This article, entitled Parmesan Chicken Strips With Broccoli & Bow Ties and Sweet Potato Fries…$10 or less Meal comes from partner site 719woman.com.

This meal is kid-friendly, quick and of course, under $10. Now just because this meal is “kid-friendly”, it’s delicious for adults too…(there were four adults in my kitchen pigging out, I mean tasting everything.)

The chicken breast I bought was on sale for $1.69 lb, the bread crumbs were on sale for $1.00 for a 15 oz container, the broccoli was 99 cents lb and the bow tie pasta was on sale for 88 cents for a 1 lb package…which helped bring the entire meal in at $8.14…and everything can be cooked in under 30 minutes. I have to admit, when I tasted the broccoli and bow tie dish, I thought it was good but it seemed to be lacking something. As I was typing up the recipes later, I realized we (I), had forgotten to add the garlic! The sweet potato fries were the big hit when everyone sampled the food, and it was the easiest recipe to cook.

*The chicken and broccoli & bow ties recipes are from Ina Garten’s ”Barefoot Contessa Family Style” cookbook…which I altered just a bit for cost purposes.

PARMESAN CHICKEN STRIPS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $3.92

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast (3 to 4)


• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper


• 2 eggs


• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs


• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• unsalted butter


• olive oil

*Bamboo skewers or ice-cream sticks (You can serve these strips on sticks for a “fun” presentation. Use ice-cream sticks for small children so they don’t hurt themselves on the skewers.

Directions:

1. Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into four large strips.


2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture,then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.


3. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook he chicken strips on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Don’t crowd the pan. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve each strip on a skewer or stick if you want.

(You can keep the chicken breasts warm for about 15 minutes on a cookie sheet in a 200-degree oven.)

BROCCOLI & BOW TIES

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $2.72

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt


• 1 lb broccoli florets


• 1/2 lb bow tie pasta


• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 teaspoon minced garlic


• zest of 1 lemon


• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice


• 1/4 cup slivered almonds


• freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.


2. In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.


3. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the almonds and cheese, if using, and serve.

SWEET POTATO FRIES:

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $1.50

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes


• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half and slice into wedges/fries. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet for about 6 to 10 minutes. Turn potatoes over and cook for another 6 to 10 minutes or until tender.