Effortless One-Pan Baked Italian Chicken, Potatoes & Green Beans for Busy Weeknights
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kraft. The opinions and text are all mine.
For many parents, the daily dilemma of dinnertime often feels like the ultimate challenge. Between juggling work, school activities, and the endless demands of a busy household, finding the time and energy to prepare a meal that’s both delicious and nutritious for the entire family can seem impossible. As a mom navigating the diverse tastes of both older and younger kids, I know this struggle intimately. The goal is always to get a satisfying dinner on the table in a timely manner, but also to serve something that genuinely excites everyone, minimizing the dreaded “I don’t like this” chorus.
This is precisely why one-pot meals have become my culinary salvation. They are, without a doubt, my favorite way to prepare dinner for my family. The sheer simplicity of gathering all ingredients, placing them into a single baking dish, and letting the oven do most of the work is incredibly appealing. What emerges a short while later is a complete, wholesome, and flavorful meal, requiring hardly any active cooking time or extensive cleanup. It’s a win-win situation for any busy household seeking both convenience and quality.
Unlock Flavor Beyond the Salad Bowl with Kraft Dressings
When you think of Kraft dressings, your mind might instantly jump to crisp salads. While they are undoubtedly perfect for enhancing your greens, I’m here to tell you that their culinary potential extends far beyond! Kraft dressings, particularly the robust and flavorful varieties, can be your secret weapon for creating incredibly tasty main dishes that will revolutionize your dinner routine. They serve as excellent marinades, basting liquids, and flavor boosters for roasted meats and vegetables, infusing them with depth and zest.
For this particular recipe, the star ingredient is Kraft Lite Zesty Italian Dressing. This isn’t just a dressing; it’s a vibrant blend of herbs, spices, and a tangy kick that eliminates the need for a multitude of separate seasonings. Its balanced profile ensures that your chicken, potatoes, and green beans are perfectly seasoned and moist without any fuss. The “lite” version also means you can enjoy all the fantastic flavor with fewer calories, making it a smart choice for a balanced family meal. Using it as a marinade and roasting liquid simultaneously simplifies preparation and deepens the overall flavor profile of the dish.
Simple Steps to a Delicious One-Pan Meal
The beauty of this Baked Italian Chicken, Potatoes & Green Beans recipe lies in its incredibly straightforward preparation. You’ll begin by arranging your ingredients strategically in a single baking dish. Place the crisp green beans on one side, lean chicken breasts nestled in the middle, and neatly cut potatoes on the other side. This compartmentalized approach ensures each component cooks evenly and absorbs the delicious dressing without overcrowding.
Once everything is in place, simply pour a generous amount of Kraft Lite Zesty Italian Dressing over the entire dish, ensuring all the chicken, potatoes, and green beans are coated. The dressing will work its magic, tenderizing the chicken and infusing every bite of vegetables with its signature zesty flavor. After this minimal prep, the dish goes into the oven to bake for approximately one hour. During this time, you’re free to attend to other tasks, help with homework, or simply relax, knowing a wholesome meal is underway.
Once baked to perfection, pull the dish out of the oven. The chicken will be succulent, the potatoes tender and slightly caramelized, and the green beans perfectly cooked with a hint of crispness. Dish up generous portions of green beans, potatoes, and chicken onto plates. For a truly complete and balanced meal, serve it alongside a fresh side of fruit. In mere minutes, you’ve transformed simple ingredients into an easy, incredibly delicious, and nutritious meal that the entire family will undoubtedly devour!
This one-pot meal is truly taken to the next level, all thanks to the effortless flavor boost provided by Kraft dressing! It’s proof that healthy, homemade dinners don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to be utterly satisfying.
Baked Italian Chicken, Potatoes & Green Beans
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups green beans I used canned
- 1 1/2 lbs. white potatoes chopped into 1″ pieces
- 1 cup Kraft Lite Zesty Italian Dressing about 1/2 a bottle of dressing
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken lightly with a little salt and pepper.
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In a 9×13 baking dish, line one side of the pan with green beans. Then place chicken in the middle and cut potatoes lined down the other side. Drizzle dressing on top of green beans, chicken and potatoes.
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Place foil over the top and place in preheated oven for one hour (or until potatoes are soft and chicken is no longer pink on the inside).
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Dish up on plates and serve with a side of fruit. Enjoy!
Tips for Perfecting Your One-Pan Italian Chicken Dinner
While this recipe is designed for simplicity, a few considerations can elevate your meal even further. When selecting chicken, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for quick cooking and lean protein. However, chicken thighs could also be used for an even more succulent result, though they might require a slightly longer cooking time to ensure they are thoroughly cooked. For the potatoes, white potatoes are excellent, but feel free to experiment with red potatoes or even small Yukon Golds for a different texture. Ensure they are chopped into uniform 1-inch pieces to guarantee even cooking alongside the chicken and green beans.
Regarding green beans, the recipe calls for canned, which makes preparation incredibly fast. However, if you prefer, fresh green beans can be used. Just ensure they are trimmed, and for best results, blanch them quickly before adding them to the baking dish to ensure they reach desired tenderness without becoming mushy. Frozen green beans are another convenient option; simply thaw them before adding to the pan. Don’t be afraid to adjust the amount of Kraft Lite Zesty Italian Dressing to your liking – some families prefer a lighter coating, while others love a more robust flavor, using the full bottle to truly marinate the ingredients.
This dish is incredibly versatile, making it perfect for customizing to your family’s preferences or whatever vegetables you have on hand. Consider adding other hearty vegetables like chopped carrots, bell peppers, or even broccoli florets. Just be mindful of their cooking times; harder vegetables like carrots might benefit from being cut into smaller pieces or added slightly earlier than softer ones. You could also sprinkle some fresh parsley or grated Parmesan cheese over the finished dish for an extra burst of flavor and a touch of elegance, making it suitable even for unexpected guests!
A Family Favorite, Every Time
This Baked Italian Chicken, Potatoes & Green Beans recipe isn’t just easy; it’s genuinely delightful. It hits all the marks for a fantastic weeknight dinner: minimal preparation, easy cleanup, and flavors that appeal to a wide range of palates. The zesty Italian dressing acts as a marinade and seasoning all in one, infusing the lean chicken and tender vegetables with a bright, savory taste that’s far from bland. It’s the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table, eagerly anticipating what’s to come.
Furthermore, it’s a wholesome meal that provides a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables, ensuring your family receives the nutrients they need without compromising on taste. The convenience of a one-pan approach not only saves you time in the kitchen but also reduces the pile of dishes afterward, giving you more precious moments back in your day. It’s truly a testament to how effortless delicious and nutritious home cooking can be with the right ingredients and a little ingenuity.
Ready to revolutionize your dinner routine and make weeknights a little less hectic and a lot more flavorful? Change up your dinner game with Kraft. Visit KraftRecipes.com for even more fantastic recipes and meal ideas, all featuring the quality and deliciousness you expect from Kraft products. Because every meal, especially dinner, deserves to be delicious.