Chicken Pot Pie is a management dish. You know, one that uses up the leftover roast chicken and veggies, even gravy, in the refrigerator. Have leftover turkey? Substitute turkey for the chicken – turkey pot pie is great for holiday leftovers. That’s inventory control. Or on the time management side, you can bake one and freeze one. One is for dinner tonight and the other is wrapped in foil and frozen for a dinner later. Or make and freeze more than one batch as part of a make ahead or once a month cooking project. If you don’t have leftover chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery. OR poach chicken breast in about three inches of water boiling in a deep skillet. Generally each piece of chicken breast yields about 1 cup of cubed meat so you’ll need two pieces of ... [Read More]
Make Ahead Freezer Cooking
Slow Cooker Honey Pork with green beans
Honeyed Pork and green beans cooked long and slow in the slow cooker. Easy delicious one pot dinner. I tend to buy meat only when it is on sale. Usually I end up with several pieces of meat that need to be frozen or cooked immediately. This recipe works either way. Make it it right away. OR follow the Make Ahead Instructions to prepare everything ahead of time and freeze until needed. If desired, you can drop the sealed bag into another gallon bag and seal it. Then you don’t have to worry about the seal coming loose as multiple cooks (or snackers) rummage in the freezer. The first time I made this, I just dumped the ingredients on top of the meat. I assumed the heat of the crockpot would sort of melt and meld them together and they would spread over the meat as it ... [Read More]
Chicken and Orzo Skillet
Orzo and Chicken Skillet is a quick fix with full flavor. Tender chicken with a whisper of garlic, delicate orzo cooked in broth with healthy zucchini and tomatoes. On the table in about 30 minutes. All you need is a hearty salad to make it a full meal. Maybe a hard roll or a slice of garlic bread, for the bigger appetites. This can be prepped ahead of time. Be sure to choose smaller chicken breasts – about the size of a deck of cards -- so they cook evenly. Dice the zucchini and bag it in a sandwich or quart bag with the Italian seasoning. Place four chicken breasts and minced garlic in a large zip bag, add the bag of zucchini and freeze. Pull a can of chicken broth and a can of tomato soup, mark them for “Chicken Skillet” Measure the orzo into a small bag and tape it to one ... [Read More]
Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Grilled Balsamic Chicken can be prepared and frozen for serving at a later date – a great make ahead meal. Or it can be made a few hours ahead of time and left to marinate in the refrigerator for an evening meal. It has a little bit of balsamic tang to liven up the flavor of a nicely balanced mixture of herbs. Leftovers (if there are any!) can be sliced, warm or cold, atop a bed of salad greens for another meal. In a time crunch? Or missing one of the herbs? You can substitute 2-3 teaspoons of Italian seasoning for the herbs. Parsley, basil and oregano are basic in Italian seasoning. Depending on the brand you will find a combination of other herbs so the flavor will be somewhat different. But . . . in a pinch that works! Measure dried herbs into your hand and crush ... [Read More]
