Cook Now, Eat Later: Freezer Meal Plan Week 1

This week, we’re going to work on the chicken meals. We’re going to make Chicken and Brown & Wild Rice Soup, White Chicken Chili, and Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, as well as shredded chicken for future meals. If you have questions about storage, see last week’s post.

Depending on how many meals you are planning on making, you’re going to need a lot of chicken. I generally fill a large CrockPot to the brim with chicken and that gives me enough for all these meals. Keep in mind, though, that there are 3 more meals requiring chicken as well as freezing whole chicken breasts or tenders so you’ll need more chicken…

Step 1: CrockPot your chicken breasts in 1/2 cup water and some salt and pepper for 7-9 hours until they shred easily with tongs.

While that is going on, put together the broth and ingredients for the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and White Chicken Chili and put the pots on the stove. (I didn’t end up doing it, but you can also start a broth for Chicken Noodle Soup at this point.) Start simmering!

Once the soups are simmering, get together the ingredients for the Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and have it ready for when the chicken is done.

When the chicken is cooked and shredded, add it to your soups and the enchilada mixture and finish the recipes. Reserve about 6 cups shredded chicken to put in quart size ziplock bags for future meals. Put about 2 cups per bag.

For the soups, when you’re ready to eat, just thaw, heat, and serve. We generally serve the wild rice soup with rolls and the white chili with tortilla chips and cheese. Be sure to also thaw the enchiladas before baking. We serve the enchiladas with a side of spanish rice and pinto beans.

CHICKEN & BROWN AND WILD RICE SOUP–Double this recipe

2 cups shredded chicken
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups diced onion
1 ½ cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
2 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
½ cup wild rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups cooked brown rice

Combine all ingredients, except brown rice, in stock pot and simmer until carrots are tender. Add brown rice and stir well. Store in gallon size ziplock bags. Lay flat to freeze.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI–Double this recipe

1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs garlic powder
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups shredded chicken
6 cups chicken broth
2 cup water
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans
2 (9 oz) pkg. frozen petite white corn

Mix seasonings in a stock pot and cook in olive oil until onion is tender. Combine all other ingredients in pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Serve alone or with cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS–Double this recipe

2 cans cream of chicken soup (or make a homemade chicken cream sauce)
8 oz. sour cream
2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 28 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
½ lb. Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
2-3 cups shredded chicken breasts
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas

Mix the two cheeses together; set aside 1 ½ cups for later.

1st mixture: Mix the soups, sour cream, green chiles, one half of the can of enchilada sauce, and cheese (except 1 ½ cups already separated out).

2nd mixture: Separate 2 cups of 1st mixture and add remaining enchilada sauce.

Coat the bottom of pan with 2nd mixture. Add chicken to the 1st mixture and spread some down the center of the tortilla. Wrap tortilla around mixture and place in pan, crease down. Continue with remaining tortillas. Cover all tortillas with what remains of the 2nd mixture and spread 1 ½ cups of cheese on top of that. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly.