I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #StuffedForDinner campaign, sponsored by Barber Foods. Although I have been compensated for my time & creative effort, all opinions are 100% my own.

Need an easy weeknight dinner when you're busy? (Who doesn't?) If you or your family love chicken, one of my favorite fuss-free solutions is to pop some frozen stuffed chicken breasts in the oven and fix two simple side dishes to make it a well-rounded meal with very little prep. Keep reading to learn more about my favorite stuffed chicken breasts + check out my round-up of quick & easy side dishes that pair well with all types of chicken entrees!

What's your favorite thing to eat when you're super duper busy or stressed? I gravitate toward pizza delivery, potato chips, Chinese takeout (beef lo mein), and big ol' bottles of dry white wine. Priorities.

The past two months I've been on auto-pilot, mostly eating out or fixing dead simple dinners with leftovers (like creamy tomato basil soup). That's what happens when I go into uber stressed or anxious mode. Can you relate? My motivation to cook just shrinks away. 

It happened this time because my father suffered a stroke in late spring and then another one in mid-summer. (I wrote a little bit about it here on Instagram.) Thankfully,  my dad is home now and starting rehab again to get healthier & build back his strength (phew).

And I'm back home in Texas now, inching back to where I was at before this happened. When I was cooking and exercising on a regular basis, looking for stuff to decorate our new place, working ahead on blog tasks, planning projects & daydreaming about trips to the mountains & ocean. That kind of stuff.

Thankfully, I'm spending more time in the kitchen again, but I am still 100% in the market for convenient, quick-prep foods that help me get a tasty, non-takeout dinner on the table with little work.

You know what fits all that criteria and makes my belly happier + life easier? 

These Barber Foods® Signature Recipe Stuffed Chicken Breasts.

Why are these particular frozen stuffed chicken breasts so awesome? Let me count the ways.

• juicy (not dry & overcooked)
• Barber Foods Signature Recipe Stuffed Chicken Breasts features chicken that is raised with no antibiotics ever
• lots of protein (which makes them filling)
• stuffed with all the cheese (Hello, comfort food)
• the easiest prep ever (which is pretty much nothing, as you just pop 'em in the oven)
• they come in different options (Broccoli & Cheese (pictured), Cordon Bleu, Crème Brie & Apple and Kiev) so picky eaters have choices.

And it just so happens that my better half's favorite food is chicken. He could eat it for every single meal. I'm being 100% serious. It's practically a food group to him. Well, fried chicken tenders, at least.

But, I can only fix him homemade chicken dishes for so long before I start craving pork, beef, and soup, and then he gets sick of all my favorite foods. It's a cycle. 

Luckily, I can satisfy his craving for a comforting chicken meal--with hardly any work--by fixing these stuffed chicken breasts! :D

And to keep things simple for an easy weeknight or weekend meal, all you have to do is pop these stuffed chicken breasts (seen above in wrapper) onto a sheet tray & into the oven. Then you have about 30-40 minutes to throw together a few simple sides and you'll have a well-rounded meal (for two or more) with minimal work. 

Bonus: You don't have to worry about prepping or babysitting the main dish so you have more time to focus on the other stuff. OR NOT. You can just sip on your drink of choice and zone out. No judgment.

My easy, fuss-free sides of choice are a leafy salad with homemade apple cider vinaigrette (only minutes of prep to chop the veggies and shake up the dressing) and either a roasted or sauteed vegetable that is quick cooking (so not root veggies). 

Good choices for quick cooking veggies would be broccoli, broccolini, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, summer squash, and cherry tomatoes (yes, technically a fruit). 

This time around I chose one of my favorites: asparagus! 

I often fix sautéed asparagus with garlic, butter & parmesan (linked below) but I wanted something even more hands-off (just let the oven do the work) so I tossed my asparagus with olive oil, sea salt + cracked black pepper and spread it on the sheet tray along with the Barber Foods stuffed chicken breast with only 20 minutes left to go before the chicken finished.

Once I pulled the chicken breasts out of the oven, (cheese oozing and all) I sliced up a loaf of sourdough bread to slather with grass-fed butter and serve alongside the meat + veggies. Then brought out my salad + toppings in the same clamshell I bought the lettuce in (easy peasy & fewer dishes), grabbed the homemade vinaigrette, poured us each a glass of sparkling water and got ready to feast!

This whole meal took probably 10 minutes to prep. Makes sitting in a drive-thru or driving 30 minutes round-trip for takeout seem kinda time-consuming in comparison, right? Which it is. Not to mention expensive on the pocketbook. 

For this particular meal, I opted for super quick/hands-off sides, but if you're feeling energetic or ambitious, you could switch things up and fix all kinds of sides that take 20-30 minutes instead. 

In fact, if you keep scrolling, I share 50+ ideas for simple sides that pair well with chicken down below. They're very pin-worthy, especially if you're in a side dishes rut. You're welcome. 

Where to Find Barber Foods Signature Recipe Stuffed Chicken Breasts

By now I hope you're sitting there on your phone, tablet, or computer, feeling kinda hungry, half drooling and wishing screens were edible. I mean, I always am when I'm reading food blogs. You're probably wondering where you can find this chicken so you can bake some up for an easy dinner that everyone will love. 

I'll help you out. 

You can find Barber Foods® Signature Recipe Stuffed Chicken Breasts at your local Whole Foods Market in the freezers by the butcher -- near the frozen fish and raw meat. In fact, they'll be on sale for $5.99 a box from 9/12/18 through 9/18/18, so make sure to stop during that week to stock up for fall meals. 

