Easy Chicken Hoagies and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

My weeknights are beyond hectic. Between the kids homework, their activity schedule and prepping for school the next day, its bedtime before I know it.  That being said I try and scour the internet for meals that are tasty and come together quickly.  This meal is just that. Again, not the fanciest ingredients, but it came together in a flash and best of all my kids ate every bite with zero complaints. That for me is a win win situation!!

Easy Chicken Hoagies

Adapted from Aaron Mc Cargo Jr

*This recipe calls for you to place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 30 minutes while they are soaking in the marinade.  This is so the chicken will slightly freeze, allowing the chicken to be sliced super thin. You do not have to do this step or you can do it for less time (depending on how chaotic your night is), however, just know that the chicken will slice oh so easily if its extremely cold. The thinner the slice, the faster it cooks as well. I also recommend using a serrated edge knife to slice the chicken; this type of knife cuts through chicken with more ease than a typical chefs knife.

-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

-1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-3 chicken breasts (if they are thick breasts slice them in half horizontally to make them into thin cutlets)

-1 onion

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-6 slices Provolone cheese

-4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted (I didn't toast mine-time constraints- and it was still super yummy)

*Optional- hot cherry pepper spread (I found a brand called Wickles at Walmart that is really tasty!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, mustard, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the bowl and apply sauce liberally. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and with a sharp knife, slice the chicken as thin as possible.

In a large saute pan, add remaining two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Then add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your slices). When chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and place the sliced provolone on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and let cheese melt.  Scoop melted cheese and chicken into hoagie rolls. Add cherry pepper spread to the sandwich and enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

*Adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe

*My kids love these fries. Many mornings I have seen them eating the cold leftover fries straight from the fridge! I hope your family loves them as much as we do!!

-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips or wedges (try and make them all the same size)

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 tablespoon sugar

-1 tablespoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon chili powder

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place two large baking sheets in the oven while it heats up; the purpose of this is to help the fries cook more quickly and get crispy. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, oil and spices together until all the fries have an even coating. Very carefully, remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and place the fries on them in an even, single layer. Make sure the potatoes do not touch, so air can circulate between them. Try and leave as much of the remaining oil in the bowl as you can; you don't want the fries too greasy. 

Bake the fries for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through if desired, until they are tender and well browned.