I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight!

Do you remember those Chicken Dinner commercials? For some reason I do, and I find myself singing the song. It's catchy.

Wait, you don't remember it? Gosh, how embarrassing. Why is it that I remember these random commercials? I *think* my mom bought this stuff and made it for dinner. And I liked it.

Well, maybe I should have stuck saying the tried & true phrase: winner winner chicken dinner! (BTW, who knows where that phrase came from? I don't, but I think it's fair to say chicken and dinner go hand in hand.)

Actually, I have found a winner chicken dinner for you. It's good. It's easy. It's healthy. Can't go wrong here for a week night dinner. I've had it twice in two weeks, and one of the times was with friends over (and I think they liked it - they ate it all, so that's a good sign). Anyhoo, let's dive into this recipe!

This meal idea all started with zucchini. I had way too much from my Full Circle box.I ordered it twice in one box - whoopies! I had to do something. Why not Mediterranean? Hummus, lemon, chicken, feta -- all things I love.

The timing was perfect because I follow Gimme Some Oven's blog, and this recipe popped up. Couldn't have been better timing! So I added it to my meal plan, and the rest was history.

It's really quite good, and I can't get over how easy it is. I really think you ought to try it out.

Hummus-Crusted Chicken with Zucchini and Rice

Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
3-4 zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup hummus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prepare a large (9x13) baking dish baking dish with cooking spray.
Pat the chicken dry and season with pinches of salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the zucchini and onion with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the zucchini & onion on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Then lay the four chicken breasts evenly on top, and cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered. Sprinkle the paprika over the top. Finally, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Optional: Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place the slices in between the chicken and vegetables.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

TIPS & IDEAS:

If one pan seems cramped, then try two smaller baking dishes (8x8). I tried two ways - (1) putting the veggies in one dish and the chicken in the other, and (2) putting veggies & chicken in both dishes just dividing everything evenly. I preferred #2, but both work well.
Trader Joe's is your friend with this recipe. I used the TJ brand Hummus Dip - it's quite tasty! If you're ambitious, try making your own hummus (here's inspiration). Oh, you could totally try this with a different flavored hummus - oh my!
More Trader Joe's love: I served this with TJ's Basmati Rice Medley, Whole Wheat Pita, Greek Yogurt dip, and more of the hummus.

Other Daily Dinners: