Easy Freezer Meals- Pressure Cooker

I am having such an easy time with dinners using the freezer meals I prepare, and my pressure cooker. These great marinades are a hit. And so easy and cheap. I just make the marinade as directed, throw it in a gallon size plastic bag with chicken and freeze. When ready to use, I take from freezer to pressure cooker, 15 minutes later I have dinner done. Throw some veggies and rice in there, that's all my kids will eat. 

I have LOVED this type of meal planning. I know I will eventually get bored and change it up again, but I don't foresee doing that anytime soon!

The pressure cooker is my friend :)

White Chili in the pressure cooker

4 Chicken Breasts
1 T veg oil
4 garlic cloves
1 Onion, small,diced
2 Cans of white beans
1 can diced green chilies (I will omit this for my kids)
4 C Chicken broth
1 tsp chicken bullion granules
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp Pepper
********
Sour Cream
Monetery Jack cheese


Add all ingredients to a large gallon size bag. Freeze.When ready to cook, pour contents from bag into the pressure cooker and cook on high for 15 minutes, natural pressure release.
Open lid and shred chicken, stir around and your ready to serve.
Top with sour cream and cheese.

***UPDATE
I am STILL using this method for my meal planning and I am officially hooked. I shop twice a month, make these freezer meals once a month and I am saving money, time and my family has never eaten better. You have to invest in a pressure cooker. It will change your life. The meat is the best ever and literally- I can pull out a 2-3 lb roast from the freezer that has been sitting in marinade, throw it in the pressure cooker and an hour later its literally falling apart.

More Freezer Meals

I havent been cooking lately, I hate to cook in the summer and I can only grill so much. I think I have mentioned in the past that if it were just me I was cooking for, I would be a vegetarian. However I have a bunch of meat eaters in this house so I actually have to touch the meat.
I decided that I would make a bunch of freezer meals again so that I only had to mess with meat once!
I made 18 meals, all meat and all frozen as I type! If I have to touch meat, then I have become pretty picky on where I buy my meat. There is a meat market right by me and it's all amish meats, locally grown and AMAZING! I have never tasted chicken like this before. I actually will eat a little if it, it's that good!
I went to the meat market and bought al the meat I would need to make my meals that day.
7 lbs of ground chuck, 32 pieces of chicken breasts, and 2- 3lb. roasts! All antibiotic free and local meats-total price, $70
The rest of the ingredients were already on hand or fresh from garden. 18 meals averaged out to be around $3.8 a meal in meat for the family. Not too shabby. :)
Here are the ones I made this go around. Each recipe was divided into 2 meals. I have three kids who are small eaters and a husband who is rarely home to eat. I have drastically reduced the amount of ingredients i use in meals to cut back on waste. I HATE to throw away food. I'd rather they eat all the dinner and have a bowl of cereal after if they are still hungry. Just dont waste food!

Ok here are the freezer meals I made this time:
* Note that I used 3-4 chicken breasts for each freezer bag, knowing which meals would be feeding just my children or whole family. So add however man pieces you want.

Taco Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts, lightly pounded
1 pkg Taco sauce
11/3 C Chicken stock, or broth

Put  ingredients in a bowl, mix it together then divide evenly into 2 freezer bags. 3 Pieces of chicken per bag. Flatten and seal. Done.

Hamburgers
(so nice to just take one out all ready to grill- way better than mcdonalds right?)

I made 12 burger patties. Seasoned them, places them on baking sheet then stick in the freezer for couple hours. This is like flash freezing- this way they wont stick together once you stack them.
Once frozen individually, place in freezer bag, seal and done!

Thai Chicken

1/2 C Brn Sugar
1/2 C Soy sauce
2 T Lime Juice
4 Cloves of garlic, minced
1tsp red pepper flakes- I omit this for the kids
3/4 tsp Curry
6-8 Chicken Breasts

Mix in a bowl, divide into 2 freezer bags. Add 3-4 pieces of chicken per bag. seal and done!

