Seriously, this meal couldn’t have been any easier to make or quicker to cook. To be honest, this isn’t what I set out to cook. Have you ever had a great recipe idea fall to pieces?

For starters, I wanted to cook steak and broccoli, but the grocery was out of broccoli, and I forgot to stop somewhere else and just happened to have Brussel sprouts at home. Score! Also, I had a more intense seasoning blend to use, but that too failed because I slap forgot to get essential ingredients.

Dinner must go on.

I was determined to make something edible out the things I did have: beef tips, Brussel sprouts, and a pre-bottled marinade. Low and behold it was enough. (There is more profound life message there, but I will spare you, ha).

You notice that the marinade I used is a Kroger brand. It is all I had on hand, but I feel confident you can use your favorite Asian marinade in its place. You could also get fancy like I had intended and make one from scratch. However, it was refreshing to open a bottle and pour it out.

The directions are as simple as the ingredient list.

There are a few options of how you can choose to put this sheet-pan meal together.

What you see are beef tips, bought precut into cubes. If you want a higher quality steak, go for it. Just take the time to cut them into uniform squares. Remember, the thickness of the steak will determine the cooking time. My beef tips were bite-sized. As you can see, the Brussel sprouts were larger than the meat.

Next, you have options with vegetables. Broccoli would make for an excellent substitute for Brussel sprouts. However, I thoroughly enjoyed them in this recipe. It will depend on your family’s preferences. Or try it with different vegetables on different occasions. I bet papers and onions would be delicious! If you choose Brussel sprouts, cut them in half for quicker cooking time.

I highly recommend thinking ahead and marinating the meat for several hours or overnight. Allowing it to marinate will provide the beef with more flavor, and provide you with a tenderer steak. Put your meat of choice in a zip top bag and generously pour in the marinade.

When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450F for a fast dinner. If you have more time or thicker cuts of meat, back that down to 350-375F and know it will take longer in the oven.

Grease a sheet pan.

Assemble the vegetables on the pan and spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Add the meat with the marinade and all to the pan. Mix the vegetables in with the marinade.

Bake at 450F for 10-12 minutes. Check in around 5-7 minutes to make sure it isn’t cooking to fast (you’ll have dry steak) and stir it. You want the internal temp of the meat to be 145F.

Seriously, this cooked in 10 minutes!

The steam from the extra marinade helped the Brussel sprouts cook faster than traditional baking times.

Serve over rice, orzo (shown here), or your favorite whole grain.

Get creative; just get cooking! I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty this sheet-pan meal turned out. If you rate this plate, you get a protein from the beef, a carb from your rice or grain of choice, a vegetable because of the Brussel sprouts and a healthy fat due to the olive oil and meat. It is a complete meal in under 30 minutes.

Chicken tenders are as American as apple pie, maybe even more because I would bet that American households consume more chicken tenders than apple pie. No scientific evidence to prove it, just a hunch. Chances are your family (especially your kids) enjoy a deep-fried piece of yardbird on occasion. No shame in that, any foods, including fried can fit into a healthy lifestyle. However, if there is a better alternative to fixing a family favorite at home, then why not give it a try?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our Ninja Foodie, and I am in no way compensated or encouraged by the company to promote their kitchen device or recipes. It is just the best birthday present the husband has gotten me in a while, and we all benefit from it.

One of the main selling points for the Ninja Foodie for our family was the addition of the air fryer along with the crockpot, sauté feature and pressure cooker. It seemed like a no-brainer to have them all in one.

I’ll admit, I haven’t played with the air fryer as much as the pressure cooker, but that all changed last night. And, I feel I’ll get more comfortable now that these chicken strips were a huge hit.

***If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t click away.

You can still make this recipe in your oven.***

The ingredients are simple, low in sodium, and already pantry stables.

You’ll need:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken strips

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Panko crumbs

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Next prepare your mixtures:

• Beat the 3 eggs in a bowl

• Add the oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning into bread crumbs and mix well.

Prepare your chicken strips by dunking them:

• First into the eggs.

• Next into the flour.

• Finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating well.

• Repeat till with all the tenders.

Setup your air fryer. Turn it to 330 F and cook for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken strips reads 165F.

*** OVEN USERS *** Preheat your oven to 375F and cook for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken strips reads 165F.

Look how pretty those tenders turned out! I’ll admit they were juicier and crispier than I would have guessed. And they rate well, too.

Remember, main meals should aim for 4-6 different food groups to be balanced. The chicken strips give you a protein, and the breading does add some carbohydrates but not enough to be a full serving. The green beans on this plate is a vegetable win. You can round out this meal by adding sliced apples and a glass of milk for the kids (or even mac-n-cheese). I’ll be eating the leftovers on a salad. It’s Yum Y’all!

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

— RT

What is for lunch? 

A common question families ask after leaving Sunday worship. The debate begins over whether it will be pizza, BBQ, or a Southern-style buffet. Maybe your family gathers around a table for a home-cooked spread. For most of us, the question is what’s to eat, not if you’ll have enough to eat. 

Are you aware that 1:4 children in Mississippi woke up this morning not knowing if they would have food at all?

Chances are on a pew near you there was a parent or grandparent anxiously awaiting the final amen, headed home with a growling tummy just like yours, but not 100% sure if there will be enough to eat. It is phenomena known as “food insecurity” which doesn’t mean your neighbor shows the “typical” signs of hunger, but are struggling behind closed doors to feed their family consistently. 

Mississippi has the nation’s highest levels of food insecurity. About 600,000+ of our neighbors (about 20% of the state’s total population) struggles with having enough food.

If you spent your morning at a respective place of worship and would consider yourself a Christian, then whether you realize it or not, you have a responsibility to help bridge the gap for those food insecure families. 

Don’t believe me? 
Read your Bible. 

Just as Jesus called the Twelve to change their respected world 2,000 years ago, He invites us to join with him NOW to change ours. As a follower of Jesus, you should enter a season of transformation that generates an internal change that also entails you being part of a public transformation that helps those around you in tangible ways.

““You’re so heavenly minded, you’re no earthly good.””

— Johnny Cash

All of us who live and worship in Mississippi share in the responsibility (whether you acknowledge it or not) for tackling the state’s problems and showing all the residents compassion. 

Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning. – Frederick W. Faber 

If you get down to it, Jesus came to earth with a pretty clear mission statement.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full-”

— John 10:10

Without food, there is no life. 
You can help provide the food, Jesus will save life. 

Many of you are doing your part. This state is full of people with a servant’s heart, helping those that need a hand up, not just a handout. I can call many of them by name, as I meet with them annually to celebrate the work of the Mississippi Food Network (MFN) at the annual Moonlight Market.

As you scroll through the photos, you’ll see smiling faces, delicious food, and an entertaining event. What you don’t witness is the 150,000 Mississippians (yes, in your state) that get fed through the generous donations that come through MFN. You also don’t see the 500,000+ more that MFN is unable to reach due to lack of recourses. 

That is where YOU come in.

All I ask is that you go to their page and get to know them, spread this message, and if you feel so compelled to donate. A $10 monthly gift would provide 60 meals. And if you have more questions about hunger in Mississippi message me. I’m happy to answer your questions and share how you can get more involved.