Chicken Foil Packets

State Championship. Six. The sixth state championship in eleven seasons. We won 21-14. Jeremiah Cole ran for 156 yards in his final high school game and made every moment count the way players make moments count when they understand that time is finite. Webb caught fourteen passes. The defense gave up fourteen points and held the other team to fourteen yards in the fourth quarter. Williams pumped his fist after the final play — a single pump, controlled, which for Williams is equivalent to most people's full celebration. I've learned to read Williams at full granularity.

Hector watched on the streaming service. He called during halftime — we were down seven, I missed his call — and then he called after the final whistle. I answered from the field. He said, "Knew you'd come back in the second half." I said I did too. He said, "Six is a number that means something." I asked what it meant. He said, "It means you're not done." He's right. I'm not done.

Sofia ran the state cross-country championship the same weekend — Saturday, while the football game was Friday. She won. State champion in cross-country. We had a state championship football dinner and a state championship running dinner simultaneously on Saturday night. Championship posole. Championship runner's chicken soup with vegetables. All of it on the table at once. Six trophies in the hallway. One silver medal on the coat hook. This family, this kitchen, this specific Saturday night in November.

Lisa looked at me across the table and said, "We're something, aren't we." It wasn't a question. I said yes. We are. We really are.

The posole was already going for the football side of things — that was settled — but Sofia came home Saturday afternoon with a state cross-country title and I needed something equally worthy on the table for her, something warm and clean and made for someone who had just run the hardest race of her life. Chicken foil packets were what I reached for: her own sealed-up dinner, her own little victory parcel, vegetables and all. It felt right that both celebrations had their own dish, their own presence at the table. Two trophies, two meals, one very full kitchen.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Tear four large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 18 inches long, and lay them flat on a work surface.
Season the chicken. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pat chicken breasts dry and coat each one thoroughly with the seasoned oil mixture.
Build the packets. Divide the broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes evenly among the four foil sheets, mounding them in the center. Place one seasoned chicken breast on top of each vegetable mound. Lay two or three lemon slices over each chicken breast. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture over the vegetables.
Seal and bake. Fold the long sides of the foil up and over the chicken, then crimp the short ends tightly to form a sealed packet. Place packets on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Open and serve. Carefully open each packet away from you — steam will escape. Transfer to plates or serve directly in the foil. Garnish with fresh parsley and an extra squeeze of lemon if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken Foil Packets — The Runner’s Championship Dinner, Right There on the Table