Pizza Chicken Meal Prep

Many clean eaters are on the hunt for tasty meal prep recipes and ideas now since the holidays are winding down and it’s time to get back into a solid routine to feel good again.

Meal prepping can save a lot of time and money compared to constant drive-thru trips. It’ll also leave us feeling GOOD after we eat and not sluggish and puffy as most fast foods do.

We’re (I’m) definitely not “perfect” or rigid here at CFC – but we certainly *try* to avoid overly processed stuff as much as possible. We aim to keep our meals high protein and veggie heavy because this keeps us satisfied and nourished with necessary vitamins and minerals. Which simultaneously helps to control our cravings and can also keep our blood sugar level throughout the day.

So, what I’m getting at is this Pizza Chicken Meal Prep with Green Beans checks our most important boxes while ALSO being SUPER DELICIOUS and having just enough “fun” involved (thanks to melty cheese and crisp pepperoni) to satisfy our taste buds fully as well.

Rachel’s Tips:

Start with uniform breasts: Trim fat and pound the thicker parts with a mallet to create very uniform pieces of chicken as shown. Do not over-pound the chicken, then it cooks too fast, which will dry it out.

When shopping for store-bought marinara sauce:

I like to make sure the marinara has no added sugar (tomatoes naturally contain sugar, but we don’t need added sugar in the ingredients list.)

I REALLY prefer sauce in glass jars – much better flavor and no leaching from cans.

A good marinara sauce contains just a few simple ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Splurge on the high-quality sauce when you can, because your dish will taste exactly like the sauce you use.

Try this with Rachel’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.

Since there are only a few simple ingredients used here, I really recommend using the absolute freshest, highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on…it makes all the difference.

Freshly grated or freshly sliced cheese from a block will melt the best because pre-grated/pre-sliced cheese is coated in preservatives that interfere with the natural melting capability of cheese.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to even thickness
• 2 tsps Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices nitrate-free pepperoni
• 1 1/2 lbs green beans, steamed ( I used this recipe )

Optional:

• freshly chopped parsley or basil

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f. and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Rub your chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Place them on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the fresh green beans.

Carefully remove your sheet pan after 10 minutes of baking. Top each chicken breast with a spoonful of marinara sauce, a slice of mozzarella, and slices of pepperoni as desired. I cut my pepperoni into smaller pieces to add flavor to every bite of chicken.

Return to the oven and continue to bake for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink and the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees f. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

Divide the pizza chicken among 4 meal prep containers and nestle your steamed green beans next to each.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs if desired.

Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

They reheat best in an Air-Fryer, but a microwave also works.

Enjoy!

Rachel

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