Pesto Pasta with Chicken and SQUASH

This year for St. Patrick's Day, I made Pesto for the first time ever. I was a little worried that my kids wouldn't eat it (it is GREEN after all!) but much to my surprise they loved it and it has become a household favorite and staple.

Now, here comes the embarrassing part. When I make my Pesto, I make it from a packet. I'm so sorry if that disappoints (or disgusts) you, but that's just how it is. Maybe one of these days, I'll make the real deal and make it from scratch. But for now, I'm just enjoying that it can be a simple, last minute meal that I have all the ingredients on hand for and that I know my whole family will love.

This is the packet/brand that I use:

 

And this is what I do:

Pesto Pasta

1. Cut chicken breasts/tenders into bite size chunks.

2. Cook chicken in olive oil and fresh minced garlic. I also add a favorite garlic salt.

3. Cook through.

4. Meanwhile cook whole wheat pasta. I typically use spaghetti noodles because that's what I have on hand.

5. Follow the directions on the Pesto packet to mix your sauce.

6. Toss cooked chicken and spaghetti with the pesto sauce.

7. Serve and ENJOY!

**I like this recipe with bite size chunks/slices of SQUASH.  I add them to the cooked chicken and steam them for a few minutes until cooked through. This is a great meal to add veggies to because they kind of get "lost" in the sea of GREEN and you can "trick" your kids into eating them. (Though, at some point I always try and point out what they JUST ate. That way they can learn that veggies really aren't that bad!) You could add most any veggie; cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, shredded cabbage......It's kinda like this recipe. 

* This is such a simple idea that it almost seems silly to write down the "recipe," but I just LOVE meals like this. So simple, yet a healthy and delicious meal for your family in minutes. I hope you'll give it a try this week!