oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning into bread crumbs and mix well.

Prepare your chicken strips by dunking them:

• First into the eggs.

• Next into the flour.

• Finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating well.

• Repeat till with all the tenders.

Setup your air fryer. Turn it to 330 F and cook for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken strips reads 165F.

*** OVEN USERS *** Preheat your oven to 375F and cook for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken strips reads 165F.

Look how pretty those tenders turned out! I’ll admit they were juicier and crispier than I would have guessed. And they rate well, too.

Remember, main meals should aim for 4-6 different food groups to be balanced. The chicken strips give you a protein, and the breading does add some carbohydrates but not enough to be a full serving. The green beans on this plate is a vegetable win. You can round out this meal by adding sliced apples and a glass of milk for the kids (or even mac-n-cheese). I’ll be eating the leftovers on a salad. It’s Yum Y’all!

“Enjoy good health, good food and take time for the good things! ”

— RT

As if you need “another” chicken casserole! Just in case you’re looking for more ways to cook up a quick dinner with easy to find ingredients, that the family will live, here you go. There are no fancy ingredients or complicated steps, and no tricks of the trade to make this casserole a family favorite. Those are the recipes you want up your sleeve on a busy weeknight.

I got it started by pressure cooking about 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken in my Ninja Foodie. You put the rack in, with 1 cup of water. Lay the chicken breast down. Close the pressure lid, cook on high for about 8-10 minutes, with a quick release.

*You can utilize a rotisserie chicken or any leftover baked chicken. You will need about 4 cups of shredded chicken.

Pressure Cooked Chicken

Once your chicken finishes cooking, shred it.

Then assemble the rest of your ingredients.

Only one number to remember - one.

• 1 pound chicken, shredded.

• 1 can sweet corn, drained

• 1 can black beans, drained

• 1 cup BBQ sauce

• 1 cup bell peppers, diced

• 1 cup cheese, shredded

  * okay maybe more but start with 1 cup.

Another Chicken Casserole Recipe Ingredients

Grab your go-to 9x13 baking dish and add in the chicken, beans, corn, and peppers.

Pour over the BBQ sauce and mix it all.

Add the cheese on top.

Can I be honest? I’m pregnant, and I like cheese. I felt the one cup of cheese wasn’t enough. I added more cheese to make me happy. You do you, boo.

Pop that bad boy in the oven at 375F for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

That final photo isn’t the best, but it is bubbly and beautiful. You have options on how to further serve it. Over rice, over a baked potato, in a wrap, or on a salad. That is left entirely up to you, boo!

This meal rates right, too. You get protein from the chicken, a fiber-rich carbohydrate from the beans, a dairy and fat for double the cheese. Ha!