Healthy Packet Recipes & Foil Packet Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners

August 27, 2019
Cooking seafood, chicken and vegetables “en papillote” or in parchment-paper packets and foil packets is an easy way to ensure tender and juicy results. Steaming fish en papillote, as well as steaming chicken and steaming vegetables in packets, traps in flavor, whether you cook the paper packets in the oven or grill foil packets. Our easy packet recipes use a fuss-free technique to ensure a healthy dinner packed with tender meat, healthy vegetables and flavorful juices.
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Chicken & Sweet Potato Grill Packets with Peppers & Onions

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Cook your whole meal in a packet on the grill with this easy veggie-loaded recipe. The Mexican-inspired seasoning makes the chicken and veggies taste great served with warm tortillas and your favorite taco toppings for a healthy dinner.

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Steak & Potato Grill Packets with Blue Cheese & Rosemary

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Steak and potatoes are a classic combo on the grill. We have taken the concept one step further by adding green beans and rosemary, and wrapping everything in a packet to make a complete meal. A sprinkling of blue cheese just before serving is the perfect finish for this steak-house special.

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Cabbage & Smoked Sausage Grill Packets with Caraway

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The natural pairing of cabbage and sausage makes a delicious, hearty meal in a packet that is a cinch to clean up. While the grill is hot, grill some bread to accompany the packets.

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Cajun Shrimp Grill Packets with Tomatoes & Okra

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Okra retains a delightful tender-crisp texture when cooked in a packet. Here, it teams up with shrimp, tomatoes and Cajun seasoning for a satisfying meal with a taste of New Orleans. Serve with grilled whole-grain bread or polenta.

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Salmon & Escarole Packets with Lemon-Tarragon Butter

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This company-worthy salmon is steamed on a bed of escarole and basted in a rich and tangy lemon-butter sauce. Fresh tarragon is delicious or try other herbs, such as thyme or rosemary. Rainbow trout or arctic char are good substitutes for the salmon.

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Five-Spice Shrimp & Vegetable Packets

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Chinese five-spice powder makes this combo of shrimp, corn, snap peas and bell pepper sublime. Serve with quinoa or brown rice.

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Catfish with Tomatillo Salsa in Packets

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Tomatillos provide a distinctive tart flavor to a super-easy salsa that cooks with the catfish. Try it with tomatoes too.

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Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets

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Mustard and thyme flavor chicken and veggies in this easy dinner.

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Packet-Roasted Balsamic Green Beans & Peppers

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We love to grill these green-bean-and-bell-pepper packets alongside chicken, steak or pork chops.

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Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

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Wrapping vegetables and fish in a foil packet for grilling or baking is a foolproof way to get moist, tender results. Tilapia and summer vegetables pair with olives and capers for a Mediterranean flair.

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Adobo Pork & Potato Packets

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To make these packets, slice the potatoes very thinly, no thicker than 1/8 inch. Use a mandoline or the 2 mm slicing blade on a food processor--or cut them slowly with a very sharp knife.

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Asian Halibut & Brown Rice Packets

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Rice on the grill? Absolutely, and by the time it's cooked it's scented with the exotic flavors of plums and Asian sauce. If halibut isn't available, striped bass, sole or even thick cod fillets will work just fine.

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Grilled Potato Packets

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Cooking potatoes in a foil packet means one less pot to wash, and highlights the delicate, earthy flavor of just-dug new potatoes.

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Halibut Packets with Mushrooms & Polenta

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Garlicky mushrooms spiked with bacon make a lovely garnish for halibut and polenta. We can't decide what we like best about this dish: the flavors, healthfulness, ease or the fact that there is so little cleanup! Serve with steamed green beans tossed with olive oil, whole-grain mustard and a squeeze of lemon.

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Gochujang-Glazed Cod & Broccolini Packets

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Cooking in packets is a healthy and easy way to make moist fish with minimal cleanup. If you don't already have leftover cooked rice for this fish recipe, look for unseasoned cooked brown rice at the supermarket in shelf-stable packets near other grains or in the freezer section (defrost before using). Serve with sliced cucumbers and carrots tossed with a splash of rice vinegar.

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