Yum, that sounds delicious and just think of how convenient to have supper all made in the freezer.

4 ounces is, I assume one breast half, two per chicken? Yes, that's about average, not those overblown Frankenchickens that are raised by most commercial producers.

I see some really good meals in your future.

Annie

Wow, you were a busy girl today. Nice to have a freezer full of meals ready to go.

~Ann

Wow! Great idea to pre marinade and have them ready to go. They sound delicious!

That's a lot of chicken! You have many good meals ahead.

Cheryl

What a project! So that's what goes on with you now that the kids are in college?

The honey maple and peach ginger chicken sounds intriguing. Would you share the recipes or point me in the direction to find it?

Great going, being so industrious! I need lessons!! But I'll be in the remedial group.

I will join ci_lantro in the remedial group.

Recipes? How long did all this take you? Just wondering on your process to prepare all of that? How long can it be frozen? Is that how you usually buy chicken? Also just wondering what does something like that cost? roughly? I wouldn't even know where to get organic, or regular chicked is such a huge amount.

Hahaha, I hope you didn't think you could get away with NOT posting the recipes to your awesome freezer meals! LOL

Yeah, I just ordered a set of replacement cookware so I'm ready for those recipes also especially the chix enchilada soup.

/tricia

Yes, you must share those recipes because you have just now single handedly convinced me to replace my freezer that just passed away.

And I thought I could do without! Ha!!

You guys are funny. The chicken was $2.29 a pound which is unfreaking unbelievable for SLBL organic pasture raised chicken breasts and it was a loss leader (I am sure) for a local wholesaler. I used to buy chicken like this and prep it up for a couple of months worth of meals but I admit I haven't done it in years.

I picked out my recipes, shopped for the stuff I didn't have on hand and had everything ready to go when I picked up the chicken.

I label all the ziplock bags with the recipe name and date, placing the opened ziplocks in any container that will support them. Then I prep the marinade in multiple quantities, usually double, sometimes more, seperate it out into the ziplocks, add the chicken, seal and into the fridge. Then the next recipe and so on. When the second recipe is ready for the fridge the first recipe goes into the freezer. I freeze them flat.

The soup and gumbo are in the fridge overnight before going into the bags and then the freezer.

I start with the recipes that take the most prep work or need cooking first like the gumbo which has about 15 cups of finely diced veggies (all diced by hand - I don't like how uneven the food processor chops) and finish with the ones that are just measuring liquids.

It took about 3 hours to do everything I did then about 3 hours lol to clean the kitchen.

Here's the worst of it:

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.

To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir.Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary for serving.

Chicken teriyaki recipe
Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
From Catherine McCord's Weelicious Cookbook.
ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

Mix everything together in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken. Freeze

Thaw and bake in 350 degree oven till the chicken is done.

Peach Ginger Bake

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 jar Trader Joes Peach Salsa
1 tsp ginger powder
2 Tbsp ginger nibs or crystallized ginger finely chopped

Put rice, water, salsa and ginger powder in ovenproof dish and mix well.

Season 8 chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lay chicken breasts on top of rice, sprinkle ginger on chicken and bake at 375 for 45 minutes

So you make up the marinade/sauce and freeze it with the chicken, uncooked?

I just got a multi-cooker, I think your idea would work well, since I can slow cook or pressure cook (or what ever else it does). The hardest part is having everything on hand and preparing everything. Having it all in the freezer would mean I could just pull it out and pop it into the cooker. And I can keep some of the marinade aside for my vegetarian SIL's cutlets.

Thanks

Thanks for all the info and the picture so we know what to expect of our kitchens!

How long can they freeze for? I would guess 3 months???

loves2cook: Recipe and the very idea of having that many meals in the freezer sounds terrific!

Are you able to freeze in just freezer ziplocs without freezer burn? If so, for how long?

OOPs, missed the last couple of questions. I freeze direct in Freezer Ziplocks cause they seal shut easily. We use most of the meals within 2-3 months and I've never had a problem. I do thaw them in a baking dish just in case one developed a hole in the freezer. I remember this happened once and it was a mess to clean the fridge.

I posted most of the recipes but if I missed one you want just let me know

Not sure I understand what you did with the peach bake? did you cook the rice then freeze?

Curry coconut chicken recipe please too!! I Love freezer meals.

The peach bake was dinner THAT night. That was the one meal that didn't go in the freezer.

Baked Coconut Curry Chicken from our very own Bobby

2 ½ lbs. chicken (I used SLBL breasts but you can use chicken legs and boneless, skinless thighs & breasts)
1 can coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like your food, Ok, to be honest, I use 1/2 tsp and dh adds more heat tableside LOL)
2 tablespoons curry powder (again depending on how much you like curry)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste

red peppers and pineapple (optional)

Method

I throw everything in a bag and then into the freezer. I follow the last step with the sauce if I remember but it's good even if you forget.

These are the instructions from Bobby:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wash and pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Pour the chicken broth and coconut milk in a baking dish then lay the chicken in the broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the rest of the spices all over the chicken and broth.
3. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully remove the foil and turn chicken and mix up the broth mixture so the coconut milk breaks up. Put the baking dish back in the oven uncovered for another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and very tender.
4. Bobby says: I cook this chicken a little longer than necessary because I like the thighs and breasts to sort of shred and since the chicken is in a broth, it does not dry out with the extra cooking time.
5. Once you remove the baking dish from the oven, carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan and add 1 tablespoon butter. Mix using a whisk, bring the sauce to a boil and whisk till smooth and reduced. Taste the sauce to make sure it is spicy enough for your liking...if not...add more cayenne pepper and curry powder.

Serve chicken over rice and pour the sauce over the chicken and rice.