This is one of the easiest recipes I've shared. It's super healthy, filling, and a fun way to change up pasta. While store bought zoodles are SO easy, they offer a different taste. For this recipe I decided to do something a little different. I was planning to use zoodles but they had gone bad in my fridge, and I had whole zucchinis that needed to be used up. So for this recipe, I took a vegetable peeler and used it on the zucchini to create wide "noodle" strips. The difference in using a spiralizer is that it uses the whole zucchini down to its core, while a vegetable peeler leaves you with the zucchini core, but gives you pasta like noodles. In order to make use of all the zucchini, I typically cut the ends off then slice the core up and freeze it to throw in with smoothies. Zucchini is a vegetable you can't really taste in smoothies and is also low in carbs but high in fiber so it helps fill you up and prevent overeating.
What's on your grocery list?
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts ($7.97 at Trader Joe's)
- Fresh Pesto from the refrigerated section ($2.99)
- 1 Package Zucchini ($2.29)
- Cheese for topping (Parmesan or Manchego)
- Garlic Powder ($1.99)
- Salt ($1.99)
- Pepper ($1.99)
- Garlic Olive Oil ($3.99)
Ingredients:
- 1 Chicken Breast per person (3 total)
- 3 Zucchinis
- 1 Container pesto
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
- Cheese for topping
- Garlic Olive Oil for cooking
Instructions:
Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels then season with salt, pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. Add chicken to crockpot, and top with a couple generous scoops of pesto, then spread pesto over the top of the chicken with a knife so that it's well coated. Turn crockpot on high for about 3 hours or low for 5 hours and leave chicken to cook.
Chicken is done when it easily shreds with a fork drawn through it. Once chicken is done cooking, shred it with a fork and turn the crockpot to warm. Wash zucchinis, then take a vegetable peeler to each side of the zucchini peeling until you reach the seeds. Add zoodles to a skillet with a bit of garlic olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes. When zoodles are nearly finished, add shredded chicken to the skillet with remaining pesto, mixing until everything is well coated. Plate, then top with parmesan or shredded cheese.
This recipe is super easy, has a limited number of ingredients, and is very affordable at under $5 per person!
Let me know what you think!
Enjoy,
XX Delaney
