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30 Minute Meal/ One Pan

Healthy Chicken Pesto and Veggie Skillet

This skillet pesto chicken recipe comes together in less then 30 minutes! It’s fresh, healthy, and so delicious! Perfect for busy families!
Skillet Chicken with Pesto and veggies is an easy, healthy weeknight meal for any day of the year!

 

It seems like every other day I meet kids who refuse to eat pretty much everything. Mamas are always telling me their kids only eat frozen chicken nuggets, certain brands of cheese sticks, and other “kid” food. I definitely hear that kids refuse to eat anything plant based all the time.

Skillet Chicken with Pesto and Vegetables is a 30 minute meal worth making again and again!
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I mean, I get it! Dinner is HARD!
Wanna know my #1 secret to get kids interested in eating their veggies in a fun way?
Skillet Pesto Chicken and Veggies

I mean, I get it! Dinner is HARD!

Everyone is tired, crabby, hungry… its a sucky time of day. The very last thing you want to do is fight with kids about what they are eating. It totally makes sense in a tired parent brain to just feed them food you know they will eat. Its much better to know they are full and everyone is happy than to spend an hour fighting and have them go to bed hungry, right?

 

Except for when it all backfires and your kid is overly hungry because there are no options they will eat. I mean, don’t get mad – but its kind of, just ever so slightly, your fault. See, kids only know what they are taught. If you only teach them to eat chicken nuggets and goldfish crackers because its easier – that’s all they will know. If you want to teach them to love and enjoy a variety of foods, you need to teach it to them – by nurturing, discovering, and exploring all the food world has to offer.

Wanna know my #1 secret to get kids interested in eating their veggies in a fun way?

 

Grow a garden!

 

I have a facebook live video that totally explains it all in more detail (which you can watch here) but  basically – kids love to be involved! Giving them the opportunity to help care for, harvest and prepare their own food teaches them not only responsibility and a love of nature, but it also gets them super interested in checking out what they are growing! And while you are at it – give them a paring knife (and some super supervision) and let them help slice the veggies a little, too!

Skillet Chicken - One Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies - healthy, quick, family friendly weeknight meal
This skillet chicken dinner comes together in less then 30 minutes! It’s fresh, healthy, and so delicious! The only thing it lacks is its ability to reheat well, so just go ahead and eat it all! Enjoy!
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet yet, you need to get one! They are amazing workhorses! Check out this post to see why you need one and how to care for it.
Skillet Pesto Chicken and Veggies

Skillet Pesto Chicken and Veggies

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Slice the chicken thighs into strips.

  2. Drain the sun dried tomato oil off and roughly chop.

  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 TBSP olive oil.

  4. Add the sliced chicken thighs and season with salt, half of the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally.

  5. While the chicken is cooking, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and trim the ends off of the asparagus and cut into 2" pieces.

  6. When the chicken is cooked through, remove to another plate and keep warm. Keep the oil in the pan, and then add the asparagus and the rest of the dried-tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked but not limp.

  7. Add the chicken back to the skillet and add the pesto and the cherry tomatoes, and stir to coat well and the chicken is reheated, about another minute or two.

  8. Serve, and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 377 Total Fat: 25g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 142mg Sodium: 322mg Carbohydrates: 9g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g Protein: 33g
© Jenni
Cuisine: American / Category: One Pan
Slightly adapted from Julia’s Album

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About

Jenni lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her amazing husband, two girls, two dogs who think they are children, and a feisty cat. She is the creator of The Gingered Whisk, a recipe blog dedicated to finding easy, healthy-ish, and tasty weeknight meals that kids and adults alike will love. She is super passionate about helping every member of a family learn to love great food. When not cooking, eating, or thinking about food, she is often hiking around area parks, creating intricate legos castles with her girls, watching nerdy tv with her husband, or curled up in a corner somewhere reading a good book.

4 Comments

  • Reply
    Val
    July 22, 2016 at 6:24 PM

    This looks delicious and a perfect summer meal! I'll be pinning it for later!

  • Reply
    Robart
    August 28, 2016 at 5:42 AM

    Very nice post. Thanks

  • Reply
    Kid-friendly Gluten Free Meal Plan - Meal Planning Blueprints
    August 25, 2017 at 2:31 AM

    […] I digress. Okay, go make these yummy dinners but before you do, print out the meal plan that’s all made-up-fancy with a grocery list for ya. You’re welcome. […]

  • Reply
    Angela
    November 8, 2017 at 1:49 AM

    This recipe was so yummy and refreshing! My picky hubby and son loved the flavor of the chicken. They hate tomatoes though but that just meant more tomato goodness for me 🙂

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