Make-ahead meals to make your life easier

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Family approved and vegan. This recipe was a hit and shook up our standard rotation. It was easy to prepare. Recipe coming.

This is a staple in our house. It freezes well and reheats well. There are ways to make this lower fat and you can omit the chicken. I typically use whatever pasta I have on hand. You can make the sauce from scratch to make it less processed. I typically don't do this. This recipe is not an exact science. Admittedly, I wing it. But the kids love alfredo sauce so it's hard to get it wrong.

2-3 chicken breasts or 2 cans canned chicken

2  x 16ish oz jars alfredo sauce

3 large carrots

16 oz pasta -- any kind

Parmesan cheese -- fresh or grated enough to sprinkle on top

Italian seasoned bread crumbs -- enough to sprinkle on top

1 T Italian seasoning 

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 green onions, chopped

Cook fresh chicken in grill pan through. Slice into bite sized chunks. Cook and drain pasta according to instructions. Peel and chop carrots. Chop onions, Grate cheese id using fresh parm.

Add pasta to pan, stir in sauce, add chicken. (If using canned chicken, it is already cooked. you can add it directly to the pan) Add Italian seasoning and red pepper, and carrots. Stir to distribute sauce and carrots. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs, parm, and green onions. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes if serving same day. Freeze if desired. Bake at 350 for 90 minutes is serving from frozen.