Over the past few months, it’s been interesting to see the varying combinations that people come up with each week. There’s those who post elaborate preps – coconut curries, schnitzels, and chicken Parmesan casseroles… And there’s those who post chicken, broccoli, and rice. Every. Single. Week. Take a glance through /r/mealprepsunday and you’ll see what a staple this combination is in the meal prep world.

There’s a lot of us out there who don’t understand the obsession with these three ingredients. For every person who posts a picture of their prep, there’s another who bashes it and complains about how overused the combo is.

Long story short, I decided to test it out myself to see what the rage was all about. Here’s my take:

Pros: Quick. Easy. Inexpensive. Doesn’t require elaborate ingredients.

Cons: Bland. Bland. Bland. Dry. (I can see why many of you are sick of this)

Despite being bland and dry, it was ridiculously convenient to prepare and the recipe had potential. I tried to kick it up a notch without losing the convenience factor. It’s still ridiculously easy, quick, and inexpensive but not bland or dry… I promise!

For those of you who continue to cringe at the thought of chicken, broccoli, and rice… Give it another shot. I promise this recipe won’t disappoint!

Grocery List/Ingredients



5 Chicken Breast (Less or more depending on how much you want in one meal) 1 Bunch of Broccoli or 1 Package Broccoli Florets 1 Bulb of Garlic 1 Lemon Brown Rice or Quinoa Chicken Broth or Bouillon Cubes (Optional) 1 Packet of Shake and Bake Your Favorite Sauce (Ex. BBQ, Hot Sauce, Chimichurri) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt Black Pepper

If you follow this guide, you should be finished prepping in just about an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Get started on the rice or quinoa. Brown rice takes a while to cook (around 45 mins and requires little attention while it’s cooking. Follow package instructions. Coat chicken in your sauce of choice and proceed to ‘shake and bake’. Arrange chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse your broccoli and separate it into florets. Add all ingredients except for lemon juice and spread it out evenly on a foil lined baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until florets are tender. Slice chicken breast if desired. Squeeze lemon juice onto broccoli. Distribute all ingredients equally amongst 5 containers.

Rice or Quinoa

1 + 1/4 Cup Rice or Quinoa

Chicken Broth or Water as listed on packet instructions

Prepare rice or quinoa according to packet instructions. For extra flavor, boil rice or quinoa with chicken broth instead of water.

Chicken

5 Chicken Breast

3 Tablespoons of your favorite sauce

1 Packet of Shake and Bake

Coat chicken with your sauce of choice. I prefer BBQ sauce. Coat chicken in shake and bake seasoning and arrange on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Broccoli

1 Bunch of Broccoli or Broccoli Florets

2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

2 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Toss Broccoli with all ingredients except for lemon juice. Bake at 400 for approximately 15 minutes or until Broccoli is tender. Squeeze lemon onto broccoli.

Lazy Tips



Can’t figure out how to cook rice?

Use a rice cooker. Can’t bear the thought of cleaning?

Line your baking pans with foil… Toss the foil in the garbage after use… Voila. Too lazy to chop broccoli? Garlic?

Buy pre-rinsed, pre-cut florets, and pre-minced garlic. Can’t keep track of cooking times?

Set 3 timers. 1 for the rice, 1 for the chicken, and 1 for the broccoli.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Cal 489 | Carbs 56 g | Fat 10 g | Protein 42 g