Preparing a wholesome and delicious dinner every day is a challenge many busy families face. Between getting our kids ready for school and taking them to their nightly activities, we barely have time to squeeze in dinner together as much as we’d like. To be honest, many weeknights are a bit of a blur at our house! I’m excited to announce I’m participating in the Weeknight Wins by Sauté Express® Sauté Starter Blogger Challenge from Land O’Lakes.
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Here’s how it works:
- Each week, four fabulous bloggers and I will be issued a challenge topic about the daily hurdles many moms face when preparing dinner.
- The bloggers post their recipe idea on their blog, and pin to our Pinterest Board about Weeknight Wins. This challenge should give us all some great options for those crazy weeknights!
- Along with the recipes I’ll be sharing on The Hungry Housewife, you can follow the challenge on Pinterest and pin your favorite recipes. Of course, you can pin more than one of your favorite ideas! Check it out over at the Weeknight Wins by Sauté Express® Sauté Starter Pinterest Board.
- Plus, each week there will be a sweepstakes to enter. Read more below about how to enter for a chance to win a Weeknight Wins prize pack!
The first Challenge this week is “Please Your Picky Eater.” This topic is super relevant for my family. As a recipe developer and food blogger I get asked two specific questions all the time…
1) Why don’t you weigh 350 pounds? (Everyone seems to use this number!)
2) Do your kids eat everything you make?
Answer to Q1: Ha. I have gained lots and lots of weight since starting my blog.
Answer to Q2: Ha, again. I have the pickiest eaters on the face of the planet. I swear.
My kids used to eat everything I put in front of them when they were babies, but as they have grown, they have lost their taste buds. When I make my weekly menu and ask them what they want for dinner this week, I always get the same four requests from the kids over and over: tacos, hamburgers, pizza, pasta. Uggggg, anyone else in the same boat? It’s very frustrating. I am tired of all of those things.
Pizza, I can do. But, again, it gets boring because all the kids want is cheese pizza. I was challenged by Land O’Lakes to create an easy weeknight meal with their new Sauté Express® Sauté Starter that even my pickiest eaters would love. Have you seen this new GENIUS product? I am in love, seriously.
When I first read about the product, I thought, “Ok, they mixed some olive oil, butter and spices together. I do that all the time in my skillet.” But let me tell you, these little delicious miracle starter squares are AHHHH-mazing! You melt them in the pan, add your protein and BAM…. a perfectly seasoned dinner! Just look at all the Italian seasonings in the pan.
I decided to please my two picky eaters by mixing up our normal boring pizza night. No more round, classic cheese pizza. My idea for “Please Your Picky Eater” is Chicken Pizza Pockets. These fun pizza pockets are super kid-friendly and put a fresh twist on pizza night!
I used one Italian Herb Sauté Express® Sauté Starter square in a skillet, added my chicken, licked the spoon and chopped the chicken to add it to my fancy pizza pockets.
Roll the pizza dough out and cut into fourths.
Add some pizza sauce (homemade or store bought).
Sprinkle on the cheese and chopped chicken.
Fold the pizza dough over onto itself and pinch the edges to seal.
Lightly brush the dough with an egg wash and Italian Seasoning and pop them in the oven.
Viola, simple, quick and easy dinner.
The Sauté Express® Sauté Starter added pizzazz to the chicken, without adding any extra steps to the cooking process!
It’s sweepstakes time so you can try this at home!
One winner will win four coupons for Sauté Express® Sauté Starter, a set of six divided dinner plates, a set of dish towels and a Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet.
Now, share your idea for Pleasing Picky Eaters for a chance to win the Sauté Express® Sauté Starter Picky Eater Prize Pack.
Bonus: Tell me what you would make using Sauté Express® Sauté Starter to Please Your Picky Eater. Each week, Land O’Lakes will also pick a few of favorites, which will be featured on Land O’Lakes Weeknight Meals Pinterest Board. *When you enter, Land O’Lakes may select your comment to feature for promotion, social media and/or other related marketing materials.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Here’s how to enter–> Simply leave a comment below answering one of the following questions:
What is your weeknight win to please a picky eater?
OR
What would you make with Sauté Express® Sauté Starter?
