Meal Prep: Portobello and Chicken Pesto Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces portobello mushroom caps, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1½ cups basil leaves
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Spread chickpeas, mushroom slices, broccoli, and chicken thighs onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture; season with oregano, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder and turn to coat in oil and seasonings.
- Spread the coated vegetables onto sheet as evenly as possible. Lay chicken thighs onto the vegetables.
- Roast in preheated oven until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest fleshy part of a chicken thigh registers 165°F (75°C), 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the chicken roasts, process basil, Parmesan cheese, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Alternately, put the ingredients into a deep bowl or pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Divide brown rice between 4 sealable meal containers; top with fresh spinach and the cooked vegetable mixture. Lay a chicken thigh onto each portion.
- Divide pesto between 4 sealable portion cups. Place a pesto portion into each container and seal refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Looking to save time? Purchase prepared pesto sauce from the grocery store. It can be found in jars in the Italian foods aisle.
Reviews
What others are saying
Katie Hason says:
Delicious homemade basil is the only way to go! After trying this recipe I don't think I'll go back to store bought anymore. The roasted mushroom, broccoli and chickpeas were delicious thanks to the olive oil and seasoning mixture. Perfect portions and great for lunch or dinner meal prep.
Laura Griffin says:
Love this! The homemade basil pesto recipe was fantastic. The toasted pine nuts gave it a great nutty flavor. I think this is my go to recipe from now on.
Greg Jones says:
This was a really good meal prep for dinner. I added extra chicken thighs, but other than that didn't change the recipe at all. The spices blended perfectly with the aromatic mushrooms. Solid dish all around.
Erica Schaefer says:
You had me at sheet pan! The only thing I was missing from this recipe was garlic. I used garlic powder, but also added fresh minced garlic for extra flavor in the broccoli and chicken. I also could have used more pesto. If you like a lot, I recommend making a double batch.
Melissa Hunter says:
I did quinoa instead of brown rice for this pesto grain bowl, and it was really good. Perfect for lunch! Also, I used chicken thighs instead of breasts. The meat was really tender and juicy!