Italian Chicken with Summer Vegetables

This chicken recipe is one that I have gone to for years that is easy to prep ahead of time and low maintenance while cooking.  My mom taught me if you put your chicken in a Ziploc bag with Italian dressing before you freeze, it self-marinades while it thaws out.  I have used this concept well past Italian dressing, but this one still stands above the rest.  Throw this with some summer veggies sautéed in a little olive oil and butter and you have one easy meal.

First, I put 5 chicken breasts (bone in) in a large Ziploc with enough Italian dressing to coat all the pieces.  I used Kens Steakhouse Italian dressing, it definitely delivers the most flavor. I prefer bone in, it gives the chicken another dimension of flavor and keeps it super juicy.  You are more than welcome to use boneless if you like though :)  I pulled these out of the freezer in the morning before work, so by the time I got home they were ready to go straight into the skillet.

I don't use any oil or cooking spray when I cook these, there is enough oil in the dressing to keep things from sticking.  I put them all breast side down on medium heat, then covered and let it do its thing.  I think the key to cooking breasts in a skillet is to take your time and keep the fire low with the lid on.  All the steam inside does miracles for keeping them nice and juicy.

After I got the chicken breasts going, I started the veggies.  I had corn in the fridge along with a zucchini and a squash.  Oh, and of course a little onion and garlic...because I add it to everything :)  As much as I love fresh garlic, I was on a time crunch so jarred did just fine.  My kids LOVE this dish, so it's always a no brainer for me to throw this combination together. 

First thing to do is shuck the corn.  It seems like a daunting task, but it really isn't that bad once you get it over with :)  I got this awesome little gadget from Pampered Chef that cuts the kernels right off the cob, GENIUS!  If you eat corn like we do, it is a must have.

I threw all the kernels into a large skillet that I'd had heating with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  I let it fry for a minute so it could get a good crunchy texture to it.

While the corn is sautéing in olive oil, I go back and flip the breasts.  At this point I turn the heat to low and continue to let simmer, covered of course, until the other side dishes are finished cooking.  The breasts should have a nice brown color once you turn them over.

My corn has had plenty of time with the olive oil, so now I throw in 4 tablespoons of butter.  I know this seems like a lot, but remember we haven't put all the other goodies that go into this dish. 

While the butter is melting, I cut up the rest of the veggies.  Once your done chopping, toss them all in (zucchini, squash, onion and garlic) and stir it all together.  Leave it on a medium to low heat and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Continue to stir these every couple of minutes to ensure that all the veggies get some exposure to the heat to get nice and soft.

Time to go back to the chicken.  At this point, its probably been on the stove for a good 20-25 minutes and might be done, depending on the size of breast you're cooking.  I always throw a little salt and pepper on right at the end before I turn the heat off, just for a little flavor.  Once the chicken is cooked through let it rest for a good 5 minutes, and they are ready to serve!

I added some 5 minute rice along with these dishes and that is one complete yummy meal!  The whole thing took maybe 30 minutes, which you can't beat on a weeknight :)  ENJOY!!!