Stuffing and Swiss Cheese Chicken

This recipe is so easy to assemble and just pop in the freezer. No pre-cooking required. I do recommend thawing this one completely in the fridge before cooking. Otherwise you may be cooking it for a very long time to ensure the chicken is cooked through.

1 lb uncooked chicken breast meat, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 box stuffing (I use Stove Top)
4-6 slices of Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
water & milk

Arrange chicken pieces in an 8x8 pan. Cover with slices of Swiss cheese.


Sprinkle with entire box of stuffing. (If you don't want as much stuffing in your dish, just use 1/2 a box and decrease the amount of soup mixture you pour over stuffing. I happen to like stuffing a lot so I use the whole box).



Mix together 1 can of soup, 1 can of water and 1/3 can of milk. Pour over stuffing. Stir carefully with a spoon to gently incorporate soup mixture and stuffing.


Wrap with heavy foil, label and freeze. Thaw in the fridge. Cook covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Pam's Chicken Curry

Here's another one my kids like.
It's also from Fix, Freeze, Feast

Chicken Curry
Makes 3 entrees, 4-6 servings each

1 warehouse tray (about 6 lbs.) boneless, skinless,
chicken half-breasts
1 cup butter
2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup curry powder
2 Tbs. minced ginger
2 Tbs. minced garlic (about 18 cloves)
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
4 cups water
4 cups milk
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
Also can add:
carrot pieces, green or red peppers

Rinse and trim chicken as desired. Cut chicken into bit-sized pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from hear and cool. Divide cooled chicken evenly among freezer bags.

While chicken cools, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, ginger, garlic, sugar, bouillon, and salt; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Mixture will be like a paste. Gradually add the water and milk; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Whisk to make a smooth sauce. Add lemon juice only after sauce has thickened. Cool Sauce.

Divide cooled sauce evenly over the chicken in freezer bags.

Seal and freeze.

To cook:
1. Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, bring the chicken and curry sauce to a simmer and cook until heated through. Do not boil.
3. Serve curry over your favorite rice

Accompaniments for Curry:
Top with any of the following: toasted coconut, toasted almonds, fresh apple pieces, pineapple tidbits, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped scallions, mango chutney, hot chili paste and/or sweet chili sauce.

(I warm this up in the crock pot)

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is a recipe I came up with several years ago and have been tweaking it ever since. I think it's just about how I like it. This is actually not a dish I regularly freeze because it is so easy to put together, but you could definitely freeze it.

1 pkg Knorr Mexican Rice Mix (quick cooking)
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 can Mexi-corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can chopped olives
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 cup Mexi-blend cheese

Sprinkle rice packet into a 9x13 pan. Stir in water and tomatoes. Pour corn, beans and olives over rice. Evenly distribute chicken pieces over mixture. To make sauce combine soup and spices. Stir well. Spread over chicken. Sprinkle cheese over top. Freeze.

Thaw in fridge. Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and casserole is bubbly.

Spanish Chorizo Chicken Chili

This is one of my very favorite freezer soups. I love it. It has a nice strong flavor and is quite hearty with all the meat. It's a perfect soup for colder months and pairs well with French bread. Rachael Ray really does have some great recipes.

Spanish Chorizo Chicken Chili

I always make a double batch and freeze it in quart bags. I have a couple adjustments:

• I use bite size chicken breast pieces instead of the ground chicken.
• Cook the chorizo in a separate pan rather than with the chicken as the recipe says. Chorizo has a great flavor, but it is seriously greasy. You want to drain the grease. Cook it in a separate frying pan while the chicken cooks, then mix together after draining.
• I leave out the sherry and most of the hot sauce.
• I use a jar of roasted red peppers instead of the piquillos.
• I use plain old cheddar on top instead of the Manchego. I don't use Spanish olives because I don't like the flavor.
• IMPORTANT: You can't substitute regular paprika for the smoked paprika. The smoked paprika makes this soup so enjoyable. I bought a large container at Sam's Club about a year ago and it's almost gone. I'm sad to report they don't carry it anymore. It's a hard spice to find. When you find it buy lots. I use it in tons of stuff--anything with a Mexican/Southwestern/Spanish influence. I love the smokey flavor.

BBQ Chicken

I always try to keep some frozen BBQ chicken on hand. It's so simple to make, but takes a while in the crock pot.

BBQ Chicken

6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 lg bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce

Place chicken in crock pot. Pour 1/2 bottle over chicken. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from sauce. Discard sauce. Shred chicken. Pour new BBQ sauce and mix to taste. Freeze in quart bags.



I have two favorite recipes that call for BBQ chicken. The first is our BBQ Chicken Pizza that I previously shared. The second is BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I made this tonight for dinner. Yummm!

BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 Sourdough loaf
2 cups BBQ chicken
4 oz cream cheese
Kraft Mexi cheese blend
butter for grilling

Slice your bread fairly thin.Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on each slice.
Sprinkle one side of the bread with Mexi blend cheese.
Top the cheese side with BBQ chicken. Sprinkle more cheese on top of chicken.
Spread a thin layer of butter on the top of each slice and grill very slowly. The trick to this sandwich is patience. Because it's so thick you can't grill it on medium heat for 2 minutes. I grill it on medium low heat and even place it in the pan as the pan is preheating. It takes about 10-15 minutes, but it's so worth it.
A panini press would definitely work for this as well. I wish I had one.
This is one of my favorite sandwiches. I love the combination of flavors. It's not something you would expect to go together, but it's really quite enjoyable. Our dog was very jealous of my dinner tonight.

Greek Pasta Bake

I tried a new recipe tonight from the Taste of Home Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. We really liked it, and it's one I will add to my list of potential freezer recipes. Whenever I try a new recipe I only make a single batch to make sure we really like it before filling our freezer with several pans of it. I have made that mistake before, and we had to choke through three batches of seafood lasagna that neither of us really liked.

I made a few adjustments to this recipe and thought the outcome was quite enjoyable. I would have used Greek seasoning, but I ran out and wasn't able to find more after searching two grocery stores. The original recipe calls for 1 tsp of basil and 1 tsp of oregano. I doubled both to give it more flavor. It was also a touch dry. After baking, it ended up being a bit dry. I added about one cup of canned spaghetti sauce which greatly improved it.

Greek Pasta Bake

1 pkg (12 oz) penne pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cans (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (divided)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, tomato saouce, tomatoes, spinach, olives, onion, green pepper, basil, oregano, and 1/2 cup feta.

Freeze pasta mixture in a Ziploc bag. Place remaining cheeses in a separate quart size Ziploc bag and attach to the pasta bag.

Thaw in the fridge. Transfer to a 9x13 in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining feta and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

I know it is a success when super picky Claire is willing to eat it.

Chimichangas

I got this recipe from the 30 Day Gourmet Freezer Cooking Manual and have made a few adjustments to improve the taste and make it easier to assemble. It calls for ground beef, but I find they are much tastier with Cafe Rio Chicken. The following quantities make 32 chimchangas.

5 cups cooked chicken (use the Cafe Rio Chicken recipe)
32 oz salsa
32 oz refried beans
2 4-oz cans diced green chilies
2 envelopes taco seasoning (I buy my taco seasoning in a large container from Sam's Club and just mix it in to taste)
32 8" flour tortillas
8 cups shredded cheese (we like pepperjack)

In a large bowl combine chicken, salsa, refried beans, and green chilies. Stir in taco seasoning. Assemble by placing about 1/2 cup meat mixture in the center of a tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold in the sides and then roll up.

Wrap in heavy foil to freeze. Wrap individually for one serving or bundle several together for a family dinner. We bundle 6 chimichangas for our family.

Reheat in the microwave or bake. I generally bake for about 30 minutes at 350. I then pour a can of enchilada sauce over top, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake an additional five minutes. This is one of my husband's favorites.

Café Rio Chicken

For those of you who have never tasted Café Rio, you are missing out. I have done many online searches trying to find copycat recipes for Café Rio--especially their special salad dressing. I haven't been successful in duplicating their food, but this one comes pretty close to their chicken. We love this chicken on quesadillas, burritos, and chimichangas (I'll post that recipe later).

Café Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin
3 cloves garlic--minced
5 lbs chicken breasts

Combine ingredients in crock-pot and cook on low 4-6 hours. Shred meat and cook one additional hour. Freeze in quart bags.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Tonight was pizza night. We have found that pizza freezes great. We cut out several cardboard rounds about the same size as our pizza stone then cover them with heavy aluminum foil. Spread the dough over the foil covered cardboard and make your pizza as usual. Wrap with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze. To thaw, take your pizza out in the morning. While frozen gently pull your pizza away from the foil and place on your pizza stone or pan. Thaw in the fridge. Bake as usual. (Don't try baking your pizza on the cardboard round. My sister did this while staying with Claire when I was in the hospital. It will set off your smoke alarm, so unless you are looking to test that out, I wouldn't suggest it.)


Here is our favorite pizza dough. You just make it in the bread machine, but you could definitely make it by hand as well.

Cheese and Garlic Pizza Dough
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 to 4 TB extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast

Place ingredients in your bread machine and set for dough mode.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, divided (our favorite is Famous Dave's)
3 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Mix about 1/2 cup BBQ sauce with shredded chicken. Spread remaining sauce over rolled out dough. Sprinkle with 3 cups mozzarella. Spread chicken and onions over cheese and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes.