Pesto Pasta with Chicken, Veggies, & Navy Beans
*makes 18 servings*
cost : <$23.92
(see bottom of post for ingredient list with prices)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The pasta : Cook 2 lbs rotini, drain, and toss with olive oil and pesto. I think I used 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and 4-5 tbsp of pesto.
The chicken : Preheat oven to 450. Coat 6 b/s chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle on garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Bake until internal temperature reaches 160. I couldn't fit all 6 in one pan, the first 4 took 35-40 minutes and the last 2 took about 30 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred/chop into bite-sized pieces.
The veggies : In a large skillet, steam broccoli with some olive oil and 1/2 cup of water until tender. Watch to make sure you remove it from the heat while the broccoli is still bright green. If it turns dull green, it has been overcooked. Once the broccoli has been removed from the skillet, add some more olive oil and about 2/3 c chopped onion. When the onion begins to brown, add 1 lb chopped carrots. When the carrots are almost done, add 1 package of frozen cauliflower. Chop 9 mushrooms and add them when the cauliflower no longer looks frozen. Cook til cauliflower and mushrooms are done. Mix these vegetables with the broccoli. Chop up any large pieces of broccoli or cauliflower so that all pieces are bite-sized.
The beans : Pour one package of navy beans into a pot, cover with an inch or two of water. Simmer on stove until soft.
The meal : Each meal got 1/3 chicken breast, about 3/4 c each of pasta and veggies, and 1/8 c beans.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredient List
6 b/s chicken breasts : $9.28
2 lbs rotini pasta : $2.00
2 lbs fresh broccoli florets : $3.99
12 oz frozen cauliflower : $1.19
1 lb carrots : $0.99
1 lb navy beans : $1.39
8 oz mushrooms : $1.29 (I used about 3/4 of the package)
8 oz pesto : $3.79 (I think I used 1-2 oz)
My total cost at the store was $23.92, but since I had some leftover ingredients, the cost of the meal is less.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wondering why I made 18 servings this week? I've been making 10 servings a week for awhile now, to feed both my boyfriend and I. Some of my coworkers have expressed interest in my meals on and off throughout the year. 2 weeks ago, I had some leftover food so I brought some meals for a coworker, and asked who else would be interested. Since I was on spring break when I made this pasta meal, I had extra time, so it was easy enough to make all this extra food. I imagine some of my coworkers will appreciate not having to worry about all their meals for the first week back from break!
