In August of 2018, I began my maternity leave to prepare for the arrival of our baby girl Mattox. I started my leave with a 10 day family trip to Martha’s Vineyard. It was so relaxing, filled with lots of fun in the sun!
When I returned home, I had a list of items that I wanted to complete before the baby came. I did not know if I would get to all of them, but the one item that was non negotiable was preparing freezer meals. As I mentioned last week, I am not a huge fan of take out, so I thought freezer meals would be the perfect solution, to ensure we had a home cooked meal on the table most nights with little effort on my part.
Making freezer meals can be as easy as doubling your recipes a few times a week and freezing half, or you can set aside a day or even just an afternoon to make, and package meals to be frozen for later use. I chose the latter to get done everything I wanted to make. I used the method I showed last week to create a list and shop for the groceries. Packaging is so important. Since these items will be frozen for up to 3 months, you want to make sure you are using the correct container for the job.
I use mason jars for soups, chili, and sauces.
I use foil pans with paper lids for casserole.
I wanted to have enough meals to cover about 3 months, so I had the goal to make the following items:
Breakfast Sandwiches
Breakfast Burritos
Chili
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Pot Pie
Smothered Chicken Burritos
Lasagna roll ups
This was a huge undertaking, so I enlisted the help of my hubby and sissy to get it done. We split the list up and completed all the items over the course of 3 evenings.
Below I am sharing the recipe for two of our favorites, chicken pot pie and smothered chicken burritos. These are great to do on the same day because you can make one batch of chicken to use for both items. For the chicken pot pie, I store the filling in a mason jar, then thaw and pour into a pie shell when I’m ready to use. For the burritos I use foil pans with paper lids, and store the sauce in a mason jar in the fridge. When its time to serve, i just pour the sauce on top and bake.
Enjoy the recipes and be sure to join the conversation. Let me know how you make Weeknight Dinner Possible!
Chicken Pot Pie
This recipe will yield 3 pies
Check out my Insta-Story! I take you step by step through the making of this dish
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 diced Onion
- 4 medium Carrots sliced
- 6 stalks Celery sliced
- 2/3 cup All-purpose flour
- 3 cups Chicken broth
- 3 cups Milk
- 1 bunch Fresh poultry mix herbs (thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste
- 1 Chicken bullion
- 3 Boneless skinless chicken breast baked
- 2 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 3 Deep dish pie shells
- 3 Pie dough rounds
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
- Add the onions and cook until translucent.
- Add carrots & celery and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the flour.
- Whisk in chicken broth and milk.
- Add in herbs, seasonings, and bullion.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- If Freezing
- Layer Chicken and Filling in a 32 oz. mason jar
- If Cooking now
- Place shredded chicken and filling in pie shell.
- Top with 3/4 cup frozen peas.
- Top with pie crust round.
- Bake for 45 min in a 400 degree F oven.
- Serve warm.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add carrots & celery and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the flour.
Whisk in chicken broth and milk.
Add in herbs, seasonings, and bullion.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
If Freezing
Layer Chicken and Filling in a 32 oz. mason jar
If Cooking now
Place shredded chicken and filling in pie shell.
Top with 3/4 cup frozen peas.
Top with pie crust round.
Bake for 45 min in a 400 degree F oven.
Serve warm.
Smothered Chicken Burrito
Recipe will yield 8 burritos
Ingredients
Burritos
• 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Sauce
• 1 cup bottled salsa verde (green salsa)
• 2 Tablespoons dried ranch dressing/seasoning mix
• ⅓ cup cilantro, measure then chop
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
- Season chicken breasts with cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Bake in a 375° F. oven for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Shred and set aside.
- While chicken is cooking, make the sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
- To assemble burritos: Divide the chicken evenly among the 8 tortillas. Add a scoop of rice, cheese, and pinto beans to each one. Fold the bottom of tortillas up over filling, fold in sides, then roll all the way up.
- If Freezing
- Place burritos in foil pan.
- Cover, being sure to label and date.
- If Serving Now
- Place in a greased pan and cover with sauce.
- Place in the 375° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve Warm
