Jenny Craig Recipe Creation: Cheesy Fiesta Chicken & Rice Stack

Special thanks to Jenny Craig for their sponsorship of this post.

Yesterday, I had one of those days where I wanted to eat anything except what was on my menu.  ‘Tis true… it happens to us all.

I decided to make my lunch a bit of an art project, in the hopes of gaining inspiration.  They do say we eat first with our eyes, so why not turn an ordinary dish into something beautiful.  Surely that would inspire me, right?

The good news is that it definitely helped me to avoid ordering takeout or eating things I shouldn’t.  There is something lovely about eating meals that look like this when you’re underwhelmed with your options.   If you make this dish tonight, I’m confident you’ll love it.  If you save it for a day when you’re bored, it just might save you too.

I’m heading into the week with a Sunday victory on the board, and new favorite way to eat this dish!

Note:  I used a 3″ food ring to make these.  If you’re interested in adding some to your kitchen, check these out from Amazon.

Jenny Craig Recipe Creation: Cheesy Fiesta Chicken and Rice Stack | No Thanks to Cake

There's something fun about creating a beautiful plate. I added a rainbow of veggies to this dish before making it into a (delicious) work of art.

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Ingredients

  

• 1 Jenny Craig Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bowl
• 1 cup raw spinach, tightly packed
• ¼ red pepper, thinly sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• cooking spray
• 6 grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 splash lime juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1½ Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• hot sauce, optional

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, combine grape tomatoes, ¾ Tbsp. cilantro, and lime juice to create a fresh pico de gallo. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• In a skillet prepared with cooking spray, add spinach and saute until wilted, stirring frequently. Cook about 4 minutes and remove to a small bowl.
• Add the peppers and onion to the skillet, allowing them to caramelize and cook. Stir occasionally, about every 2 minutes. Remove once lightly charred.
• Prepare your cheesy chicken and rice in the microwave per packaging instructions.
• Stir in sauteed spinach and charred vegetables.
• Place a food ring on a plate and add the rice mixture, pressing down to create the desired shape. Top with pico de gallo. Note: You can also use a measuring cup and flip the contents onto a plate. If using this method, wait to add the pico until you flip the entree onto a plate so that the pico de gallo is on top.
• Remove the ring gently. Top meal with remaining cilantro as garnish, and sprinkle with hot sauce, if desired.

Notes

This recipe was created in partnership with Jenny Craig.

Click here to see a full listing of my Jenny Craig Recipe Creations!

Disclaimer:  This post is sponsored by Jenny Craig; however, all of the opinions and comments about the program are exclusively my own and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.