Easy Weeknight Dinner: Parmesan Tomato Baked Chicken with Rice

Ever have nights when cooking is the last thing on your mind? Since I've graduated from college and joined the 9-5 crowd, I find it extremely difficult to have the motivation upon arriving home to do anything, and cooking has been one of those challenges. The motto I use for my everyday cooking is: cook a healthy meal in the most simple and affordable way. Thus, I present you with a recipe that truly fits this mold.

Parmesan Tomato Baked Chicken (for 4, or 2 with leftovers)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
• 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 roma tomato
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Ground black pepper
• Minced garlic

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, prepare the chicken. In a casserole baking dish, place the 4 chicken breasts side-by-side. Spread just a bit of garlic on each chicken breast (up to your personal preference on how much you use), sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the chicken breasts, and lightly season with ground black pepper. Slice the roma tomato and scatter on top of the chicken, and drizzle the olive oil on top. Bake until cooked, or until about 15 minutes.

Rice

You can easily cook rice from scratch or you can use a boxed rice if you're feeling particularly tired. I just tried the low sodium version of the chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni and it was decent. I wouldn't make a habit of eating this, but it's perfect for that night when you are just plain tired.