$pent Millennial

It is Sunday night as I type this, and I’m not feeling especially rested or rejuvenated. Some weekends are just like that. I am at the end of my energy, and with the end of the month looming, our grocery budget is stretched thin. So, without any bells or whistles, here’s what I am pulling together for dinner.

Plant-Based Chicken Parmesan (Serves 2-4)

Ingredients:

• 1 plant-based chicken patty (Found leftover in the back of the freezer—doesn’t have to be plant-based, doesn’t have to be a patty, use what you have or leave it out completely. We are all just getting by here.)
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (A staple for end-of-month desperation)
• 1 can of milk (if available , otherwise water will work) to thin the soup
• 2 cups of penne pasta (Whatever pasta you can throw together from the cabinet, mismatched scraps are good too, we don’t judge here)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Another staple, I get some from the Dollar Tree when the budget starts to get low)
• 1 ½ cups of pasta sauce (Also leftover from the fridge – great to have and available at Dollar Tree)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

1. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare the Plant-Based Chicken Patty: Cook the plant-based chicken patty according to package instructions. Once cooked, slice it into strips or bite-sized pieces.
3. Make the Creamy Parmesan Sauce: While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in about half of the Parmesan cheese to create a roux-like base. Gradually stir in the cream of mushroom soup, mix in milk (or water) until smooth, then simmer gently. Season with garlic powder, oregano, basil, or your favorite herbs to taste. Finally, mix in the pasta sauce, continuing to stir until everything is well combined. Set aside enough sauce to top off each dish, and mix the rest with the cooked pasta.
4. Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked penne pasta to the sauce, tossing well to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated with the creamy Parmesan sauce.
5. Assemble the Dish: Spoon the pasta and sauce mixture into serving dishes. Top with slices of the plant-based chicken patty. Finally, ladle the remaining sauce over the top of the chicken patty and sprinkle with Parmesan as desired.

Add garlic bread or a side salad with leftover greens, tomatoes, onions, dressing, etc., if you have it, otherwise serve as is. Remember, we are all just out here making it to and through another week.

I’d love to hear what your go-to meals are when you are at the end of your energy and the end of your groceries!