I did a little freezer cooking this week over a few days using my handy, dandy crock pot in addition to the oven and stovetop. I was able to make 3 family size meals of BBQ chicken, 3 family size meals of Chili, 2 bags of “cheese sauce” and 2 loaves of banana bread (*note, one loaf was eaten almost immediately after coming out of the oven).
- I used the crock pot to make all of the BBQ chicken and chili. One day I put a crockpot liner in the crockpot with a HUGE amount of boneless skinless chicken and two bottles of BBQ sauce. I put it on low and out the door I went. When I came home at 3pm -voila- three family size meals of BBQ chicken. We had one serving that day and boy, was it tender and delicious. I froze the other 2 family size portions in freezer bags for a day that I don’t feel like cooking. I did the same routine the next day with the chili. I assembled the ingredients before heading out the door and …
- I made the two loaves of banana bread and the cheese sauce at the same time. I mixed up the banana batter and stuck it in the oven and while it baked I made up the cheese sauce on the stove top. I can thaw out the cheese sauce and mix it with pasta for homemade mac & cheese or bake it with pasta and bread crumbs in the oven for a nice mac & cheese casserole.
For those of you who want to try freezer cooking but are intimidated, consider doing a mini freezer cooking session. Try making a double or triple batch of one of your favorite recipes. It’s not much more work and it saves you tons of time in the long run!
Here’s my banana bread recipe if you’re interested:
Very Yummy Banana Bread
- 1& 1/4 c. of sugar
- 1/2 c. butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 & 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 & 1/2 c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350, grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans, mix sugar and butter, stir in eggs and blend well, add bananas, milk and vanilla, stir in rest of ingredients. Bake for 50-60minutes or until you can stick a butter knife in the middle and have the knife come out clean.
That’s awesome, Karen! I wonder if your recipe would be good for zucchini? I have a TON of zucchini from our garden and can’t use it fast enough! If anyone has a zucchini bread recipe that’s delish, please share!
Not for bread but here are a few…
Zucchini Deep Dish Pie
Ingredients:
Crust
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Filling
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini (3-4 small)
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 eggs
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. For crust, unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange evenly in Deep Dish Baker with points toward the center. Using lightly floured Baker’s Roller™, roll dough over bottom to seal seams. Press dough halfway up sides to form a crust. Spread mustard over bottom of crust.
2. For filling, slice zucchini using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with adjustable thin slicing blade. Coarsely chop onion using Food Chopper. Melt butter in Family (12-in.) Skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir zucchini, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley.
3. Whisk eggs in Classic Batter Bowl. Stir in cheese. Add vegetable mixture; mix well. Pour vegetable mixture over crust, spreading evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set and crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges to serve.
Yield: 8 servings
Zucchini Ribbon Primavera
Ingredients:
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
3 large shallots
4 garlic cloves, pressed
3 1/4 cups (800 mL) unsalted chicken stock
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
6 oz (175 g) uncooked protein-enriched multigrain thin spaghetti noodles
2 medium zucchini
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3 oz (90 g) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
3/4 oz (20 g) Parmesan cheese (see Cook’s Tip)
Directions:
1. Heat oil in Executive (12-in./30-cm) Skillet (do not use stainless cookware) over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Finely chop shallots with Food Chopper. Add shallots and pressed garlic to Skillet; cook 30-45 seconds or until fragrant. Add stock, wine, salt and black pepper; cook, covered, 3-4 minutes or until simmering. Add noodles; cook, covered, 7-8 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cut zucchini and carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler. Thinly slice bell pepper and coarsely chop basil using Chef’s Knife. Add cream cheese to Skillet; stir until fully incorporated using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®;. Remove Skillet from heat. Add zucchini, carrots, bell pepper and basil; toss gently with Chef’s Tongs. Divide pasta among serving plates; garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 4 servings
Zucchini Tapas Omelet
Ingredients:
8 eggs
3/4 cup/175 mL (3 oz/90 g) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/8-1/4 tsp (0.5-1 mL) red pepper flakes
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped onion
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
Directions:
1. Whisk eggs in bowl using Stainless Whisk. Stir in 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cheese. Add oregano, salt, pepper flakes and garlic; mix well.
