Dinner Dilemma: Chicken Nuggets Again?

This past week, Liz spent two warm, sunny days in New York City. On the flight home, she sat next to a fellow Bostonian and father of two who, once he discovered Liz was a dietitian and cookbook author, asked for ideas on how to expand his sons’ dinner favorites beyond hot dogs and chicken nuggets. To help our dad, and parents everywhere, we hope you’ll try one of our favorite dinnertime recipes for Confetti Chicken Wraps. The dish starts with chicken, because most kids love it. From there, we use orange bell peppers instead of green since they’re sweeter (and more nutritious!) as well as red beans (just open the can), one of nature’s most nutritious, antioxidant-rich foods.

Let us know what you and your kids think!

Confetti Chicken Wraps
Makes 6 to 8 Servings

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large orange bell pepper, finely diced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder
One 15 1/2-ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed
One cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup preshredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup salsa (we like mild)
Six to eight 8-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream, optional

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, cumin, and chili powder and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, corn, cheese, and salsa and cook until the mixture is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, uncovered, and heat in the microwave until warmed through, 30 to 45 seconds. Assemble by placing the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Wrap burrito style and serve with sour cream as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 330 calories, 8g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 510mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate, 8g fiber, 24g protein, 20% vitamin A, 60% vitamin C, 15% calcium

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