As if you need “another” chicken casserole! Just in case you’re looking for more ways to cook up a quick dinner with easy to find ingredients, that the family will live, here you go. There are no fancy ingredients or complicated steps, and no tricks of the trade to make this casserole a family favorite. Those are the recipes you want up your sleeve on a busy weeknight.

I got it started by pressure cooking about 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken in my Ninja Foodie. You put the rack in, with 1 cup of water. Lay the chicken breast down. Close the pressure lid, cook on high for about 8-10 minutes, with a quick release.

*You can utilize a rotisserie chicken or any leftover baked chicken. You will need about 4 cups of shredded chicken.

Pressure Cooked Chicken

Once your chicken finishes cooking, shred it.

Then assemble the rest of your ingredients.

Only one number to remember - one.

• 1 pound chicken, shredded.

• 1 can sweet corn, drained

• 1 can black beans, drained

• 1 cup BBQ sauce

• 1 cup bell peppers, diced

• 1 cup cheese, shredded

  * okay maybe more but start with 1 cup.

Another Chicken Casserole Recipe Ingredients

Grab your go-to 9x13 baking dish and add in the chicken, beans, corn, and peppers.

Pour over the BBQ sauce and mix it all.

Add the cheese on top.

Can I be honest? I’m pregnant, and I like cheese. I felt the one cup of cheese wasn’t enough. I added more cheese to make me happy. You do you, boo.

Pop that bad boy in the oven at 375F for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

That final photo isn’t the best, but it is bubbly and beautiful. You have options on how to further serve it. Over rice, over a baked potato, in a wrap, or on a salad. That is left entirely up to you, boo!

This meal rates right, too. You get protein from the chicken, a fiber-rich carbohydrate from the beans, a dairy and fat for double the cheese. Ha!

The question isn’t a debate over what you choose to exclude or include on your plate. You have the right to pick an eating style that lines up with your personal preferences. Instead, I am asking how does your diet decisions affect you when you are away from the table.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a chapter in the Bible that spells out a healthy life to-the-tee. Fortunately, there is a lot of practical advice that you can measure your life up against and see if it is producing the type of fruit that is positive and ultimately healthy (for you).

Galatians 5 can be a game changer if you take time to read it thoroughly with your relationship with food in mind. Warning: being convicted is a good thing; feeling self-shame or condemnation is not a God thing. Because chances are your toes are about to take a trampling, or maybe just mine did.

Please, take a deep dive into the entire 5th chapter of Galatians, line by line. In a nutshell, Paul shares that there is freedom in Christ. When you choose to walk and live in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh that continually tempt you. While being a Christian doesn’t exempt you from a moral code, it provides you with a Helper that guides you day-to-day in making honorable choices.

You can rest easy that you’re on track, by assessing the fruit your actions and mindsets produce in your life.

Chances are you can recite the fruit of the Spirit without hesitation:

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

Patience.

Kindness.

Goodness.

Faithfulness.

Gentleness.

Self-control.

Recently, I experienced an “AH-HA” moment reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. He brought to light that Galatians 5:22 says, “the FRUIT of the Spirit” not “the FRUITS of the Spirit.”

HUGE distinction.

You’re either walking in the FRUIT meaning you are experiencing them ALL, or you’re being deceived by only living out a few at a time.

OUCH.

While this revelation has convicted me in more than one area, I want us to bring the idea back to our relationship with food.

Just because you love the way a food or meal taste, and at that moment, it brings you joy, if you leave the table feeling uneasy about the decision, and you’re not kind to yourself for the choice, or lack self-control with the portion, you aren’t “eating in the Spirit” so to speak.

The other side to the argument, is just because you have all the self-control in the world, and are faithful to following your food rules, but don’t find joy in eating, love the body you’re in, or aren’t kind to yourself if you get off track, you, too aren’t “eating in the Spirit.”

Bottom line, God desires a better way for you to approach making dietary decisions. God put you on this planet for a specific purpose, to help further His kingdom and love one another. God did not put you on this planet to get lost on a rollercoaster of finding the right method to weigh less. Of course, God desires you to live in a manner that you're taking care of your body and doing your best to prevent an early demise from gratifying the desires of the flesh, but don't miss the forest for the trees.

Instead of seeking the right combination of food or nutrients that provide an outward version of yourself you deem worthy by the world’s standards, I’d like to challenge you (and myself) to instead seek a relationship with food that evokes the fruit of the Spirit. The ending of Galatians 5:22 states against such things, there is no law. Meaning, when you are living (that includes eating) by the Spirit there is no “bad” food choice or reason to be enslaved to rigorous food rules.

“Enjoy good health, good food, and take time for the good things. ”

— RT

Two words: Shaved Steak.

Have you ever had shaved steak? If the answer is no, then you are missing out, and I need you to promise me that you will consider giving it a try. I’m that happy about this grocery find. You might be having a hard time thinking about what shaved steak resembles. Think deli meat thin sliced, but uncooked steak. It is what you would find on a Philly cheese steak sandwich.

I’ve already thought of a dozen different ways to use shaved steak other than with this meal starter kit from Knorr. Full disclosure, I have zero connections with this company (or shaved steak, ha), my goal is to share recipes and food finds that are easy to cook, good to eat, and nourishes the body.

I’m consistently on the lookout for new food products at the grocery store that helps put a healthy, and delicious dinner on the table quicker. I came across this meal starter kit at Kroger where you find the different kinds of rice. Looking at the instructions, it seemed easy enough, add meat, a few vegetables, and a liquid. Sold.

As a dietitian, I always check out the nutrition fact panel and additional ingredients, first. While it is higher in sodium than desired (see it says 18%), I rolled with it because the ingredient list on point and no one in my family is managing high blood pressure. Looking at the rest of the ingredients to grab, I made a few tweaks.

There is no need for three tablespoons of oil (of any kind). I skipped the oil to cook the meat in (found in step 1) and utilized one tablespoon for cooking the vegetables (found in step 2) and omitted the oil recommended for the rice (found in step 3). That brings it from a recommended three tablespoons to just one tablespoon with step 2 when sautéing the vegetables. You can keep the 2 cups of water, but I had low-sodium vegetable broth (photo to come) leftover and decided to add more flavor. It was a good choice.

STEP 1: Cook the shave steak till done and set it aside.

STEP 2: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and sauté diced vegetables. I did add half a zucchini, and half a yellow squash to the recommend two bell peppers and onion.

STEP 3: Add in the 2 cups of liquid (water or vegetable broth) and cooked meat.

STEP 4: Simmer for 20+ minutes with a lid until rice cooks. Check in around 10 minutes. You may need to add more liquid. You can be the judge of that. You know it’s done with the liquid is gone and the quinoa and brown rice is soft.

You can pair this with a side salad, or steamed vegetables. Rate Your Plate: You get a protein (shaved steak), a carbohydrate (quinoa and brown rice), even though there are vegetables in the recipe its not enough to be a serving (add a side salad or steamed veggies), no fruit or dairy here, but a healthy fat (olive oil).

“Enjoy good health, good food, and take time for the good things! ”

— RT