Put It All On the Grill

Family Friendly Meals Series Day I

One of the easiest meals I cook is when I grill chicken, vegetables and potatoes all at the same time. And my family thinks I am a gourmet chef when I do. Here are some of the keys to my success and step by step by instructions for those who aren't confident in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
3 lb family pack of chicken breasts
1 bottle Wishbone Robusto Italian dressing
two peppers and one onion (my oldest boy prefers the onion, but you can grill whatever veggies you want)
15-20 baby red or white potatoes
Olive Oil
fresh fruit

Total prep and cooking time: about 30 minutes.

1. Start by prepping the chicken. Trim everything off the chicken that a kid might find "icky"...get a great pair of food scissors for this and the task is a snap.

2. Marinate your chicken. The marinade that my family all likes is Wishbone Robusto Italian dressing. I also cut all my chicken breasts in half so they marinate quickly and evenly. I usually do this in the morning before I go to work.

3. Thirty minutes before you are ready to eat, turn your grill on to heat up (med heat), and put the potatoes on the top rack. Be sure to prick the potatoes with a fork before you do. Close the grill. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

4. Cut up the peppers and onions and place them in a grill basket. If you don't have one, I highly recommend the pampered chef grill basket. I am obsessively in love with mine <3. If you have a Misto or spray bottle for you Olive Oil, mist the vegetables with Olive Oil and season with salt. If you don't have a spray bottle, baste lightly with Olive Oil.

5. When the timer goes off, the potatoes have been on the grill for about 10 mins, now it is time to turn them. Close the grill again. Now set the timer for 5 minutes.

6. Next I wash or cut up some fresh fruit for the kids.

7. When the timer goes off again, it is time to put the prepped chicken and vegetables on the grill. Give the potatoes another turn. Close the grill when through. Set 7 minutes on the timer. (Note: because I cut all my chicken breasts in half, they cook quickly.)


8. Head back in and put the drinks and fruit on the table. Wash all utensils used so far and the marinating dish, and clear your working space!

9. After the timer dings again, the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables need to be turned. Set the timer for another 7 minutes.

10. Tell the kids to wash their hands. Then pull out and put on the table whatever toppings you want for your potatoes: butter/smart balance, salt, etc. Pull out a large platter. I use one that belonged to Paul's mom's nana, we we always end up talking about the generations of Frenches who have eaten dinner off that platter when I serve this meal.

11. When the timer dings, it is time to serve.

When dinner is over, the clean up is minimal because all the cooking was done on the grill and you did a "clean as you go" in the midst of the cooking process.

On my next post, I will share what I do with the leftovers!