21 Day Fix Easy Chicken Parmesan Pockets

I made these super easy Chicken Parmesan Pockets last week and they were a hit. I love how easy they were to put together for an easy week night dinner or prepped ahead for lunches at work!  

This recipe calls for Marinara sauce and I personally make my own (recipe below) but if you are purchasing some just get one that has nothing but tomatoes and no added sugar or salt in it!  

This recipe also uses Italian Seasoning as well so if you don't have a spice jar of pre-made Italian seasoning then you can make your own with just a few spices you might already have on hand.  

For picky kids you can always use plain chicken and cheese for their pockets which is exactly what we did for Fraser.  Both kids quite enjoyed having "Pizza Pockets" for dinner and I made a few extra for our lunches the next day as well!  They are easy to warm up in the toaster oven or mirco for a hearty and hot lunch.  

I can think of so many yummy things you would pop into these pockets to change things up! What would you put in them?

The Method to make these is incredibly easy, just mix the sauce, spices, basil and chicken together.

Once mixed you will sprinkle cheese onto the center of the wrap and then top it with a thick layer of the chicken mixture.  I used my 21 day fix blue container to measure the cheese and my red container to measure the chicken mixture so I had the container counts done.  

Then just fold in the ends of it and fold over the long sides to make it into a nice pocket.  I wasn't sure if it would all hold together but the cheese on the inside must have done a good job because these little pockets held together perfectly!

I used my Cast Iron griddle to cook 5 at the same time which was a great way to get them all cooked at one time.  I made one with just cheese and plain chicken for Fraser which was gobbled up and I was happy that Asher liked the one with tomato and basil too! 

These pockets are back on the menu again this week (stay tuned for that meal plan) and I'm seriously looking forward to them.  I prepped the shredded chicken this morning by cooking the chicken and shredding it in the stand mixer (which is the best thing ever).  Check out the video below I made a few weeks back.  

Now you can either do the chicken breasts in the crock pot with some sort of sauce or you can boil or poach the chicken to make it tender enough to shred easily.  This is an ideal quick method for cooking chicken breasts.  You can either boil them in water or chicken stock, whichever you prefer. 

All you have to do is place the chicken in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken pieces comfortably. Add enough cooking liquid to cover the chicken. If desired, add any other ingredients for flavoring the liquid and chicken. Bring to boiling on medium-high heat; reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink. Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook. 

21 Day Fix Easy Chicken Parmesan Pockets

Yield: Four wraps
Container Counts:  (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue and 1/2 green)

Ingredients

3 cups roughly shredded, cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning (Make you own using Parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, basil and red pepper flakes)
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup your favorite marinara sauce (I use the Grandmas tomato sauce recipe below)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 Whole wheat tortilla wraps
1 cup shredded, white cheddar cheese
Additional marinara sauce, warmed for dipping, if desired

Directions

Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl. Add Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper, and stir well to combine.

Add marinara sauce and basil to chicken mixture, and stir to combine again.

Lay 1 Tortilla wrap on work surface, and sprinkle ¼ cup (1 blue container) of cheese down the center, leaving a large border all around the cheese. Spread ¼ of the chicken mixture (1 red container) on top of the cheese.

Fold short ends of wrap inward toward middle, and then fold long sides of wrap inward toward middle, making a closed wrap.

Repeat with the remaining 3 wraps, dividing the remaining cheese and the remaining chicken mixture evenly among them.

Preheat a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once preheated, add the wraps and cook on the first side until golden brown, about 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Flip wraps and cook on second side until golden, about another 1½ minutes.

Serve with additional tomato sauce for dipping.

