Bring Joy Back to Family Meals

Simplify dinnertime with convenient recipes and digital tools (Family Features) While meals savored with loved ones are intended to produce smiles and shared moments, the process of grocery shopping, planning and cooking has become a chore for many families. Take the first step toward bringing back the joy and magic of making your favorite foods with tools that do the work for you. For example, the all-in-one Albertsons Meal Plans and Recipes tool allows you to focus on what you want to eat rather than what you need to buy as it empowers everyday home cooks to plan, shop and prepare personalized recipes based on dietary preferences, allergies or family likes and dislikes. The app features a library of 9,000 exclusive recipes created by professional chefs (with new recipes added each month) and includes tasty dishes such as Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp Fajitas with Bell Pepper, Onion and Spicy Ranch; Cheese Tortellini and Cauliflower with Creamy Spinach Marinara; and Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Green Beans and Honey Mustard Dip. The free digital tool also includes an artificial intelligence-powered “Scan Your Own Recipe” feature that allows you to snap a photo with your phone of grandma’s handwritten, not-so-secret recipe and transforms it into a digital version saved in the app. Recipes are instantly turned into shoppable ingredients and added to your cart for quick, convenient checkout. Now, you can turn all of your recipes into a digital library for quick and easy access in one place. No more flipping through cookbooks or recipe cards searching for your favorites. Designed to provide culinary inspiration throughout the week while saving time and money, the app also features a budget tracker and hands-free cooking mode with a step-by-step timer. “The Albertsons Meal Plans tool is the ultimate life hack,” said Jill Pavlovich, senior vice president of digital customer experience for Albertsons Cos. “This all-in-one app makes it simple for anyone to plan, shop and prepare inspiring recipes from anywhere – whether it is an old family favorite, a best-seller from a favorite food blogger or one of our 9,000 delicious recipes. Best of all, it’s completely free to use on our grocery app and website.” The tool is available on the store apps and websites across the Albertsons Cos. banner of stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. Find more information and a seemingly endless collection of recipes at Albertsons.com. Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp Fajitas with Bell Pepper, Onion and Spicy Ranch Recipe courtesy of Albertsons Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 2 green bell peppers 2 yellow bell peppers 1 lime 1 medium red onion 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 pounds raw, peeled shrimp, fresh or frozen 5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided 1 teaspoon salt 1/2cup ranch dressing 12 small flour tortillas Preheat oven to 450 F. Wash and dry green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers and lime. Trim, seed and slice bell peppers lengthwise into thin strips; transfer to large baking sheet. Peel, halve and slice onion lengthwise into thin pieces; add to baking sheet with bell peppers. Drizzle veggies with oil, toss to combine and spread in even layer. Bake until veggies have softened slightly, about 5 minutes. If using frozen shrimp, place them in colander and run under cold water to thaw slightly. Place shrimp on clean towel or paper towels and pat dry. Remove baking sheet from oven. Arrange shrimp over veggies then sprinkle with 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and salt; toss to combine and spread in even layer. Bake until veggies are tender and shrimp are cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven. Cut lime into wedges. In small bowl, stir ranch dressing and remaining Cajun seasoning. Warm tortillas in skillet, oven or microwave, if desired. Divide tortillas between plates and fill with shrimp and veggies; drizzle with spicy ranch and serve with squeeze of lime. Cheese Tortellini and Cauliflower with Creamy Spinach Marinara Recipe courtesy of Albertsons Total time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 2 bags (10 ounces each) cauliflower florets 18 ounces cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce 8 fluid ounces heavy whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 packages (5 ounces each) baby spinach Fill large pot halfway with hot water, cover and bring to boil. Uncover then add cauliflower, tortellini and salt; stir for a few seconds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes, or cook according to package instructions. In separate large pot over medium heat, stir marinara sauce, cream, basil and black pepper to combine and bring sauce to simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Wash and dry spinach. When sauce has thickened, add spinach to pot in handfuls, waiting for spinach to wilt slightly before adding next handful. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. When cauliflower and tortellini are done, drain and add to pot with creamy marinara sauce; stir to combine. To serve, divide pasta between plates or bowls. Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Tenders with Green Beans and Honey Mustard Dip Recipe courtesy of Albertsons Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt, divided 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 pounds green beans 1/2 cup honey mustard dressing Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat baking sheet with 2 teaspoons oil. In medium bowl, stir mayo, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to combine. In separate medium bowl, stir Parmesan, breadcrumbs and paprika to combine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and slice into 3/4-inch tenders. Add to bowl with mayo mixture and toss to coat. Working in batches, dredge tenders in breadcrumb coating, pressing to adhere. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until tenders start to turn golden, about 10 minutes. On clean cutting board, wash, dry and trim green beans. Set aside. When chicken is golden, flip and bake until cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil and swirl to coat bottom. Add green beans and remaining salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Divide chicken tenders and green beans between plates. Serve with dressing for dipping.