Sunday, March 13, 2011

Freezer Meals: Smokey Chicken Burritos, Dijon Noodles, Greek Chicken Orzo

Okay, I hope I can make this easy to understand and follow. I feel like now-a-days, I can't hardly make a sentence without confusing everyone because my thoughts are so jumbled!

Anyway, this is three great recipes that you can make with one 3 pound bag of chicken. They're all freezer meals, or you can make them fresh. They're nice if you work, because you can take one Saturday, cook up your chicken, assemble the freezer meals, and pop them in the freezer. Then when you need a quick meal, just pull it out, do the last minute things to it, and you're done! We made the first one (Smokey Black Bean Chicken Wraps tonight, and I LOVE it! I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the Greek Chicken one, but haven't made the Dijon Noodles one yet). Hope this makes sense and I hope you all enjoy!

Make Ahead Chicken

Cut 3 lbs Boneless,skinless Chicken Breast into 1/2 inch cubes
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet, add chicken and cook 7-10 minutes. Drain if necessary.
Divide Chicken into three portions.

Smoky Black Bean Chicken WrapsCombine:
Chicken
1 can (15 oz) Black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 Tablespoons Smoky Barbecue Rub (I just got some Barbecue rub in the spice section at Walmart)
2 cups cooked rice
Heat through.
Serve on flour tortillas with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and barbecue sauce.

Dijon Chicken Noodle TossFreezer Bag #1
Chicken
2 cups frozen peas
Freezer Bag #2
1/4 lb deli ham, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Seal bag #2 and place into bag #1; seal. Freeze
To finish:
Cook and drain 12 oz. uncooked rotini pasta
Place:
1/2 cup water (omit if not frozen)
bag #2 (ham and soup) in skillet
Heat through.
Add:
8 oz. Sour Cream
Reduce heat and then add bag #1. Cook until chicken is hot, stirring occasionally.
Toss cooked pasta with 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley. Sprinkle with 1 ounce grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Greek Chicken and Orzo SkilletFreezer bag #1
chicken
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Freezer Bag #2
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion flavored diced tomatoes
3 Tablespoons Greek Rub (I got this at Walmart in their Spice section)
Seal bag #2 and place into Bag #1; seal and freeze.
To finish and serve:
Add Bag #2
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
In skillet and bring to a simmer over med-high heat.
Reduce to medium heat, add:
1 lb. uncooked orzo (I always use mini bow-tie pasta instead of orzo)
Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add bag #1, cover and cook 5-7 minutes or until orzo is tender adn zucchini begins to soften.
Remove from heat; top with 2 oz crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup coarsley chopped pitted kalamata olives (optional)

1 comment:

Katy Wilson said...

Um...these are fantastic ideas...and I will be for sure trying them out because as I have found out recently...figureing out something to make for dinner after I've been at work all day is the LAST thing I want to do!