LEAN CUISINE® 5 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas For Two

Dinners for two are a great way to simplify mealtime and reduce waste! LEAN CUISINE is here to help you make a nutritious, delicious, and calorie-conscious dinner in minutes. With a few simple adds and creative tweaks, you can turn your frozen meal into a dinner masterpiece.

These 5 quick and easy LEAN CUISINE dinner recipes are ready in 25 minutes or less and portioned just right, with 415 calories or less and 22 grams of protein or more per serving. Cooking for one? Prep now and enjoy leftovers later!

Very Veggie Shepard's Pie

Approximately 25 minutes, 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes LEAN CUISINE® Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes
• 2 tsp butter
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
• 4 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 ½ cup unsalted beef stock
• ¼ cup frozen peas

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 bake. Microwave both LEAN CUISINE Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes for 3 minutes and 30 seconds (this can be with both entrées in the microwave at the same time).
2. In medium oven safe sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter.
3. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until vegetables begin to appear translucent.
4. Add mushrooms, cauliflower, and garlic. Continue to sauté until mushrooms begin to wilt, and garlic is fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir to distribute and lightly caramelize to develop flavor.
5. Sprinkle in flour evenly over vegetables, continue to sauté one additional minute.
6. Add stock, stirring to distribute evenly. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken slightly.
7. Carefully cut or crumble meatloaf into sauté pan. Add gravy from LEAN CUISINE meal into pan. Stir, and return to simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, until gravy thickens.
8. Remove from heat and stir in peas.
9. Top evenly with mashed potatoes. Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes- until potatoes begin to color, and internal temperature of 165 is reached.

Nutritional information per serving: 383 calories, 10g fat, 29g total carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 25g protein 882.5mg sodium

Beef & Mac Loaded Potato Skins

Approximately 15 minutes, 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes LEAN CUISINE® Salisbury Steak with Mac & Cheese
• 2 fully cooked baked potatoes, cooled (bake 375 for 1 hour)
• ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp chives, sliced (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 roast.
2. Microwave both LEAN CUISINE entrées, both can be placed in the microwave at the same time, for 3 minutes.
3. Cut potatoes in half horizontally (see image). Carefully scoop potato out of the skins and into a medium bowl, keeping the skin intact.
4. Add gravy to the potato. Fold together gently until fully incorporated.
5. Cut Salisbury steak into bite size pieces, add to potato mixture, and gently fold to combine.
6. Add mac and cheese, gently fold together, this time not incorporating fully, just so the mac is distributed throughout.
7. Distribute filling equally between the four potato skins. Top each with 1Tbsp of the shredded cheddar.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is just beginning to brown and internal temperature of 165 is reached.
9. Garnish with chives.

Nutritional information per serving: 414 calories, 7.5g fat, 70g total carbohydrates, 5.6g fiber, 29.3g protein 891mg sodium

Chicken & Broccoli Mac & Cheese Bake

Approximately 20 minutes, 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes LEAN CUISINE® Vermont White Cheddar or Classic Macaroni & Cheese
• 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed
• 1 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 Roast.
2. Microwave both boxes of LEAN CUISINE entrée for 3 minutes. You can place both trays in the microwave at the same time.
3. Carefully lift plastic, stir, and add ½ cup of the raw broccoli florets to each of the trays. Cover with the film and continue to microwave for 2 minutes.
4. Carefully lift plastic and add ½ cup shredded chicken to each tray. Fold gently to combine.
5. Pour both trays into an 8x8 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with pan spray or rubbed with 1 tsp olive oil.
6. Spread breadcrumbs and parmesan evenly over the top. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes- once topping begins to lightly brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Nutritional information per serving: 382 calories, 6.5g fat, 49.7g total carbohydrates, 3.2g fiber, 29.6g protein 829mg sodium

Farmer’s Market Salad with Cheesy Garlic Croutons

Approximately 20 minutes, 2 Servings

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 box LEAN CUISINE® Four Cheese Pizza
• 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• ¼ watermelon radish, or 2 small red radish
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp sliced red onion
• 2 Kirby cucumbers, or ½ English cucumber sliced
• ½ cup chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
• ½ cup light sour cream
• ½ cup low fat buttermilk
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder, divided
• ¼ cup dill, chopped
• ¼ tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Olive oil spray
• *½ tsp Italian seasoning blend (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 bake.
2. Line sheet pan with foil. Place pizza on foil, spray with thin layer of olive oil spray, and sprinkle ½ tsp garlic powder evenly over pizza. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning if using.
3. Bake for 12-13 minutes until lightly golden on edges and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
4. While pizza is baking, make salad dressing. Combine Greek yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
5. Assemble salad. Combine greens and vegetables in large bowl. Cut pizza into bites size croutons. Top salad with croutons and toss with ½ cup salad dressing.

Tip: The dressing recipe will yield more than you need. Store in fridge and utilize extra for more salads or as a dip for veggies or chicken.

Nutritional information per serving: 341 calories, 6.5g fat, 46g total carbohydrates, 5.5g fiber, 22g protein 487mg sodium

Buffalo Chicken Mac

Approximately 20 minutes, 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 box LEAN CUISINE® Vermont White Cheddar or Classic Mac & Cheese
• 8 oz chicken breast, cut into approximately 1.5” x 1.5” cubes
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp frank’s red hot buffalo sauce
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• Parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

Preparation:

1. Marinate diced chicken in buttermilk for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat convection oven to 400 roast or Air Fryer to 385.
3. Microwave LEAN CUISINE entrée according to directions on pack.
4. Prepare breading procedure. In one medium sized bowl combine the A.P. flour, salt, and pepper.
5. Prepare sheet pan if using oven by coating with foil, and a thin spray of olive oil spray. If utilizing air fryer, spray tray or basket with thin spray of olive oil.
6. Bread chicken. One piece at a time, drain chicken from buttermilk. Toss in the flour mixture to coat. As you work you will get some little crumbs of flour develop, these are good, they make the crunchy little bits that add texture to the breading.
7. Place in single layer, not touching, on sheet pan or air fryer basket/tray. Spray with thin layer of pan spray. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from oven/fryer, and flip, return to oven/fryer for an additional 5 minutes- until pieces are golden and reach an internal temperature of 165.
8. While chicken is cooking, prepare sauce by combining hot sauce with butter in a microwave-safe bowl big enough to toss the chicken in, and microwaving for 15 seconds (cover). Whisk to combine thoroughly.
9. Toss chicken in sauce once it is done, divide macaroni and cheese into two bowls, top with equal quantities of chicken and garnish with parsley if desired.

Nutritional information per serving: 389 calories, 8.5g fat, 32.5g total carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 43g protein 610mg sodium