STORY ON A PLATE: Easy & Impressive

I started making this recipe about five years ago when I had just moved to downtown Chicago. You can make this dish *with the wine* for right around $20 bucks! You can adjust the recipe (veggies/pasta) to the liking of your dinner guests, make an impressive presentation & feast on a delicious meal all at the same time. So let’s get started.

Grocery List:

Green, red, yellow & banana peppers (1 of each).

Thin chicken breasts or cutlets.

1 bottle of Italian dressing (you can use light or fat free dressing too).

1 box of angel hair.

1 package of dry pesto mix or jar of pesto (Both work great. The dry pkg is much cheaper, of course).

Wine (optional).

You will need a Roaster… We use an inexpensive one like this Granite Ware Covered Roasters but I would love one like this Kinetic Color Cast Iron 7 Quart Oval Roaster – Blue and if you want to go luxe use one of these Le Creuset Oval 9 1/2 qt. French Oven – Red.

*Preheat the oven to 350 – 400 degrees & boil a pot of water for your pasta

STEP I. Main Dish

Clean and cut the peppers and any other vegetables you choose to use

Add all of your vegetables into the Roaster

Add chicken to the Roaster

Add the bottle of Italian dressing

Cover the Roaster and put in the oven. Cook for about 30 – 45 minutes. Depends on your oven, the amount of ingredients in your roaster and/or the size of your chicken breasts.

STEP II. Pesto Pasta

Very easy. Follow the instructions on the boxes. Once the pesto and the pasta are ready, toss them together in a bowl.

SIDE NOTE. Continue to check the chicken & peppers. Add salt, pepper and/or Nature’s Seasoning.

SIDE NOTE 2. This was the dish I made the first time I cooked for J. I stopped at the grocery store on my way to his house to pick up fresh chicken and while I was there I decided I would grab a bottle of white wine too. There was not a lot to choose from anyway but also I was in a hurry so I ended up with this bottle of wine (below). Not until after I purchased it, I realized that the bottle of wine was $4.99! What?! The funniest part about this is that the wine is now one of our faves to have with dinner. Yes, I just admitted that we drink cheap wine occasionally.

STEP III. Serve & Enjoy

After double checking that the chicken is completely cooked all the way through, pull the Roaster out of the oven.

Nest the pesto pasta onto the plate and then add the chicken and lastly top it off with the peppers. Sprinkle with Nature’s Seasons or salt & pepper.

With only 40 minutes to spare before the clock strikes 12, STORY ON A PLATE is served. Hope you enjoy!