Freezer Meals

I've always wanted to make freezer meals (and by always, I mean since I saw the idea on Pinterest like 2 months ago). I figure while I am still in early retirement for the next week or two until my new job starts, now's the time to do it! Actually, my motivation came from the shear knowledge that when I do start working, I REALLY start working. I mean seriously, 5 days a week. 40 hrs a week. HOW DO YOU PEOPLE DO IT? 


I am not a cooker. I just don't do it. Whatever gene Mom and Sister have that makes them enjoy cooking, I didn't get. Maybe I don't enjoy it because I'm not that great at it. I always forget something (like sauteeing the onions BEFORE putting them in the casserole). So this should show you exactly how freaked out I am about working 5 days a week. I 've gone on a mad cooking spree. And I mean MAD. 


I started compiling a list of recipes a few days ago. Most I found on Pinterest and other blogs, and literally copied and pasted. Sister, am I breaking any copyright laws? Anywho, I took inventory of my kitchen, compiled a 2-page grocery list, and this little piggy went to the market. With hubby. He took a page and I took a page. 2 hours and $200 later, we were home. And this is what it looked like...

I don't think my kitchen has ever been so well-stocked! And the good news is, Hubby only had to make two trips BACK to the grocery store. Once for something he forgot from his page of the list, and once for some more diced tomatoes. I guess I'll never know which recipe got the extra can of diced tomatoes it didn't need! And trust me, when you are making EIGHT different recipes, and tossing things into 4-5 different bowls at once, you'll throw something in the wrong mix! 

Speaking of mix...this was the first time I had shredded chicken with my KitchenAid Mixer! It works beautifully, and again, when you are working with eight different recipes, it's nice to have a machine do some of the work for you. Just boil your chicken, toss it in the mixer with the little hook attachement thingie, and voila! Leave it for several minutes while you're chopping away at your many vegetables. Just don't leave the setting above 3-4, or you'll sling chicken everywhere like I did. 

So grab a glass of wine and some good music and let's begin our 6 hours of prepping. 


 Some things to keep in mind before you do this:
1.Get lots and lots of chicken. I used 13 pounds! 
2.Label your bags before you put food in them. 
3. Double bag to prevent freezer burn
4. Have a helpful husband around to chop onions and open all cans. (If you do as many of these recipes at once as I did, you'll have about 7 onions to chop/shred and a gazillion cans to open!)


Here is my list:

 Black Bean Chicken Chili 

4 chicken breasts - boiled & shredded
56oz tomato sauce
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
2 onions - diced
4 stalks of celery
2 packets chili seasoning
1 clove minced garlic


Put in ziploc bag and freeze. When ready to cook, place in Crockpot for 8 hours on low with 1 cup of chicken broth or water. 

Chicken Spaghetti (2 - 8x8 casseroles)
4 chicken breasts - boiled & shredded
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4oz jar of pimentos, diced
3C thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces 
2C shredded cheese
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
salt & pepper to taste

Boil chicken, keep 2C of broth. Cook spaghetti in the remaining broth. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Mix in the saved chicken broth gradually. You want the mixture to be creamy, slightly soupy, but not drippy. Press into pans and top with more cheese. Wrap in foil. 


Reheating - Thaw casserole. Remove foil. Cook at 350 for 45m.

FYI, do not make the whole box of spaghetti assuming it's 3 cups. It's like, 10 cups. For real. I ended up using the 400 cups of leftover spaghetti to make freezer pasta salad. 

BBQ Chicken (Crock Pot) 
Everything can go into this bag raw, but I cooked the chicken. 
Chop the following ingredients & divide them between the 2 ziploc bags... 
3 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 red bell peper, sliced
4-5 chicken breasts, diced

In each bag, place... 
8oz tomato paste
1T Worcestershire
2T brown sugar
1T mustard powder
1 garlic clove
1/4tsp salt

Close up the bags, mix a bit and voila!
Reheating - This can go in the crock pot while still frozen. Add about 3/4C water or chicken broth. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Teriyaki Chicken

Medium – Large bag of carrots
Red Onion into Large Chunks 
2 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 Garlic Cloves 
4 Chicken Breasts 
1 cup teriyaki sauce

Rice for serving

Follow directions above, and split everything into two gallon freezer bags. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. To cook: Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to crock pot, Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Serve over hot rice

 Chicken Tortilla soup

·         1 cup onion, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, chopped

·         3 green onions, chopped

·         2 (12 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

·         1/3 cup salsa

·         1/2 red pepper, chopped

·         1/2 green pepper, chopped

·         3 -4 celery ribs, chopped

·         1/3 cup fresh cilantro

·         1/2 teaspoon cumin

·         1/2 teaspoon chili powder

·         1/2 teaspoon basil

·         4 tablespoons fat free sour cream

·         4 tablespoons flour, to thicken (I only use 1 because I don't like thick soup)

·         Put all ingredients into Ziploc and freeze. When ready to cook, put in crockpot with 4 cups chicken broth. 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low.

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

·         6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)

·         1 tbsp canola oil

·         2 cans GN beans rinsed and drained

·         1 cup sliced carrots

·         ½ cup sliced celery

·         2/3 cup Italian salad dressing

·         2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

·         ½ tsp salt

·         1 tsp pepper

Put in crock pot with 1 cup chicken broth, cook low 8 hrs

Layered enchilada casserole

·         2 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I just toss a few chicken breasts in the crock pot in the morning to cook)

·         1 can diced tomatoes, drained (15 oz)

·         1 can black beans, drained (15oz)

·         1 tub Santé Fe Blend Philadelphia Cooking Crème

·         2 cup shredded cheese. ( I used a combo of 3 cheddar and Pepper Jack)

·         3 flour tortillas (I used 6 inch)

1. Mix the chicken, tomatoes, beans, and cooking crème in a bowl. Combine well.

2. Place a 1/3 cup mixture on bottom of a pie plate or 8X8  freezer pan.  I buy the foil ones. Top with 1 flour tortilla.

3. Top tortilla with chicken mixture and cheese. Repeat layers and end with chicken mixture on top and top with last bit of cheese.

4. Double wrap in heavy aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.  Label.

Cooking Instructions: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until heated through. 

Baked Chicken Fajitas Recipe:

(Recipe from Eatin' on the Cheap)

I made double this recipe and we had it for dinner last night after my cooking spree. It was delish!

(Serves 4-6)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 T vegetable oil
2 t. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!

To freeze: Ziploc bag in freezer. Night before serving, set bag out to thaw in morning. At dinner time, throw it in the oven!

As I said earlier, I used the leftover Spaghetti to make a chicken pasta salad. I put it in several small ziploc bags for individual servings. I also save the water from the boiling chicken and put it in the freezer because a lot of the meals call for chicken broth or water when you're ready to put them in the crockpot.

After 6 hours of cutting, chopping, washing, wiping, mixing, stirring, labeling... this is what I got!

Isn't it beautiful? 

Hubby and I arranged them carefully and beautifully in the freezer. We were so proud. We were watching TV later that night and I had a freezer-meal maker's epiphany. We had placed the bags in the freezer flat, so that's how they would form and stay when frozen, and eventually go into the crockpot.... Well that's not gonna work (this is frozen leftover Chicken Corn Black Bean Cream Cheese stuff from a couple days ago). SO I got all the food back out of the freezer, and shaped the bags so that when they are frozen, their shape will nicely into the crockpot with the lid on. 

My freezer is stocked and I am ready to join the real world workforce. :)