Perfectly Roasted Chicken Breast

Whether you stay at home with your children all day or work 9-5, I think most of us like to have dinner on the table at a reasonable time after a long day.  Sometimes I feel like the two hours between my children getting home from school and dinner are the most hectic.  I get bombarded with papers from school x 3, I’m busy making sure everyone has unpacked their lunches, started homework and has had an afternoon snack.  Can you relate?  Somewhere in between all of that I need to assemble some sort of dinner.  That’s where this Perfectly Roasted Chicken Breast comes in!

I like to buy Chicken Breast when it’s on sale for $1.88 or $1.99 /lb.  and lots of it!  Chicken is great for casseroles, all sorts of salads and of course great by itself for dinner with a baked potato and a simple steamed vegetable.  Sometimes the problem lies with the preparation.  I hate to admit this, but in the past, I have purchased a good amount of chicken breast, got home from the grocery store, put it in the refrigerator and sort of forgot about it.  When it’s in a big package like that you don’t take pieces out as you need them and you usually don’t grab it quickly to prepare a meal if you are really short on time…unless it’s nice outside and you want to fire up the grill. 🙂

In an effort to not waste that food and let my money go right down the drain, I decided a few years ago to start cooking most of the chicken I bought on the same day I purchased it.  I don’t take time to trim that little bit of fat that might be on those boneless skinless breasts either.  I get out 2 large casserole dishes and with a few simple spices that everyone has at home, and roast those chicken breasts to juicy, tasty perfection after I unload the groceries.  It’s so easy too!

First, I preheat my oven to 350 degrees, and I drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of the casserole dishes.  You want that chicken to stay nice and moist while it cooks.

Then I open my large package of chicken and place it evenly into the dishes.

I drizzle a little more olive oil on top of them and then season the chicken with sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and freshly cracked black pepper.

I cover the casserole dishes with aluminum foil and place them in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes.

Now your cooking time will depend on how large your chicken breasts are.  Always use a meat thermometer to ensure proper cooking.  Doesn’t that look good?!

Take the chicken breast out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes covered before serving, slicing or chopping.  You can then keep your chicken in the refrigerator for salads throughout the week, freeze the chopped chicken for casseroles like Chicken Divan or just eat it right away because it’s so good!  Either way, you will have this easy-peasy, tasty, perfectly roasted chicken breast ready to go when you need it and at your convenience!  The best part- you won’t ever forget about the chicken in the refrigerator and waste that money again!

*Linking up at Savvy Southern Style , Lou Lou Girls , Living Well Spending Less