Grandma's Tomato Sauce Recipe

I made a bunch of big batches of this tomato sauce this summer and canned it to preserve and use over the winter.  So I just opened up a Jar to use for my Parm Pockets.  Here is the Recipe.  21 Day Fix Servings:  12 (1/2 cup each)      Container Count:   3 greens  1/2 tsp Prep Time: 40 min Cooking Time: 1 hr  15 min Ingredients 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 med onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste, no salt added 1/4 cup red wine 2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes [like San Marzano or Cento} crushed or pureed in a blender 2 Tbsp agave nectar or Honey 1 tsp sea salt 1/4  tsp ground black pepper 1 (3 oz) Parmesan (or parmigiano) cheese rind 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil  Directions

1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over me-high heat
2.  Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 min or until onion is translucent
3.  Add garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 min.  Do not let tomato paste burn. 
4.  Add wine;  stirring constantly for 2-3 min. 
5.  Add tomatoes, agave, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil,  stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 3 min.
6.  Add cheese rind; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
7.  add basil, mix well. 

*The parmigiano rind is not totally necessary, but it is a great way to add depth to the sauce without much by way of extra calories.   

January 29th 21 Day Fix Meal Plan for 1200-1499 Calorie Range

This week instead of making a soup or chili for the lunches at work, I've decided to try a Salad's All week idea that I found on Pinterest.  Basically you just prep all the salad greens and veggies ahead and then keep all the proteins and toppings separate until you are ready to eat.  I am planning to make this for 3 lunches this week.  I have included the original blog link and the ingredients lists below my meal plan for you to reference. 

I'm also trying a few other new recipes including the Chicken Parmesan Pockets and Humming Bird Over night oats!  Can't wait to try both of these! 

Today I'll make Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal for our breakfasts, prep Shredded Chicken for the Chicken Parmesan wraps and Salads, and I will also make the chicken Parmesan wraps ahead so we can make them easily!

Unfortunately I really have a late start to my Sunday as we have a sick 3 year old.... he has a cough that started as just a night time and in the morning cough but the runny nose started up last night and his cough is much more persistent today.  So it's been a morning of wiping his nose, administering puffers, and cuddling.  But at least the meal plan is done right!!

21 Day Fix Meal Plan for 1200- 1499 Calorie Range

Sunday

Breakfast: French Toast topped with Greek Yogurt & Strawberry Sauce (1 Slice) (1 Yellow ½ purple 1 Red)

Snack: Café Latte Shakeology

Lunch: Portobello tuna melts

Snack: Veggies and homemade ranch dip

Dinner: Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and veggies

Monday

Breakfast: Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal and Greek Yogurt (1 Yellow, 1 red)

Snack: Café Latte Shakeology (1 Red)

Lunch: Salad All Week (see below) (2 Green 1 Red 1 Orange)

Snack: Veggies and homemade ranch dip (1 Green ¼ red)

Dinner: Chicken Parmesan Pocket (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue and 1/2 green)

Snack: Apple and Peanut Butter (1 Purple 2 Spoons)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal and Greek Yogurt (1 Yellow, 1 red)

Snack: Café Latte Shakeology (1 Red)

Lunch: Salad All Week (see below) (2 Green 1 Red 1 Orange)

Snack: Veggies and homemade ranch dip (1 Green ¼ red)

Dinner: Brown Rice Lasagna Skillet (1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 blue, 1/4 green, 1/2 purple, 1 spoon)

Snack: Apple slices and peanut butter (1 Purple 2 tsp)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal and Greek Yogurt (1 Yellow, 1 red)

Snack: Café Latte Shakeology (1 Red)

Lunch: Chicken Parmesan Wrap (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue and 1/2 green)

Snack: Sliced peppers (1 Green)

Dinner: Mexican Taco Lettuce Wraps (2 Green, 1 Red, 1/2 Purple, 1 Tsp)
Snack: Apple Slices and Peanut Butter (1 Purple 2 tsp)

Thursday

Breakfast: Apple Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal with plain Greek Yogurt (1 Yellow, 1 Red)

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology (1 Red)

Lunch: Salad All Week (see below) (2 Green 1 Red 1 Orange)

Snack: Sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes (1 Green)

Dinner: Chicken Burrito Bowl (1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Green)
Snack:  Apple Slices and Peanut Butter (1 Purple 2 tsp)

