After trying this out for the first time, I'm labeling this post "Part I", as I hope to try this with many new recipes throughout this winter! I was amazed by how fast it took to prep these meals, and how easy it will be when they're ready to be cooked!
My sister-in-law, Sharon and brother-in-law, Chris are expecting their first baby in a couple of weeks - she's ready to pop! With Chris sick (and with a bum leg) this past week - I wanted to throw a few of these together so that they had some easy meals without the prep, to fix when they needed them!
On the menu:
- Buffalo Chicken
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
- Red Pepper Chicken
- BBQ Pulled Chicken
I also added in a few frozen containers of a huge batch of Stuffed Pepper Soup that I whipped up late last night as well! Click the link for the ingredient list and instructions to make the soup too :) [the picture below included the ingredients I needed for the soup, as well - so don't be thrown off when the count in the picture doesn't match the list below!]
Ingredient List / Grocery List:
- Chicken Breasts (20)
- 1 bottle of Franks Red Hot Sauce
- 1 Ranch seasoning packet
- 16 oz. can of refried beans
- 16 oz. can of black beans
- 15 oz. can of Rotel (or other diced tomatoes)
- 1.5 cups of Chicken Broth
- 1 Pkg of frozen corn
- 1 Pkg of frozen broccoli
- 1/2 cup of Salsa
- 2 onions
- 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 cup of Rice
- 1 cup of Celery
- 1 bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 (15 oz) bottle of BBQ Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Crushed Red Peper Flakes
- Black Pepper
- Salt
To start, I found that it was easiest to prep all of the add-ins. I first washed and trimmed all of the chicken breasts and let them dry. While they were drying, I started chopping the onions, celery, pepper, and garlic cloves so that I could easily grab them to throw them in the bags when ready. Also - go ahead and cook your rice to have ready as well.
(You'll want to follow the directions on the box/bag of rice to prep that).
For each meal, I also made note cards (shown below) with the ingredient list, date and instructions for cooking, to tape on the ziplock bags. (I used clear packing tape and it stayed perfectly in the freezer).
Also note - that after freezing each of these meals,
you need thaw them before throwing them in the crock pot to cook!
Buffalo Chicken
In a ziplock bag, throw in:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 bottle of Franks Hot Sauce
- 1 packet of Ranch Seasoning
Cooking instructions: Cook on low for 3 hours.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
In a mixing bowl, blend the following:
- 3 chicken breasts (I cut them in cubes)
- 16 oz can of refried beans
- 15 oz can of black beans
- 15 oz can of Rotel
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup salsa
Once you've blended all ingredients, you can throw it in your ziplock bag and seal.
You can add crushed tortilla chips to your cooked bowl of soup, along with shredded cheese.
Cooking instructions: Cook on Low for 8 hours.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
In a mixing bowl, blend the following:
- 3 chicken breasts (I cut them in cubes)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 can, Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 pkg of frozen broccoli
- 1 cup of rice
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 1 cup of celery, chopped
When you've blended all ingredients, empty into a ziplock bag and seal.
For the day you prep this meal, you'll also want to add a 6 oz. container of plain greek yogurt and 1 cup of milk to the crock pot to make the dish more creamy.
Cooking instructions: Cook on Low for 6 hours.
Red Pepper Chicken
In a mixing bowl, blend the following:
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Add the above mixture to a ziplock bag with 4 chicken breasts.
Cooking instructions - Cook on low for 3 hours.
BBQ Pulled Chicken
In a ziplock bag, throw in:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 bottle of BBQ sauce
Cooking instructions: Cook on Low for 3.5 hours.
Use two forks to shred the chicken when finished, to serve on sandwiches or salads.
That's it! You're ready to freeze everything :) For easy freezing, try to freeze each of the bags flat so that you can easily stack or stand them in your freezer once they're completely frozen. (We have to maximize the freezer space we have!) :)
I can't wait to try more dishes like this - I already have quite a few written down to try! :) Let me know if you try any of these and how you liked them. I love hearing and receiving all of your notes and feedback after you've made dishes that I've shared! :)
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