Sunday Night Chicken Dinner

The transition of the idea of the original recipe we were going to make to this one is a funny one.  In a Hungry Girl email about a month ago, there was an ad for Betty Crocker instant mashed potatoes and a recipe for a mexican mashed potato parfait thing.  It looked really good, but the question of what to have on the side or what to add to make it a substantial meal was up in the air.

So, the plan was to make the mexican version, but add some frozen, cooked chicken slices on top to add protein to it (we had a bag from Trader Joe's).  But then we didn't have any salsa left... and we had a bag of green giant cheddar broccoli and a box of whole wheat stuffing... so this is what Ki came up with!  It may look a little interesting, but it was delicious and reminded me of a traditional chicken dinner, just jazzed up a little bit.  If anything would be done differently in the future, the addition of some gravy would be quite tasty.

Chicken Stack

makes 4 servings

12 oz frozen, just grilled chicken strips (from Trader Joe's), thawed in the microwave according to the package

1 package cheddar and sour cream instant mashed potatoes, prepared

1 box stove top whole wheat stuffing mix, prepared with only water

1 green giant steamers broccoli in cheese sauce (a large bag), steamed in the microwave

The putzy thing about this recipe is preparing all of the ingredients.  They are all easy to do, but it just takes a few minutes.  We prepared the stuffing and the mashed potatoes on the stovetop which helped free up the microwave for the chicken and broccoli.

Once everything is heated and ready, start the assembly.   Start with the stuffing, then the mashed potatoes, then the broccoli in cheese sauce, and finally the chicken.

The presentation of this dish is definitely more deluxe than a traditional chicken dinner, with boring sides - it's amazing what happens to them when piled up vertically.  So the next time you are looking for a change to your Sunday night routine, whether it be for you or your family and friends, whip together this simple and tasty chicken dinner.