Friday

Breakfast: Humming Bird Over night oats (1 Yellow, 1 Purple, 1/2 Blue)

Snack: Café Latte Shakeology (1 Red)

Lunch: Salad All Week (see below) (2 Green 1 Red 1 Orange)

Snack: Raspberries and greek yogurt (1 Purple

Dinner: Tacos (1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Blue, 1 Green)
Snack: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt (1 Red, 2 tsp)

Sunday Prep

Prepare Shredded Chicken

Make Peanut Butter Apple Baked Oatmeal

Prep Salad All Week Boxes

Prep Chicken Parmesan Wraps

Recipes

French Toast with Strawberry Topping

SERVES: 4 (2 slices each) Prep Time: 15 min. Cooking Time: 41 min. 

CONTAINER EQUIVALENTS (per serving): ½ Purple 2½ Yellow  ½ Red  ½ Spoons

½ cup unsweetened almond milk 

4 large eggs 

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 

½ tsp. ground cinnamon 

½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 

8 slices low-sodium sprouted whole-grain bread (like Ezekiel) 

1 cup Strawberry Topping 

1. Combine almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Transfer almond milk mixture to a shallow pan. 

2. Dip each slice of bread into almond milk mixture, soaking for 10 seconds on each side. Place on wire rack to absorb and drain excess egg mixture. 

3. Heat cast iron (or nonstick) skillet over medium heat. 

4. Lightly coat skillet with spray; cook two slices of bread for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. 

5. Repeat, lightly coating skillet with spray and adding 2 slices of bread for each batch. 

6. Top each slice of French toast with 2 Tbsp. Strawberry Topping and enjoy! 

Strawberry Topping

1/4 cup = 1/2 purple 

2 cups sliced strawberries, divided use 

¼ cup water 

2 Tbsp. raw honey 

1 pinch sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 

2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel (lemon zest) (approx. 2 medium lemons) 

1½ tsp. cornstarch (preferably GMO-free) + 1½ tsp. water (combine to make a slurry) 

1. Combine 1 cup strawberries, water, honey, and salt in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain strawberries; reserve liquid and discard strawberries. 

2. Place liquid and lemon peel in same saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add cornstarch slurry. Whisk until well blended; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. 

4. Add remaining 1 cup strawberries; mix well. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

Salad All Week 

I found this great blog post by Bare Feet In the Kitchen that included a list of all the ideas to add to your salads for the week to spice it up and keep it exciting.  I thought I'd try it out this week.  Here is the original post if you want to check it out. 

Ingredients

VEGETABLE OPTIONS: (any combination of the below ingredients will keep nicely for several days in the refrigerator)

chopped greens: typically a mix of romaine, spring mix, spinach, arugula, or butter lettuce (rarely all of them, just whichever ones I have on hand at the time)

tomatoes: sliced or chopped

cucumber: sliced or chopped

corn: canned, frozen, or fresh

bell peppers: sliced thin or chopped small

red onions: sliced thin

green onions: sliced thin

PROTEIN OPTIONS:

ground beef or ground turkey: cooked and seasoned generously with Mexican spices or taco seasoning

taco meat with black beans and corn

pulled pork or carnitas: shredded and chopped bite-size

cooked or roasted chicken: shredded or diced

ham: diced

hard boiled eggs: chopped

canned tuna fish: drained well

cooked shrimp or fish

beans: black, kidney, or pinto beans

TOPPING OPTIONS:

cheese: shredded, diced, or crumbled

avocado: sliced or diced

fruits: diced apples or pears, orange slices, fresh berries

Seeds:  Pumpkin, chia,

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews

fresh lime

salt and pepper

salad dressing of your choice

Instructions

Prep the vegetables and place in serving size containers to store prepped salads. Add a paper towel to each box to help the produce last longer. Place in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

WHEN READY TO EAT:

Warm the protein of your choice and chop bite-size, if needed. Add the protein to the pre-made salad greens and vegetables. Add the toppings of your choice. Squeeze lime generously over the salad, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Or toss with your favourite salad dressing. Enjoy!

Notes

Try topping your salads with these combinations:

Carnitas (or pulled pork), avocado, cotija cheese, lime, salt, and pepper

Grilled chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing

Chicken, berries, feta cheese, almonds or walnuts, poppyseed dressing

Tuna fish, strawberries, avocado, lime, salt, and pepper

Chicken or bacon, red grapes, shaved parmesan cheese, candied walnuts, white balsamic dressing

Taco meat, beans, corn, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese blend, lime, salt, pepper

Humming Bird Overnight Oats

Ingredients

1/4 of a banana

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp Honey optional)

1/4 cup fresh pineapple, chopped

1/3 cup rolled oats

5 pecan halves, chopped or broken into pieces

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the almond milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Give it a taste, if you want it a little sweeter, add a little of the honey.  Stir in the oats and the pineapple, then pour the mixture into a jar (or any well-sealed container) and refrigerate overnight.             
2. When you're ready to serve, top with your pecans and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!

Notes

Container Equivalents: 1YELLOW, 1 PURPLE, 1/2 BLUE
Recipe Modified from Foodie and the Fix

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

(Serves 1)

Container Equivalents (per serving): 1 Red, 2 tsp

Ingredients 

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp nut butter

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp pure vanilla

1 tbsp Cacao Nibbs

 Combine Greek yogurt with the nut butter, pure maple syrup, vanilla and cacao nibbs in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Top with a sprinkle of cacao nibs and enjoy!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I have a wonderful not so healthy peanut butter pretzel ball recipe that I make for christmas time but these healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls can be made any time of the year and if your following the Portion Fix they count as 1 Yellow and 1 Spoon!  Just one ball though, so take your one treat and store the rest in the freezer for another day!  

This recipe is from the Fixate cooking show on Beachbody on Demand and it's just too good not to share here!  I love that the cooking show also provides the written out recipe which you can print off and a grocery list for each of the recipes!  

The filling of these little balls has peanut butter, coconut flour, corn starch and maple Syrup! I used my own Homemade Peanut Butter which is a bit thicker than store bought peanut butter (but tastes way better) so I used the food processor to mix my batter and added a bit of hot water to it to make sure it all stuck together.  

Then I used my cookie scoop to form uniform sized balls and rolled them some more with my hands to make sure they were squished together enough.  It was nice to leave the bottom of each ball slightly flat so they didn't roll around on the pan. 

Once all of the balls were formed I then added a tooth pick into each one and refrigerated them for 20 minutes. 

I melted my chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl over a about 2 inches of water in a sauce pan, but you could also microwave to melt the chocolate.  Then I dipped each one into the chocolate making sure to completely cover each ball. 

After they were all covered I removed the tooth picks and covered over the holes with a little chocolate.  

Now it's time to wait!  Place your chocolate balls into the fridge or freezer for 1 hour or until chocolate is hardened.  Now it's time to pick the best looking one, store the rest and take a bite!  Enjoy!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-natural smooth peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch (preferably GMO-free)
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• Hot water
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, 62 percent cocoa or higher, chopped
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil, unrefined 

Directions

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
• Combine Peanut Butter, Corn Starch, Coconut Flour and maple syrup in a large bowl, food processor or stand mixer.  Blend well until it becomes a uniform dough.  Add hot water as necessary to moisten it. 
• Using clean hands, shape dough until 1 inch balls; place a toothpick into the center of each ball. Place on baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
• While you wait for the balls to chill, fill a small sauce pan with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to low. 
• Place a heat proof mixing bowl over the sauce pan.  Add Chocolate and coconut oil and stir for 2-3 minutes until melted. 
• Remove balls from refrigerator.  Hold a ball by the toothpick and dip it into the chocolate, swirl it to completely coat or use a spoon to pour chocolate over the top of it.  Repeat with each of the balls, returning them to the baking sheet. 
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate has hardened.
• Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. 

Portion Fix Container count:  1 Yellow 1 Spoon

Calories per ball: 134