This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion. All opinions are 100% mine.
If there is one thing that defines our family and sets us apart, it’s the emphasis I place on family mealtime. For years, I have centered our entire daily schedule around a late family meal in the evening at a time when my husband could actually be present and eat with us. The importance I place on family meals is a defining point of view that has shaped our entire marriage and family life. So its no surprise how excited I got when I found out that September is National Family Meal month! What a great thing to celebrate!
Family meals. On a crazy, busy, chaotic day filled with school assignments, slime mixtures, soccer games, hot sun, cranky kids, and a dog that still needs her daily walk at ten pm, the pressure of getting a meal on the table can really get to me. It’s super tempting to just run out to a local restaurant and skip the cooking part of the meal – and way too often that’s exactly what we do. So just like you, I am always on the lookout for fast, easy, and tasty family meals that I can put on the table faster than I can get everyone in the car and drive to that restaurant.
Enter the rotisserie chicken. These pre-cooked chickens can be found near the deli at your local Food Lion and are the perfect answer to that age-old nemesis of a question “What’s for dinner?” Now, we do like to enjoy a rotisserie chicken straight out of the bag with a couple of sides and rolls thrown in for good measure every now and again, but more often than not, you’ll find me pulling that chicken off the bone to create a fantastic chicken salad, or maybe throw together a Caeser.
These days, I’m all about my pressure cooker, and the effortless meals I can make when I throw all the ingredients in and walk away. Soups cooked in a pressure cooker taste like they’ve been simmering for hours, when in reality with a rotisserie chicken as your base you can have a soup that only needs to cook for four minutes. Start by sauteeing your favorite fresh veggies directly in your pressure cooker, then add broth and rotisserie chicken to your hot pan. Seal and cook on high pressure for four minutes and your soup’s ready to eat!
Another great use of the rotisserie chicken and your pressure cooker is risotto. Risotto on the stovetop can be super tricky, but risotto in your electric pressure cooker turns out perfect every time. Use a rotisserie chicken to shorten the prep work. Start by sauteeing some onions in your pressure cooker, and then heating your rice grains in the hot oil for a couple of minutes, before adding your pre-cooked chicken and any fresh veggies you want plus the broth. Cook for nine minutes on high pressure, quick release and stir in your butter and parmesan. You have a perfect one-pot family meal ready to serve. It’s one of our family favorites!
One of my personal favorite ways to use rotisserie chicken in the pressure cooker is in the making of taco pasta. At my favorite little Mexican place, they call this Fideo and it is something I literally crave. It’s pretty simple too. Start by sauteeing an onion in the pressure cooker with a bit of oil. Next, add one pound of pasta with 3 3/4 cups of chicken broth and stir. To that mixture, add one can of diced tomatoes, a cup of frozen corn, a can of drained black beans, 1 Tablespoon of chili powder, a little cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and minced garlic. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high for nine minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, some crunched up tortilla chips, and maybe some pico for the perfect kid-friendly meal. You can get all of the ingredients for this or any other recipe delivered straight to your door when you choose Online Shopping with pick up or delivery.
No matter how it all comes together, family meals are a great way to strengthen family bonds, help kids feel secure and confident, and have great conversations. Plan your menu using the items featured in these Weekly deals.
Celebrate National Family Meals month with me! Did you know that food insecurity is a real thing in the United States? 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger in the U.S. To celebrate National Family Meals month, Food Lion will donate one meal to our neighbors in need for every photo with the hashtag #NoEmptyPlate — I’ll be participating with my own empty plate picture on Instagram @encouragingmomsathome, and you can too!
- Take a selfie holding an empty plate
- Post the picture to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account to let your friends and family know they can help Food Lion fight food insecurity in their communities
- Use the hashtags #FoodLionFeeds and #NoEmptyPlate anywhere in your post
- Food Lion will donate one meal to our neighbors in need for every photo with the hashtag #NoEmptyPlate
You can also show us what’s for dinner using the hashtag #FamilyMealsMonth. I can’t wait to see what you are cooking!
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