A Simple Little Supper

I like to keep my cooking fairly simple as well as thrifty.  The other night I prepared a quick and easy chicken meal that we often enjoy so I thought I would share it with you.

The first thing I do is bring a pan of water to boil to cook some small pasta like orzo.  While that is going I heat up some olive oil in a skillet and butterfly a couple of chicken breast halves.  The chicken is seasoned with some lemon pepper seasoning.

Butterflying the chicken allows it to cook faster
And if you have really large pieces you'll have better portion sizes 

While the chicken and pasta both cook I can pop a vegetable into the microwave real quick.  If I have leftover veggies those will just get reheated or I can steam some broccoli.  A lettuce salad is also a great option.

Once the pasta is drained I put it back into the pan and stir in a couple tablespoons of butter, a heaping spoonful of pesto and a couple tablespoons of grated parmesan.  I stir that all in and serve it as a side dish with the chicken and vegetables.

My girls absolutely love this side dish

The nice thing about simple meals like this is the versatility as well as how fast you can put together a really nice meal for your family.  The chicken can be swapped out with fish, pork or steak.  The seasonings can be swapped out with garlic and herb or just seasoning salt.  Sometimes just a little salt and pepper is fine.  Orzo can be swapped out with small shells or tiny elbows.  Pretty much any small pasta will work.  I love the mini bowties.

So that's it.  A quick and simple idea to get dinner on the table in short order.