Enter The Weeknight Wins by Sauté Express® Sauté Starter Sweepstakes
Details
Open to legal U.S. residents 18 years and older. No purchase necessary to enter or win. One entry per person (that includes email address & IP address) per day. Required information is first & last name and valid email address. Entries obtained by mechanical or spamming mechanisms will be disqualified. One winner will be chosen at random from all of the qualified entries submitted. Sweepstakes ends on Friday, April 5, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be contacted via email supplied in the entry & will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Approximate retail value of prize: $150
Sweepstakes is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. The Hungry Housewife and the sponsor reserve the right to cancel the sweepstakes at any time. Contact The Hungry Housewife for winner list or with any questions. By participating in this Sweepstakes, you agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the Sponsors, which shall be final. All federal, state, and local laws apply; void where prohibited.
- ½ lb. (1) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 Italian Herb Sauté Express® Sauté Starter square
- 1 lb. fresh pizza dough (can purchase from your bakery) or 1 can refrigerated pizza crust
- 1 cup pizza sauce, divided
- 1 cup (4 oz.) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Italian seasoning to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium non-stick skillet with a lid, melt Sauté Express® Sauté Starter over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble.
- Add chicken and cook for 6–8 minutes per side with lid on or until no longer pink in the middle. Chop into small bite-sized pieces.
- While chicken is cooking, roll out pizza dough into a 12″ circle on a lightly floured surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into fourths (four triangles), and place on cookie sheet.
- Evenly distribute ½ cup pizza sauce, cheese and chicken over each triangle, leaving about ¼–½ inch clean edge.
- Fold dough over and pinch the edges to seal. Lightly brush with egg wash.
- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden. (*If you used the pizza crust from the can, follow baking instructions on the package.)
- Serve with remaining ½ cup pizza sauce.
Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Sauté Express® Sauté Starter. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes. All opinions are my own.
CONTEST WINNER : Melissa C
Yum. These look delicious! And I find that picky eaters always love cheesy things, so I’ll make grilled cheese or little pizzas for the kids I babysit. 🙂
Spaghetti wins almost every time
This recipe would probably be a winner. And just like you I think I could make the same 4-5 dishes every week and everyone would be happy but I too get tired of tacos, pasta, pizza, burgers, hot dogs. I’m trying to think what I could use these squares for and perhaps in heating up some steak meat and making nachos would work.
Hamburgers and fries are the winner!!!
My week night go to for picky eaters is my crock pot chicken spaghetti! Usually I have no grumbling when I make it!
I have super picky girls so my sanity saver is always some kind of pasta dish – I can mix in chicken or shrimp, sauce without “chunky stuff” and serve it up. Cool giveaway!
Pizza pockets are one of my favorite easy dinners too! 🙂 I like the chicken in this one.
My 2 1/2 year old is really picky, so my winning meal is definitely spaghetti.
I’d try the Saute Express Lemon Pepper on some tilapia. But then I’d add it to some soft shells, lettuce and a zesty sauce to give tacos a new twist!
I would make either lasagna or pizza with it. Looks so good and convenient.
Mac and cheese or flank steak to please my picky 2 1/2 year old
Black bean chili is a winner in my house.
I would make some garlic herb cheese rolls with that amazing butter spread on top!
My little picky eater loves pizza or steak. I bet this would be awesome brushed on pizza crust.
Any type of pasta as long as it has tomato sauce in the recipe
I love doing spaghetti casserole- plus it feeds us for more than one night!
I love your Chicken Pocket Pizza Recipe! This would be the winner in household! Yum…..love these Sauté Express® Sauté Starters! Great ideas for busy weeknights!
My picky eater usually will eat pasta anyway. I would definitely be able more creative with these!
Oops….sorry, I ment Chicken Pizza Pockets!
My faimily loves pasta with marinara sauce
I make a quick chicken parmesan for my family for a quick weeknight meal. Thanks for the chance to enter.
I’ve been dying to use these sauté starters….I’d just sauté a chicken breast and serve it on a salad or some rice!
My picky eater will ALWAYS eat plain noodles or chicken nuggets!!
Back when I had a picky eater I would actually make something similar to these. I would make pulled chicken with bacon and bbq sauce, wrap it in dough (no cheese for her, the weirdo) and bake it up. Good times.
My kids are really picky but they love pancakes for dinner.
Homemade mac and cheese – the saute starters would make a great flavorful start for the white sauce.
Pepperoni pizza
melted cheese! especially on roasted veggies.
When I had picky eaters at home, one of their favorite meals was stuffed shells and cheesy breadsticks. Sometimes, I could even get them to eat a little bit of salad, but most of the time they preferred cinnamon applesauce.
My weeknight go to is anything stuffed into a tortilla and grilled as a quesadilla!
