This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. , but all opinions and images are my own
One of the best things about a brand new year is a return to routine. I love having the kids home for winter break, but we all really benefit from returning to our normal routine when they go back. Our routine typically starts getting interrupted weeks before winter break- with so many holiday activities to do and so many extra holiday-themed chores I need to do, things like making a home cooked meal every night turn into more like a few times a week, and bedtimes? They’re mere suggestions throughout December.
But by January, we’re all ready to get back to normal- and that’s never been more true for our family than this year, since we just moved on December 1st. We’ve been trying to adjust to changes since the move, including a new {longer} commute to school, new chores to do, and even just trying to remember where to find stuff {if it’s even been unpacked yet}! Routine is more important to my family than ever right now to try to help us feel a bit more back to normal, and now that the holidays are over I’m ready!
Over the years I’ve found that food plays a huge role in establishing and keeping routines going, and that’s definitely true for us right now. Some of my family’s favorite foods, like Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Chicken Breast Strips, Jimmy Dean Delights® Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese English Muffins and Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Oven Roasted Turkey Breast from Acme are coming in handy throughout the day- literally from breakfast until dinnertime!
If you’re ready to get back to your routine- or even establish a routine if you didn’t have one before- here are some tips that always help me keep myself organized and feeling more structured:
1. Don’t skip breakfast! It’s tempting to spend those extra few minutes in bed, especially in the winter when your bed is way cozier than the cold kitchen. But Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese English Muffins are hot and ready in less than five minutes, and since you just pop them in the microwave you can make them while you help the kids pack their bags.
2. Speaking of packing bags, make those school lunches in advance! The last thing I want to be doing when I first wake up is making lunches, so every Sunday night I prepare them as much as I can for the week. I use reusable sandwich bags and fill one with a sandwich of their choosing- usually with Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Oven Roasted Turkey Breast- and a second bag with everything else they usually pack, like carrot sticks and yogurt cups. Then every morning, all I have to do is grab the bags and stick them in their lunchboxes!
3. Keep super easy, versatile meal ingredients on-hand. I always start the week with the best intentions- I plan to make a home cooked meal almost every night of the week. But then real life happens, and sometimes I just don’t have it in me to spend thirty minutes in the kitchen. That’s why shortcuts that are just as good as the real thing, like Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips, are so important to always have on hand. I keep a bag in my freezer so that I can make a quick dinner in just a few minutes, using whatever I have on hand.
One of my favorite shortcut meals that I can make with no notice? Teriyaki chicken tacos! We always have the ingredients- all the recipe takes is Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips, teriyaki marinade, pineapple tidbits, a red onion and {optionally} some cilantro. The best part is that I can prep the whole recipe in under 5 minutes and cook it in under 10, so I can get dinner on the table on even the busiest or more exhausting days.
Here’s how to make the Teriyaki Chicken Tacos:
Ingredients {per 2 tacos}
- 2 soft taco sized tortillas
- 1 cup Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips
- 4 oz pineapple tidbits {I use pre-portioned cups since I always have them on hand!}
- 1/4 red onion
- 3 TBSP Teriyaki Marinade
- Optional: Fresh Cilantro to taste
Directions:
1. Peel and halve red onion; cut into slices. Add olive oil to a pan and heat on medium-high, then add onion and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Open the pineapple tidbits cup and pour about 1 TBSP of the juice into a small bowl. Add the pineapple and remaining juice to the pan with the onion; continue cooking 3-4 minutes until onion and pineapple are just beginning to brown.
3. Add the Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken to the onion and pineapple mixture and stir well so that all the pieces are in a single layer. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until warmed through. Check that chicken pieces are 165 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, add Teriyaki Marinade to bowl with pineapple juice and stir well. When chicken is done cooking, add marinade mixture to chicken mixture and stir well to coat.
5. Add to a couple of tortillas, and optionally garnish with fresh cilantro to taste. Enjoy!
If you’ve found any great meal solutions here, be sure to pick them up in-store or online at your local Acme store. They offer curbside pick-up which is another super helpful part of our routine, and I highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it!
Whether you’ve gone off your routine due to a life situation like a big move or you just want to get back to some normalcy after the holiday, I hope these tips for creating routines in the new year are helpful to you!
Teriyaki Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 soft taco sized tortillas
- 1 cup Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips
- 4 oz pineapple tidbits {I use pre-portioned cups since I always have them on hand!}
- 1/4 red onion
- 3 TBSP Teriyaki Marinade
- Optional: Fresh Cilantro to taste
Instructions
- Peel and halve red onion; cut into slices. Add olive oil to a pan and heat on medium-high, then add onion and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Open the pineapple tidbits cup and pour about 1 TBSP of the juice into a small bowl. Add the pineapple and remaining juice to the pan with the onion; continue cooking 3-4 minutes until onion and pineapple are just beginning to brown.
- Add the Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken to the onion and pineapple mixture and stir well so that all the pieces are in a single layer. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until warmed through. Check that chicken pieces are 165 degrees.
- Meanwhile, add Teriyaki Marinade to bowl with pineapple juice and stir well. When chicken is done cooking, add marinade mixture to chicken mixture and stir well to coat.
- Add to a couple of tortillas, and optionally garnish with fresh cilantro to taste. Enjoy!
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