Coffee Time: a noun/verb with the same result

There is nothing more stressful than trying to compile a lunch at 6-something while rushing to head to work so take the easy (and healthy) route and spend an hour prepping with these simple ingredients!

1. Polenta from scratch (we fancy like that)
2. Tomatoes
3. Pesto
4. Mushrooms & Onions
5. Carrots
6. Chicken
7. Potato (I get the ones ready to steam in the microwave but a regular russet potato works here too just bake it with the chicken)

Lets talk Polenta – I used to buy this for triple the cost until I read in a cookbook it’s cornmeal and water (I add bouillon). Yep – it’s just that easy and cheap. So, first things first, put 4 cups of water on boil with the appropriate amount of bouillon. Once it boils, turn the heat off but leave on the eye and then gradually whisk (unless you like lumps a whisk is a must) in 1/4 cup of yellow cornmeal. Remove from heat and let sit. If you really want to be fancy, throw in some chopped parsley or a handful of spinach or greens but otherwise, let this sit about 15 minutes and then it’s ready to divide into lunch boxes!

Chicken and Carrots: For the chicken, I use my simple baked chicken recipe but leave some space on one end of the pan. Then while that’s baking I skin about a pound or 10ish carrots, chop into 1/2-1 inches, then put in the oven with olive oil with the chicken for the last 18-20 minutes.

Mushrooms and Onions: Dice up 1-2 onions (in Texas the onions are the size of my daughter’s head so just one will work here but the goal is about 2 cups diced). Saute with 2 TBSP of olive oil until translucent, then add in 1 package of sliced mushrooms and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Build your lunch!

Get out 5 containers. Divide the polenta into three containers, put a potato in each of the remaining containers. Put carrots, mushroom & onions, and chicken in each container. Add cherry tomatoes then top with pesto (or your favorite dressing).

Pro tip: if you want to use another type of tomato, say Campari (my fav), don’t dice it until the day of the lunch because it’ll ruin the flavor!