My weeknight win is a turkey dish called Thanksgiving pie, its a hit with everyone.
I would use the saute express to season tofu for a quick stir fry dinner. No kids here….:)
Tacos are always a winner in my house.
I know….my kids request the same thing for dinner over and over again! LOL…For my family, anything with pasta and garlic saute mushrooms will please the picky eater. I can’t wait to try the Garlic & Herb Saute’ Starter with my mushrooms, shrimps and spinach penne! I’m sure the Garlic & Herb Saute’ Starter will add lots of flavor for the otherwise “same old pasta”! 😉
amy [at] utry [dot] it
I only have to feed myself (and I am not a picky eater in most regards, I have been trying foods I used to not like and finding I like them now). I think I would make a stir fry in the pan for the first thing- love a good frying pan
Meatballs spaghetti will please the picky eaters in my family. I will make the meatballs spaghetti with the Italian Herb Sauté Express® Sauté Starter that will add more flavor and I’m sure this is my weeknight win to please my picky eaters.
attct[at]aol[dot]com
My 17 month old is a super picky eater, he only really likes veggies (not the worst problem, I guess). I make sure that any meal I make I add a ton of vegetables to it, and I’ll hide some protein in it as best I can. For example, when I make pasta sauce, I’ll add a garden full of veggies (asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, corn kernels, eggplant….), and sneak in minced beef or veal or pork. I think the garlic and herb saute starter would actually be really good in this particular dish!
My picky eater is a “meat & potatoes” lover, so I’d make steak fajitas using the Sauté Express® Sauté Starter Savory Butter and Olive Oil, served up on hot flour tortillas with lots of cheese! Leslie, your pizza pockets look DELICIOUS. Wish I could have one for breakfast… 🙂
Homeme\ade pizza so everyone can pick their own toppings
To please my picky eater, I sauteed turkey meatballs in the Garlic & Herb Saute Express… a winner!
I love pizza pockets and would like to use it on some chicken with vegetables.
Pizza and any type of pasta dish go over very well in my household.
My picky eater loves Creamy Italian Chicken from the crock pot. So easy to make, and tastes so good!
My picky eaters would eat spaghetti 7 nights a week if I let them. Thank God, they also love vegetables.
I would use the olive oil and butter saute express to make a stirfry.
I would try out your recipe. 🙂
My picky eater would love this recipe, he usually just likes plain chicken
You know how we get our kids to eat? My husband plays Zelda. No shit, he plays Zelda if they eat. We’re now working on the 3rd one game we own chronologically since we started this. Good stuff, man.
That is hysterical!
My kids love taco night. Everyone helps make it and you can pick whatever toppings you choose.
My weeknight win is chicken parmesan or baked chicken fajitas – my daughter loves both of these. My husband will eat pretty much anything I make for dinner 🙂
This looks like a real winning recipe for picky eater, & I enjoy making grilled cheese for visiting kids!
tacos is my picky eater’s favorite thanks
My weeknight win is home made chicken nuggets & sweet potato fries. Chicken breast cut into bite size pieces, coated with shake n bake, and bake. Slice the potato into “fries” and mix with extra virgin olive oil, a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder, top with a sprinkle of paprika, bake. The kids love it!
I would love to try the Garlic & Herb Saute on some tilapia, and brussels sprouts, or asparagus.
I would make a mac n cheese
thanks for the awesome giveaway!
lola_violets_2010{AT}yahoo{DOT}com
Taco’s are the winner here!
pulled pork or breakfast for dinner is always a hit with my four.
Homemade Meatballs and spaghetti is my go to dish for my picky eater.
Anything on the grill. My husband usually mans the grill while I cook up some veggies. So excited for some spring weather!
I make and store meatballs in the freezer and use them in spaghetti sauce or a white sauce. It’s quick, easy and loved by all.
Would definitely use this to start your Greek Chicken Pasta, duh!
My kids love shrimp, I think we need to try the lemon pepper pasta with shrimp….like tonight!
my go to is grilled chicken and cous cous – b/c my family will eat it and its quick – your recipe looks yummy!
I would use the lemon pepper saute express to create a tasty tilapia dish.
Love your Saute Express idea. I just started using this product and love, love, love it. My go-to is the garlic one on chicken with cheese and noodles. An easy win! 🙂
It’s the best, right??!!!
Oooh I would LOVE to use the sauce starters to make some pizza! Pizza is always a winner at our house! Those pizza pockets look delish, by the way.