I haven't ever really done freezer meals before, but my sister introduced them to me not too long ago and I am hooked. When I was pregnant with Charlie, I had this awesome plan about making a TON of freezer meals before he was born so that we were prepared and didn't have to eat out every day. Well, he had other plans. He decided to come the day before I was going to make everything!
His first surgery is scheduled in about a week from now, and I am much more prepared this time! I have made 5 different freezer meals. (i would have made more, but my freezer is not big enough!) I wanted to do this because I know the first week is probably going to be the hardest and he is going to most likely be hurting and in pain, so I want to be able to give him all the attention he needs and not have to worry about cooking a good meal for my family.
I just wanted to share my most favorite thing to freeze that helps me out tremendously during the week. I started to do this about two years ago and it is a lifesaver. I am talking about shredded chicken. I use shredded chicken in a lot of dishes that my family enjoys and so I came up with this recipe so that I can have shredded chicken anytime and not have to wait for it to cook all day long!
This is what I do.
**I buy boneless, skinless chicken when it goes on sale. Usually $1.59 a pound and I buy a TON of it!
**I cut all the fat off of all the chicken.
**I use half of the chicken for shredded chicken the other half I filet and freeze into portions that work for my family
Here is how I cook my shredded chicken:
You will need
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 chicken bouillon cubes
1 large onion chopped
2 tsp chopped garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water
Place all your chicken in your crockpot and add the rest of the ingredietns. Add just enough water so that it almost covers the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hour or until it shreds.
Now, this is how I freeze it.
I put the portion that works for my family in a freezer ziploc bag and add a little of the juices from the crockpot to keep it moist. I label the bag and put it in the freezer.
When I need to use that chicken, I just take it out to thaw a few hours before I'm ready to cook dinner. These are some of the meals that I make that require shredded chicken:
*Chicken Enchiladas
*White Chicken Chili
*Hawaiian Haystacks
*Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
*Spinach Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
*Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
This recipe will make a 9 x 13 casserole dish
3-4 cups of cooked long grain white rice
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups shredded chicken
1 tsp garlic powder
Bread Crumbs**optional
Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and put in a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake 350* for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with your favorite vegetable or a side salad.
Chicken Enchiladas
This is the first time I have done these freezer meals so I hope they turn out!
My sister gave me a freezer meal cookbook for Christmas and so I am trying a bunch of new recipes this week. I will post my reviews of those recipes later this week. :)
7 comments:
Awesome planning!
Biz
http://busybizblogs.blogspot.com/
Freezer meals are great! I am in a freezer meal swap with some other moms. We've posted some of our recipes at http://suppersserved.blogspot.com/
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
This is just what I need right now! (34 weeks pregnant). I think that I will make about a weeks worth of food. My mother in law told me I can make my meatloaf recipe and freeze it in a ziploc to save on space and then defrost and cook it when ready so that is an easy one I can do. Now I will have to make my chicken like this. SO easy and sounds like it will be perfect for my recipes and going to try the cheesy chicken rice too!! Thank you!
The chicken and rice casserole looks yummy! How much rice do you use and what type?
Denise-I feel like a dork! I forgot to put the rice in the recipe! I fixed it! Thanks for letting me know! I hope this helps!
I love Freezer Meals. My girlfriend and My sister in law do them once every other month we do 4 different meals and then swap so we have 12-16 meals depending on if anyone joins us. It makes dinnertime so much easier when you have not planned. Plus it so fun to try new recipies. Please keep sharing your recipies!
Thanks for sharing. I love the idea of prepping the chicken. I do this with spaghetti sometimes if I have made too much. I freeze the leftover pasta (no sauce)in freezer bags. When we need a quick pasta, I just reheat in boiling water for a few minutes. Works great!
Praying for you and your little Charlie. My nephew had the same surgeries and did great!
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