2. Lightly grease (10-in./25 cm) Skillet with olive oil. Arrange zucchini over bottom of skillet; sprinkle with onion. Cook without stirring over medium heat 2-3 minutes.
3. Carefully pour egg mixture over vegetables. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 12-14 minutes or until egg mixture is set in center. Remove skillet from heat.
4. Loosen edges of omelet and carefully invert onto heat-proof serving platter. Sprinkle with diced tomatoes and remaining cheese. Cut into wedges.
Yield: 8 servings
For the BBQ chicken do you cook the chicken or just put it in raw… I have never done chicken in the crock pot. My hubby loves it, but I am not a fan of BBQ chicken. This would be a nice meal for him to have when I am gone!! I did a chicken casserole and a meat loaf the other week. I had never thought about doing extras and putting them in the freezer until I read it on here!! Great idea and it is nice to have meals already ready on busy nights!!
I put it in raw and it cooks on low for 8 hours or so. You wouldn’t believe how tender it is when you get home. You can cut it with a fork quite easily. I didn’t think I was a big fan of BBQ chicken until I did it this way and it’s so flavorful. The twins love it. I’m thinking of doing chicken in the crock pot with teriyaki sauce next week so I’ll let you know how that goes. Let me know what you think when you try it
I’ve never made chicken this way but will definitely be giving it a try. I love super easy meals. I don’t use my oven much in the summer months, but will tuck your banana bread recipe away for cooler weather. Sounds yummy!
Oh, it’s the perfect summer meal. The chicken also easily shreds after in the crock pot so you could shred it and stick it on a salad or throw some in a quesadilla. The possibilites are endless…
Sometimes I make my BBQ sauce at home if I can get the ingredients cheaper than buying the sauce. My recipe is very simple.
1 c ketchup, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 tbsp Smoky BBQ rub, 1 tsp vinegar. I have also added honey. Below are two other recipes I give out when I do a cooking show.
Classic
1 1/2 cups ketchup 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons chili powder
Smokey
1 cup ketchup 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons Smoky Barbecue Rub 2 teaspoons vinegar
Spicy Mexican-Style Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients:
2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) cayenne pepper
2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander
2 cups (500 mL) ketchup
1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh lime juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) brown sugar
Directions:
1. Place jalapeños, oil and garlic into a (2-qt./1.9-L) Saucepan. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander; cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in ketchup, lime juice and brown sugar. Cover, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
2. Cover and refrigerate some of the sauce for serving. Using BBQ Basting Brush, brush remaining sauce over surface of beef, pork or poultry every 5 minutes during last 10-15 minutes of baking, broiling or grilling.
Mmmm banana bread! I am going to make that tonight!!! Thanks for the recipe. I love my crock pot too and especially love having a huge pot of chili that you can freeze some of and enjoy weeks later.
My hubby loves Chili too! I always make it as soon as the weather gets a little chilly (no pun intended)- can’t wait!
I’m a Pampered Chef consultant and we actually do shows called Power Cooking with beef or with chicken. Here are some of the tips from a sheet we give our. We try to promote recipes that only cost $2 per serving and that are quick to prepare saving energy in the kitchen. Many of our recipes also use the microwave to save energy.
Freezing Tips
• For the freshest flavor, use chicken that has not been
previously frozen. Re-freezing meat compromises the
texture and flavor.
• Freeze foods in plastic bags specifically designed for the
freezer. They are made of thicker plastic that helps to
prevent freezer burn.
• Label the bags with the recipe name, “Bag 1” or “Bag 2”
and the date before adding the ingredients. These meals
can be frozen for up to three months.
• To prevent ice crystals from forming (freezer burn), press
out as much air from the bags as possible before sealing
and freezing.
• Do not store the chicken mixture in the freezer door. The
fluctuation of temperatures from opening the freezer will
lead to freezer burn and a reduced shelf life.
• There is no need to defrost the contents of the bags.
Simply place into skillet or casserole as directed straight
from the freezer.
• Each recipe can be made individually using one pound
of chicken.
• It’s not necessary to use freezer bags when cooking one
of these recipes immediately. Combine the ingredients in
appropriately sized bowls and cook as the recipe directs.
Thanks for this and for all of the recipes. Your BBQ sauce sounds delicious. I will be making it