Chicken Pesto Spinach Wraps

One thing I've learned living with Crohn's disease is that anything I can do ahead of time, anything I can prepare for while I am feeling okay, is going to be a lifesaver when I'm not feeling well, or without energy. This is especially true for food preparation.

Meal prep for days when I'm low on energy

I really enjoy eating healthy, home-cooked meals, but rarely during the week do I have the energy to make these along with work and other responsibilities. For me, the way around this conundrum is to do meal prep on a weekend morning while I blast my favorite music or podcast. This is a delicious recipe, and honestly, I feel like it tastes even better when I bake the wraps frozen!

My favorite hack is to double the recipe below and to freeze them in meal-size portions (3-4 wraps each) in ziplock bags. Then, at mealtime, I just grab the bag out of the freezer, spray a cookie sheet with PAM, and bake for 8 minutes. Viola! Home-cooked meals without any thought required! Yum Yum!

Serves 5 people at 3 wraps per serving

Chicken pesto spinach wrap ingredients

• 1 package of Egg Roll Wrappers (qt 15) 
• 1 cup pesto
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup of shredded Colby Jack Cheese
• 2 chicken breasts
• ½ package of spinach
• Pam Spray

Instructions to make the wraps:

1. Begin by dicing chicken breasts.
2. Next, spray PAM or cooking spray on a medium sized skillet, and cook chicken until it's no longer pink.
3. In a medium bowl, mix Cheddar Cheese and Colby Jack Cheese together.
4. Take a package of egg roll wrappers, and lay them out individually on a clean surface. Note: You can do this one at a time, or in small batches if you don’t have enough space for all wrappers at once.
5. To prepare wraps, spread 1-1.5 teaspoons of pesto on a diagonal across the wrapper, and sprinkle a small handful of cheese mixture over the pesto. Add in 5-7 pieces of diced cooked chicken, top with 3-4 pieces of spinach, and fold according to package directions, using a little bit of water to seal the edges of the wrappers as you go.
6. Bake wraps on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through to ensure wraps brown on both sides.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Meal Prep Note: Wraps can also be prepared and frozen in a gallon size Ziploc bag or airtight container. Wraps can then be cooked one serving at a time to last longer.