Easy, Healthy Back-To-School Meals For Kids And Families

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Back-to-school season can be a busy time, which often means meal prep can fall by the wayside.

Fresh Food Educator Kirsten Renee offers up recipes for easy weeknight meals and kid-friendly lunches.

Roasted Buttermilk Chicken & Potatoes

Ingredients
3 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1-inch cubes
1 quart buttermilk
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup fresh minced rosemary
1/4 cup fresh minced thyme
1/4 cup fresh minced oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. smashed peppercorns
Olive oil
2 lb. baby potato medley
1-2 large onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt & fresh cracked pepper

Instructions
Place the cubed chicken into a gallon size Ziploc bag.

In a bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, rosemary, thyme, oregano, garlic, salt and peppercorns. Pour mixture over chicken then seal bag and refrigerate for at least eight hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the potatoes and onions in some olive oil to coat, place in a roasting pan and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade and add chicken to the roasting pan with the potatoes and onions.

Cover the chicken and potatoes with parchment paper, bake for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes can be pierced with a fork.

Salmon En Papillote (Salmon In Parchment)

Ingredients
4 large salmon fillets
Olive oil
Salt & fresh cracked pepper
Dried dill
1-2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut four large pieces of parchment paper into large hearts.

Place one piece of salmon on one half of each heart, drizzle each piece of salmon with olive oil then sprinkle with salt, pepper and dill.

Place a layer of shallots and two lemon slices on top of the seasonings.

To seal parchment, bold over the other half of the parchment heart, tightly fold the edges over towards the fish, ensuring that no juices leak out while cooking.

Place the packets in a 9x13 foil pan, place pan in the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until salmon is opaque and slightly flaky.

Remove and let sit 2 to 3 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Quesadillas

Ingredients
8 flour tortillas, taco size
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Cheddar)
2 cup shredded Rotisserie chicken
4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

Instructions

Place four flour tortillas on a griddle, sprinkle each one with 1/4 cup of cheese, shredded chicken, crumbled bacon and even amounts of the remaining cheese.

Place the remaining tortillas on top of the ingredients and heat griddle to medium high heat.

Cook quesadillas for two to three minutes per side until brown and crispy, set aside, let cool for two to three minutes then cut into triangles.

NOTE: You can also bake prepped quesadillas on a cookie sheet in an oven at 400 degrees for five minutes, remove from oven and carefully flip each quesadilla then bake an additional five minutes.

Pepperoni Pizza Waffles

Ingredients
2 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4  tsp. salt
1/4  tsp. black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup diced pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

Instructions

Preheat a greased waffle iron.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and black pepper. In a large bowl whisk together the egg and milk, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Stir in the melted butter, pepperoni and cheese until just combined.

Pour 1/2 cup - 1 cup (based on the waffle iron size) onto the hot surface, close lid and bake until golden brown, remove waffle and repeat with remaining batter.

Cut waffles into strips and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.