Make Ahead Chicken Fajita Bowls Food

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN FAJITA BOWLS

Steps:

• Place a large rimmed baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 450°F (leave pan in oven as it preheats).
• Place chicken in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat.
• Place sweet potato in another medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat.
• Cut onion in half vertically; cut each half into 6 wedges.
• Carefully remove hot baking sheet from oven. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange chicken mixture on one side of pan, then onion wedges in the middle, and sweet potato mixture on the other side of pan. Bake at 450°F for 12 minutes.
• Place bell peppers and zucchini in bowl used for sweet potatoes. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine. Remove pan from oven. Stir sweet potatoes and chicken; push to outer edges of pan. Add bell peppers and zucchini to onion wedges in middle of pan. Bake at 450°F for 12 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
• Increase heat to high broil (do not remove pan from oven). Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned.
• Divide chicken, sweet potatoes, and bell pepper mixture evenly among 4 portable, microwave-safe containers. Spoon 2 tablespoons pico de gallo into small sauce containers, and place one in each container.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN FAJITA BOWLS

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the package directions. Preheat the broiler to high with the rack in the highest position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Put the chili powder, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and oil in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add the chicken, peppers and onions to the bowl and toss to coat well. Scatter the chicken and vegetables in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are starting to char and soften and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the black beans and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small bowl. Once the chicken and vegetables are out of the oven, add the beans to the baking sheet and toss to combine. (The heat from the fajitas will warm the beans.)
• Meanwhile, make the sour cream drizzle: Put the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, sour cream and cilantro in the bowl of a mini food processor and pulse until mostly smooth and green. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the rice between 4 bowls and top with the fajita mixture. Drizzle with the sour cream mixture before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN FAJITAS

Steps:

• Stir together all filling ingredients in slow cooker.
• Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6-8 hours, or high heat setting for 3-4 hours. Drain off liquid.
• Cut or shred meat, if desired.
• To serve, place meat mixture on warm tortillas.
• Top with desired toppings.
• Note: To warm tortillas, heat oven to 275°F.
• Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil.
• Warm in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve in foil to keep warm.

MAKE AHEAD CHICKEN FAJITAS FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in your largest, heaviest skillet, cast iron is best, over medium high heat. Saute onions and peppers, together or separately depending on the size of your skillet, until they are softened and just beginning to caramelize. Remove to a large pan or pyrex dish and let cool while you cook the chicken.
• Add a bit more oil to the pan and cook the chicken in batches, until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through. I like to use an instant read meat thermometer to eliminate the guess work and I pull them off the heat between 150 and 160 degrees. Pile the chicken breasts, as they are cooked, on top of the vegetables and when they are all finished, let cool then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Early on the day you plan to serve the fajitas, slice the chicken into pieces, 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick then return them to the vegetables and toss to combine all, making sure to coat the chicken with the wonderful juices that will have settled to the bottom of the vegetables overnight. Cover tightly with foil and return to the refrigerator until you are about an hour away from service. It will take 45 minutes to an hour to warm the chicken mixture slowly, and tightly covered, in a 325 degree oven.
• Serve with warm flour tortillas, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, avocados and any other condiments you might like to add.