Let's face it - meal planning and prepping can be rough! It can be challenging to find time for it in your evening routine after a full day of work, working out, errands, and much-needed rest. The last thing you want to do after a long day of work is stand over a stove with a spatula and then over the sink with a sponge. What can help you win back some time in your daily routine while still eating healthy, tasty meals?
Meet foil-packet meals. The concept is simple. Wrap your food in aluminum foil, place it on a sheet pan in the oven (or grill). In less than half an hour, your tasty dinner is served. It's simple. No mess. No fuss. Minimal effort. Few dishes (maybe a bowl?). And, depending on your ingredient choices, it can be very nutritious.
To make your life even easier, you can make foil-packets ahead of time for every day of the week. Just freeze them or store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days and pop them in the oven when you're ready.
But are they tasty?
The great thing about foil packs is that taste is not compromised. In fact, the foil packet locks in all the flavors and juices as your food is cooking, keeping it tender and moist.
Keep in mind a few foil-pack essentials to make sure your foil-pack meals turn out delightful:
• Grab a protein, either ground or thinly sliced (ground beef or turkey, chicken, fish, shrimp, etc)
• Add layers and layers of vegetables. Just remember to cut harder veggies with longer cooking times (i.e. potatoes, squash, carrots) into smaller pieces. Use veggies such as green beans, mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, and more!
• Use a fat, such as oil or butter, to make sure your ingredients do not stick to the foil.
• Don't forget the spices. While a simple salt and pepper mix will do, you can get creative with dried or fresh herbs, crushed garlic cloves, and other spices. Splash in a sauce (such as wine, stock, pesto, citrus, sriracha) for extra flavor.
Now that you have all your ingredients, mix them in a bowl then evenly portion them out onto several pieces of foil. When folding your foil packet, remember to tightly seal it (to lock in the flavors and juices) but also leave some room in the packet for heat to circulate.
Voila! You have now created a mini oven using aluminum foil.
Cooking time will depend on how big your packets are and what ingredients you use.
Typically, anywhere from 350-400 degrees F for up to 30 minutes will work, depending on the recipe.
Enjoy!