Meal Prep Ideas: Chicken and Veggies in Parchment Paper Boats

In a previous blog post, we talked about how useful parchment paper liner sheets are. During this time, I realized that parchment paper is one of my top kitchen tools especially when it comes to meal prep and meal planning. Yes, I love to cook. But before this quarantine, I cooked only once twice a day — breakfast and lunch or dinner. Nowadays, I have to cook 3 meals a day, plus snack time, which can sometimes be tiring especially since I still have work to do. Good thing I found some meal planning tips and all I need is parchment paper to help me out.

Meal Prep Tips and Cooking with Parchment Paper

Cooking “en papillote” is a relief. It’s like one-pot cooking without washing the dishes afterwards. Here are some tips on how to cook your meals and make meal prep easier with parchment paper:

1. Choose Your Ingredients — When choosing ingredients, make sure you have delicate proteins such as chicken, fish, or firm tofu. Throw in some veggies and make sure to season your food. You can get creative with herbs and other ingredients such as butter, olive oil. lemon juice, or white wine. However, don’t add the wet ingredients yet if you’re going to keep them in the fridge. Also, better to add salt, just before cooking them as salt makes ingredients “perspire.”
2. Use Pre-Cut Parchment Paper — Kitchenatics Parchment Paper Sheets are pre-cut so you can use them straight from the package. They don’t curl up so it’s easier to put in the ingredients and fold.
3. Perfect the Folding Technique — When folding in the ingredients, make sure you leave out an inch between the ingredients and the parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper into a triangle and fold the edges to make it look like an empanada. If you’re having trouble visualizing it, here’s a quick tutorial.
4. Additional Tips — Rub a bit of olive oil before cooking which makes the parchment paper pouch puff and lets you know when it’s done. Also, make sure that the opening is away from your face so the steam doesn’t escape towards you and burn you.

Easy Recipes to Cook with Parchment Paper

One recipe that I love to cook with parchment paper is Oven Baked Salmon. Anyway, if you don’t have salmon, you can cook this healthy Chicken and Vegetables recipe instead.

Don’t forget to share the recipe with your friends and family! Feel free to comment or send a message if you have recipe suggestions, too.

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Chicken and Veggies in Parchment Paper Boats

Make meal prep easier with parchment paper sheets. Take the hassle out of cooking and preparing food by making them in advance. Try this delicious, healthy and easy Chicken and Veggies in parchment paper boats.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword easy recipes, meal prep

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb baby bok choy trimmed and leaves separated
• 12 oz cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 piece small shallot sliced thinly
• 1 bunch thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• coarse salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 pieces boneless and skinless chicken breast halves pounded into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

Instructions

• Prepare the parchment paper sheets and fold them into "boats."
• In a bowl, toss the bok choy leaves, tomatoes, shallot, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, and oil.
• Just before cooking, season the veggies with salt and pepper. Rub salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken and add them to the parchment paper boats.
• Add 2 sprigs of thyme and drizzle with 1 tablespoon wine.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Arrange the parchment paper boats on a baking pan and cook for 20 to 22 minutes or until the parchment paper puffs out.