So far, I've eaten the Broccoli & Cheese (the beau described it as "bomb"), but am jazzed to try the Cordon Bleu (classic), Crème Brie & Apple, and Kiev (perfect if you love butter) and others. 

As promised above, I've rounded up a list of 50+ side dishes that pair well with chicken entrees, most of which can be made in 10-30 minutes start to finish, while the chicken is baking in the oven. 

Pretty glorious, right? It' so easy to get in a rut when you're trying to figure out what to serve with the main dish, but I promise you'll find something good below. I'm getting hungry just looking at them. :)  

P.S. Even if you're making a chicken entree completely from scratch, keep this list handy for easy side dish ideas you can pair with chicken dishes all year long.

50+ Side Dishes For Easy Weeknight Chicken Dinners

Saucepan & Stockpot Side Dishes

• Skinny Mashed Yams via Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Zippy Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes via Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Easy Golden Rice Pilaf via What a Girl Eats (pictured)
• Easy Parmesan Orzo via Baking Mischief (pictured)
• Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower via Life Currents (pictured)
• Asparagus Avocado Salad via Veggies Save The Day
• Low Carb Garlic & Herb Mashed Cauliflower via Hungry Hobby
• One-Pot Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese via Mom Advice (pictured)
• Easy Coconut Rice with Coconut Milk via The Rising Spoon
• Avocado Peach Caprese Quinoa Salad via Lemons & Zest
• Fast & Easy Creamed Spinach via Savory Tooth (pictured)
• Creamed Corn with Cream Cheese via The Anthony Kitchen
• Spinach Dill Rice via Freutcake

Skillet Side Dishes

• Kid-Friendly Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes with Leeks & Honey via Fearless Dining
• Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic, Butter & Parmesan via The Rising Spoon (pictured)
• Easy Cheesy Stovetop Butternut Squash via Healthy Seasonal Recipes
• Orzo Salad with Feta, Asparagus & Chickpeas via Scrummy Lane
• Sauteed Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) via Christina's Cucina
• Corn & Zucchini Saute via Belly Full 
• Screaming Skillet Green Beans via Renee Nicole's Kitchen
• Brown Butter Peas with Mint via The Suburban Soapbox (pictured)
• Creamy Shoepeg Corn via Bunny's Warm Oven (pictured) 
• Parmesan Spinach Orzo via Eating European
• 15 Minute Creamy Alfredo Gnocchi via Salt & Lavender (pictured)
• Smoky Pan Roasted Corn on the Cob via Mashup Mom (pictured)
• Mexican Street Corn Salad (Elote Deconstructed) via Flavor Mosaic 
• 5-Ingredient Shredded Zucchini & Feta Saute via Food Meanderings
• Simple Greek Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette via The Rising Spoon
• Creamy Garlic Italian Pasta in White Wine Parmesan Sauce via What's In The Pan? (pictured)
• Korean Chilled Zucchini Sides via I Heart Umami
• Garlic Parmesan Zoodles via Served From Scratch 
• Healthy Cheesy Cheddar Broccoli Rice via Wholesome Yum
• Mushroom Saute with Rosemary, Garlic & Red Wine via Happy Healthy Mama
• Baby Bok Choy with Sweet & Tangy Sauce via The Gluten Free Homestead (pictured)

Oven-Roasted Side Dishes

(Bake These On The Same Sheet As The Chicken or On The Bottom Rack At The Same Time)

• Balsamic Roasted Green Beans via The Rising Spoon
• Garlic Roasted Eggplant via Sprinkle Some Fun (pictured)
• Sheet Pan Parmesan Roasted Broccolini via Away From The Box
• 5 Ingredient Crispy Parmesan Oven Fried Summer Squash via Went Here 8 This (pictured)
• Oven Roasted Green Beans with Coconut Oil via The Rising Spoon
• Tomatoes Provencal via Garlic & Zest (pictured) 
• Maple Dijon Glazed Carrots via Bitz N' Giggles (pictured)
• Roasted Parmesan Broccoli via I Heart Naptime
• Roasted Green Beans with Bacon & Onion via The Rising Spoon
• Oven Roasted Asparagus via Savor with Jennifer
• Roasted Ranch Potatoes via Home Made Interest (pictured) 
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Broccoli via The Rising Spoon

No-Cook Side Dishes

• Five Minute Arugula Parmesan Pine Nut Salad via Nourish and Fete
• Heirloom Tomato Salad via Beyond the Chicken Coop
• Easy Cabbage Dill Coleslaw via A Dash of Megnut
• Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Tangy Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing via The Rising Spoon
• Greek Style Zucchini Ribbon Salad via Renee's Kitchen Adventures
• Avocado Salad via Yummy Mummy Kitchen
• Smashed Cucumber Salad via Calling to Chit Chat (pictured)
• Watermelon, Cucumber & Jicama Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing via The Rising Spoon

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barber Foods at Whole Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

I'd like to hear from YOU! What are your favorite side dishes to serve with chicken dinners? Do you go for comfort food or healthy sides? Leave a comment below!

Don't miss a post! Want updates on my real food recipes, kitchen tutorials, DIY crafts, and healthy living articles on a weekly basis? Sign up using the box below.
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. However, I ONLY recommend helpful products that I myself would use. And I'm really picky about what I share with you guys. Recommending products that I love or want to own helps me cover the costs of running this blog and keep providing you with free, helpful information. And it costs nothing extra for you. Thanks!

MEDICAL DISCLOSURE: The information included on this website is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the opinions expressed here are meant to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. You should always consult your healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for your own situation or if you have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.