Today at LifeAsMom, Jessica's recipe swap theme is Freezer-Friendly Meals. Oh, how I love freezer meals! Although I've never quite mastered the whole "Once-A-Month Cooking" thing, I do enjoy making an extra large portion of a meal and freezing some for later. Really, it makes life with two kids sooooo much easier.
Unfortunately, today I don't have much brainpower to sort through recipes to find a new one to post. But, instead I'll give you links to some great recipes that are already posted that use boneless, skinless chicken. A few of my favorites are:
- Southwestern Chicken - This is great when boneless, skinless chicken is on sale. I make a batch of the marinade and distribute it amongst four quart-size ziploc bags with two single breasts per bag. Then I freeze flat and take out early to defrost when I want to use it. What is even better is that my husband is the one who grills it! Then, I usually make up some rice pilaf and a quick green salad. I often serve this to company and they always enjoy it.
- Chicken Chili - I just posted this recipe last week and it got rave reviews. Well, at least from my niece Brittney. I posted it in the afternoon and she managed to make it for dinner that night. Ah, the college days...
Since Jessica is my sister, I know that she is a good cook and I am familiar with some of her recipes too. Some of hers that I like are:
- Chicken Pot Pie - I looked for ages for a good chicken pot pie and experimented with various creations of my own. None of them turned out as well as this version. I made two of them the other week and cooked one right away for dinner and froze the other one. Yum!
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Jessica posted this last week, and it is a good one to freeze. Just thaw it completely and cook as directed. We originally got this recipe from our sister Jamie -- and she likes things SPICY! I don't quite have the tolerance that she does so I don't use the jalapenos. Instead, I usually throw in some salsa for extra kick that doesn't set my mouth on fire.
Cooking Tip: Many of the chicken recipes that I freeze are casserole-type dishes and call for cooked chicken. The easiest way to do this is to boil the chicken, but I found that oftentimes it would get a bit tough or dried out. Then, I read this tip in the newspaper once and haven't had that problem since:
- Fill a large pot with water and place your chicken breasts in it.
- Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and turn off the heat.
- Allow the chicken to stand in the hot water for about 10 minutes. Cut open a chicken breast to make sure that it is cooked through. If it isn't, let it sit a little longer. The residual heat should cook the chicken without overcooking it. Not only will you get tender cooked chicken, but it saves on energy costs too!
How FUN to find your blog and that you're Jessica's sister!! LOVE FishMama! :-) And now I have another blog to follow :-)
ReplyDeleteSo my tip re: chicken is, after you've boiled it (I really like the method mentioned above and I boil mine with a celery stalk, carrot and onion), I let it cool a little and then put the whole pot in the fridge to sit overnight. Not only can I skim the fat easily then, but the chicken absorbs some of the broth and it becomes REALLY moist. So that's when I pull the meat off the bones and freeze it and the strained broth. :-)
Can't wait to explore your site!