Friday, January 4, 2013

Freezer Slow Cooking For Me

I am not a resolutions girl but of course there are things I want to improve on in the new year.  And one of those things is being more organized to cook for my family.  But the thing is that I work every night of the week except Friday.  I don't work late, usually just till 6:30 or 7, but just late enough to make cooking a good dinner tricky.  Which is one reason why my slow cooker has become such a good friend of mine.

I often hear about / read about those uber-organized people who spend one day a month slicing, dicing and putting together all their meals for the month.  They pop them in the freezer and most of the work is done.  I also hear it is great way to maximize ingredients and save money.  Brilliant, right?!?!  Well, I thought I would try it out on a smaller scale.  

So I tracked down 5 recipes for make ahead freezer slow cooker chicken meals.  I decided I would start out with all chicken recipes because I know they have a great deal on boneless chicken breasts at Costco and honestly it was simpler to start with one protein.

I just finished putting together 6 meals (I did one twice) and it took me exactly 48 minutes and 6 seconds including clean-up.  Yup, I timed myself!  


I ended up making some adjustments to the original recipes I found because I find that without enough spice, slow cooker meals can turn out bland.  They are all in my freezer right now waiting to be eaten.  So let me share the recipes with you but let me also say I haven't eaten them yet.  So I promise to report back as they are eaten.  And I would love for you to do the same!

The first three recipes are from Six Sisters Stuff plus some of my own additions

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken
Place all of the following ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Mix together and zip the bag closed.  When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.  Sprinkle with fresh dried rosemary for serving.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbl red wine vinegar
1 (16 oz) bag of frozen broccoli
salt & pepper

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Place all of the following ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Mix together and zip the bag closed.  When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.  Serve with cooked fettuccine noodles and rolls.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) bag of frozen broccoli
2 (16 oz) jars of light Alfredo sauce
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained - I did not use the mushrooms since my husband is afraid of them

Cilantro Lime Chicken with corn & black beans
Place all of the following ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Mix together and zip the bag closed.  When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Add half a cup chicken broth and ingredients to slow cooker.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.  Serve over rice with tortillas, sour cream and salsa.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can green chilies
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
1 can black beans rinsed
2 minced cloves of garlic
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle pepper
slat & pepper

The next recipe is from Martha Stewart

Coconut Chicken Curry
Place all of the following ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Mix together and zip the bag closed.  When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Add one can of coconut milk to the slow cooker and contents of the bag.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.  Top with chopped cashews and cilantro to serve.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
chopped butternut squash
1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 oz fresh ginger
2 tbl curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
salt

The final recipe is just my thrown together bbq chicken and there isn't much of a recipe but it is great served over rice or as a sandwich.  Just combine chicken breasts, 1 sliced onion, 1 sliced green pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, bbq sauce, teriyaki sauce, splash of liquid smoke and salt & pepper in a zip lock freezer bag.  And just as recommended above, when ready to eat, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 24 hours.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

So here is to hoping all my meals turn out yummy and that this new plan helps me to cook more for the fam.  And I would love to try out your favorite freeze ahead meals.  So share them in the comments or email me directly at missiondecorate@gmail.com!  Happy eating!

Update - Since I wrote this we ate the Coconut Curry Chicken...YUM!  But next time I will add more curry about an hour before it is done cooking.