Ever have one of those days — you’re busy, you’re tired or you just aren’t in the mood to cook?  Me, too.  I guess most of us do.  But just because you’re not in the mood to spend a heavy portion of your evening preparing dinner is no reason to give in to the urge to drive-through.  You can have faster food at home.

Try this recipe for Easy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Dinner.

The lemon, garlic and herb flavors of this recipe are reminiscent of the Greek-style chicken and lemon potatoes my great-grandmother used to make. I promise, this recipe takes minutes to prepare and will please even your pickiest eaters.

Here’s what to do: On your way home from errands/dance lesson drop-off/work/whatever, pick up a pre-cooked garlic and herb flavored deli-style chicken, 1 pound of fingerling potatoes and 2 large lemons. You’ll also need a large cast iron skillet, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse potatoes and cut each into 4 pieces. (I half them and then half again, so they end up being 4 pieces of about 1 inch each.)  Add potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Next, using the heal of your hand, roll lemons on counter top several times to break up pulp, then microwave for 30 seconds.  (This process softens the lemon and allows more juice to come out when squeezed.) Cut each lemon in half and squeeze juice over potatoes. You should get about 1/2 cup of juice. Stir to combine and allow to sit while you prepare the chicken.

Take a sharp knife and cut through the breast of the chicken, cutting through to the backbone and separating into 2 halves. Use knife to remove backbone and tail, if desired. Put chicken halves into cast iron skillet, skin side up.

Stir potatoes, then spoon them into the skillet around the chicken.  Pour juice and oil left in the bowl over the whole thing, making sure to get some of the liquid on the chicken. Cover loosely with foil and put in oven for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  Serves 4 hearty eaters. Goes great with a green salad, especially if you sprinkle a bit of feta on the salad.

And there you have it!  In about the same amount of time it would take to pick up fast food, you have a delicious and healthier dinner your family will love.