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Okay, even though it’s summer we still have to cook at least a little! My freezer was getting a little sparse so it was time to restock. In the summer we tend not to eat out of the freezer quite as much since we do a lot more picnics (cold cut sandwiches) and grilling (hot dogs and hamburgers) but we do get tired of that and need some quick and easy variety. So I thought I’d share with you what I did last night and this morning. For more information on how I freezer cook click the category in the right hand column to see my past entries on the subject.
Well yesterday we spent the day at the beach and on the way home I stopped and picked up 30lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast. It was on sale for $1.39 a pound which around here is about as good as it gets anymore so I stock up! Before we left in the morning I planned out what we’d make based on what we had here and what we needed yet to buy. I decided on marinated chicken for the grill, chicken enchiladas, chicken and dumplings and chicken salad ring.
On the way home I also had to pick up my son and ended up a little rushed so I shifted plans slightly for dinner last night. I had planned on making up the chicken enchiladas right away and having one for dinner but since I was rushed I looked around and found ingredients for another favorite, chicken spaghetti, and made up one batch of that quickly for dinner while I bagged the chicken for the grill.
For the marinated chicken I simply cut the chicken breast into portion sizes (these were HUGE chicken breasts!) and put the amount that is right for our family in gallon freezer bags labeled and dated. I pour over them about ½ bottle of light Italian salad dressing mixed with about ½ cup of water. That’s it, then I lay them flat (so the bag is only about 1 inch high) and stack them in the freezer. We made 4 bags of these. When you’re ready to use them just defrost and grill!
While I was bagging those I started the chicken spaghetti. I often bag and freeze this one too but for this time we just had it right away. I quickly microwave about a pound of cut up chicken while I boiled the spaghetti noodles. While that was cooking you mix a can of cream of chicken with a jar of salsa and 1 tsp. of chili powder. Mix the chopped cooked chicken, noodles and soup/salsa mixture. Place in a 9X13 and slice Velveeta (or other cheese) on top. Bake till cheese is melted. My friend Heather gave me this recipe that was her Aunt’s. She’s made it for the food ex-change many times. I modified it slightly and changed it to a jar of salsa from a can of tomato soup. I’ve made it both ways and it’s great.
Next I started on the Chicken and Dumplings. This is one that you can make up ahead and put in the crock pot for the day. Cut up 3 carrots and 3 stalks of celery into bite size pieces and place in bag, pour 1 ½ cups of chicken stock over the top. You can add some seasoning if you like, I have an Italian herb mix that I add at this point (about 1 tsp.). All of that is in a one gallon freezer bag. Take a 1 quart freezer bag and fill it with cut up pieces of chicken. I usually cut them to “small” portion size and get about 9-10 of those size pieces into the bag. Seal that bag and put it into the gallon bag. Now mix 2 cups of biscuit mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy), ½ cup milk and 1 tsp. of seasoning like dry parsley, rosemary or chives. I used parsley this time. Put the dough in a zip lock sandwich bag and place in the gallon freezer bag. When your ready to make it just place the vegetables and stock in the crock pot with the chicken on top. I usually cut the freezer bag with scissors and put it all in frozen. Set the dough aside.
About ½ hour before you’re ready to eat spoon the thawed dough on top of the chicken and cover. Don’t peek or your dumplings will not rise! Usually put my dough in the refrigerator all day to thaw or it will thaw too quickly. Most of the time I think mine cooks 6-8 hours on high but each crock pot varies so your time might be different.
Before I went to bed last night I put the rest of the chicken in my crock pot to cook all night so I could shred it in the morning. The only problem with this is everyone wakes up hungry from the good smell! It is however a great way to get beautifully shredded chicken.
So this morning I put two portions away for a chicken salad ring (both in Tupperware containers, one in fridge for this week and one in freezer for next.) My daughter likes to make these. Basically you make chicken salad (mayonnaise, shredded chicken and chopped celery) then scoop it over croissants laid open in a circle (think large “sun” shape, points out) then put a slices of cheese on top and fold your croissants over it and pinch. You then bake till done and browned. There are lots of variations on this and I’m sure most of you have done these. Ariel (who’s 10) does these herself and it’s one meal mom doesn’t have to make!
The rest of the shredded chicken I use in the chicken enchiladas. For my enchilada’s I made a sauce with 6 cups milk, ½ cup white flour, ½ cup wheat flour, 1 tsp. chicken bouillon and 1 can of cream of chicken soup. Sometimes I don’t add the can of soup but this time I did. Heat it until it starts to boil (and thicken) then turn off and cool.
Once my ingredients are set I start making my “packets”. We like to use the smaller tortia's so I pack 12 to a bag (two for each person in my family.) I simply mix about 2 cups of shredded chicken a small handful of shredded mozzarella (maybe 1/3 cup) and 2 or 3 T. of the sauce in a bowl. I fill the tortia’s with this mix and fold them up burrito style and put right into a one gallon bag. I then take about 2 cups of the sauce and put it into a 1 quart freezer bag and place it in the gallon back on top of the rolled up enchilada’s I just made. The last thing I add is about ¾ cup of shredded mozzarella in a sandwich bag and then seal it all in the gallon bag. When you want to eat it you simply thaw and assemble it in your 9X13. Place the enchiladas in the bottom, cover with sauce (you can thin with milk if it got too thick) and top with cheese. Bake at 350 about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
So out of 30lbs of chicken I got:
4 marinated chicken for grill
3 chicken enchilada
3 chicken and dumplings
2 chicken rings
1 chicken spaghetti
13 meals in all! Well worth about 4 hours work.
Now, lest you think we’ll be eating chicken for 3 weeks straight, I do have other things frozen from previous cookings. Right now I’ve also got shrimp jambalaya, cheesy chicken, pork steak, beef steak, ham slices and probably some other things I forgot about. In about two weeks I’ll probably do this again…maybe beef will be on sale?
While I was doing this I also cooked a few other things to re-supply the freezer and use up some things I had.
I did a double batch of blackberry muffins since we still have frozen blackberries from last year I need to use. We can always use more quick breakfast foods.
We also have tons of eggs right now so I’m trying to freeze ahead some things for winter when our chickens won’t be laying as well so I froze and egg and sausage dish. It’s great for using up eggs. You take 16 eggs beaten, half loaf of bread cubed and 2 lbs of sausage and place them in your gallon freezer bag, then put a smaller bag sealed inside with 1 cups of shredded cheddar. Just thaw, pour into a greased 9X13, top with the cheese and bake till set. I’m thinking 350 for about ½ hour.
Again to use up eggs and the tortia’s I have left today I plan on making breakfast burritos. For those I scramble the eggs, make 1 or two cups of sauce (same as the one for the chicken enchilada’s minus the chicken bouillon), have shredded cheese (usually cheddar or mixed cheese) and meat (this time bacon I have precooked and crumbled in the freezer.) Just take the torita’s and put some eggs, sauce, meat and cheese in each one. Don’t fill too full or they’ll just rip. I individually wrap each one in wax paper and then put 20 or so in each gallon freezer bag and we just pull out and microwave as needed.
So what are you making for your freezer? Leave a comment and let me know.
Gina
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