Mozzarella Chicken (with tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms)

Unfortunately, the boyfriend (a loving term, btw) and I have stopped doing our weekly grocery trips. I no longer plan for an entire week of meals. Instead, I have developed a nasty habit of going every night to buy what I need for dinner. Horrible waste. Not only do I end up wasting food, but it’s a waste of money ($20-$30 every grocery trip…. ick).

I HAVE to change this. I need to go back to my old ways… Starting tonight.

I was given some garden fresh tomatoes today. I had chicken in the freezer, spinach in the fridge. What to make? Chicken topped with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and mozzarella.  (Okay, so I admit: I still had to go to the grocery store for the mozzarella… but it’s better than dropping $30 for an entire meal!)

Whatcha need:

Preheat oven to 425

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I thinned mine down by cutting them in half)
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 pack (12 oz I think) of sliced white mushrooms
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup of fresh mini-mozzarella balls
• olive oil, basil (I had to use dried since I didn’t have fresh), salt, & pepper

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Toss in the mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. I forgot to put in the mushrooms, so ended up cooking the mushrooms on the stove and throwing them in the oven when I put in the mozzarella… You can avoid my mistake (and an extra dish to wash) by just throwing them in the oven all together. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & basil, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes, until everything is soft. Toss the veggies a bit. Sprinkle the mozzarella balls on top and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mozzarella has melted.

While the veggies are baking: On the stove top, grill/fry the chicken breasts until they are cooked thoroughly. No pink, people!

Serve the chicken with the veggies on top. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Mmmmm. A fresh, easy, and (almost) grocery store trip-free dinner.

PS: We ate some sweet carrots with our dinner too. (In a microwave safe dish, cover carrots with water. Microwave for 6 minutes. Add some brown sugar or honey. Microwave for 6 more minutes. Not done? Microwave until they are! Easy, peasy!)