Family of 4 Seeks Quick Dinner Ideas

Family on the go seeks long lost family dinners together. Must be quick. Taste good. Minimal ingredients. Able to please everyone. Only serious recipes need apply.

I fondly remember when I could plan a meal, cruise through the grocery store on my way home from work and then have a terrific sit-down dinner without a schedule. However, life is a little different now. Practices, games, pick-ups and drop-offs - it seems like there is no real time to sit still, let alone prepare a quality meal for my family. Luckily with my trusty iPad (no app download needed!) and landolakes.com, I can search for recipes by typing in "quick" and the most eaten ingredient by my family - "chicken." Voila! Quick Chicken Southwest was just what we were looking for. Thank you technology!

We try to plan family dinners a few nights a week, but time is always an issue for us. This recipe is great because, around lunch, I was able to make up the marinade quickly and throw the chicken in. The prep time on this recipe says 15 minutes - I think I was able to put this one together in under 10. Cook time was quick as well - 30 minutes tops. Thanks Land O'Lakes - WAY easy!
Interested in simplifying your life? Here’s how dinner got a little easier for me:

The first step is to chop the garlic and fresh cilantro.

I like to set my resealable plastic bags inside a large measuring cup to avoid spilling. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic. (Need to save time? Feel free to use the minced garlic in a jar that you can buy at the store!)

Add 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Recipe says you can choose cilantro or parsley. I might want to try parsley next time I make this recipe.

Add in 1/4 cup lime juice.

Next add in 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

Add the chicken (the recipe calls for four 6 oz chicken breast halves).

Seal the bag and turn the bag several times to thoroughly coat the chicken. Then place the bag in a 13 x 9 pan in the fridge turning it over a couple of times. I marinated the chicken for the 4 hours and it was amazing - If you have time for the overnight - I bet this chicken would ROCK!

We have a gas grill that is easy to use. For timing purposes, when you light the grill, start making your rice. If you have a charcoal grill, heat the coals until they are ash white.

Remove chicken from marinade, place on the grill.

Grill chicken, turning over once until it is no longer pink (about 9 - 11 minutes).

About the time I turned the chicken, I sliced the cheddar to place on the chicken.

Top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of cheese. Continue grilling until the cheese begins to melt (about 1 - 2 minutes).

Place chicken on top of a bed of rice.

Top each piece of chicken with 1/4 cup warm salsa.

Then top with 2 avocado slices. The recipe calls to garnish with some fresh cilantro leaves.

Best of all - we had some leftovers for lunch for this week! BONUS!

If you are on the go like us, but would love a QUICK home cooked meal, I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe. If you find another easy one like Quick Chicken Southwest on the site, send me a comment. I’d like to give it a try!

Come back in a few days when Becky will share a twist on the classic blueberry muffin recipe.

Alex is paid to write for the Land O’Lakes Recipe Buzz® Blog.