BBQ Chicken- crockpot

2 Sweet potatoes, cubed
1 Zucchini, chopped
2 Green bell peppers, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
6 chicken breasts

8oz.Tomato paste
1 T worcestershire sauce
2 T Brn. sugar
1 T Mustard powder
1 Garlic clove, minced
`/4 tsp Salt

Chop veggies and put half in each freezer bag with the chicken. Mix sauce in a bowl and pour half in each bag. Make sure chicken is on top of veggies. Seal and done!

Meatballs
(I made 18 meatballs for spaghetti and 18 for meatballs and rice)

Italian meatballs:

Ground chuck
Italian seasonings

Make round meatballs- place on cookie sheet and place in freezer for couple hours. THen place in freezer bag and done!

BBQ Meatballs and rice

1 jar Grape Jelly
15 oz BBQ sauce- I use sweet baby rays

Make plain meatballs, flash freeze by placing on cookie sheet in the freezer for couple hours, then put sauce and meatballs in freezer bag, seal and done!

Empinadas

I will actually not post the recipe I used for these- It was a new one and we didnt like so much. I LOVE empinadas and will do again with a different recipe. I'll post when i get one I like!
I used ground beef for these, the filling was yummy- I cooked, cooled and then once I filled the dough, place in freezer bag, seal and done.

Savory Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts
2 Cans stewed tomatoes
4 T white cooking wine
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 C. Chicken stock, or broth
4 C. Broccoli- do not put this in the freezer bag, just have separate bag of frozen broccoli.

Place 3 pieces of chicken in separate freezer bags. Mix remaining ingredients, except broccoli, in a bowl and then divide between both bags. Seal, and done.
Once put in the crockpot, add broccoli last 30 min of cooking.


Teriyaki Chicken- served over rice or grilled

Carrots
Red pepper
Pineapple chunks
Garlic cloves
6-8 Chicken Breasts
1 1/2 C Teriyaki sauce-I use lawery's

Mix sauce, divide into 2 separate freezer bags. 3 -4 pieces per bag. Seal and done.

Pot Roast- easy Sunday meals

2-3lb Pot roasts- I use left overs for sandwiches the next day
2 Pkg of slow cooker seasoning
2 C water
Can of regular coke
2 pks Au Jus

Place each roast in a freezer bag. Mix the slow cooker seasoning and the water together. Divide into each bag to fully coat roast. Seal and freeze.

To cook- place in crockpot, dump can of coke over top. Last 30 min. of cooking dump a package of Au Jus over top of roast and then cook 30 minutes more.

Taco Chicken- Crockpot

3-6 chicken breasts
1pkg taco seasoning
1 can chicken broth

Mix seasoning and broth together till combined.
Pour over chicken breasts in crockpot. Cook 4-6 hrs on low.
Shred chicken inside crockpot, will shred super easy.
This is great for tacos, burritos, nachos, or add to salads.
I keep in freezer a big batch to pull out and add to whatever I want.

Freezer Bag Method:
Place trimmed, lightly pounded chicken breast in freezer bag. Add combined broth and seasoning. Seal out air. Label, and freeze laying flat in freezer. When ready to cook, put all contents into crockpot on low for 6 hrs. I do this when chicken is frozen all the time, right out of the freezer, works great!

More Freezer Bag chicken recipes!

Honey Mustard Chicken- Crockpot
Get ready.....Its going to be a shocker, a whole whopping 2 ing to this chicken! But this chicken is delicious!

4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 honey
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
Dash of salt and pepper

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl till combined and smooth.
Pour over chicken breasts in crock pot.
Cook low 6 hrs.
Turn chicken about half way through cooking to make sure both sides are coating nicely.
Before serving, I take a fork and pull chicken apart, making one piece of chicken into 2 or three.

Serve with fried rice, or mashed potatoes!

Freezer Bag Method!
Follow the above directions except place trimmed, lightly pounded chicken breasts in plastic freezer bag. Pour mixed ing. over chicken, squeeze air out and seal. Label and lay flat in freezer.

To cook: Place contents of bag directly into crockpot. Even frozen! Just make sure the chicken breasts lay flat, then turn over in the middle of cooking to make sure evenly coated.

Delicious Turkey Tacos
I love this recipe because its easy and adds great flavor to the turkey. Great for not only tacos, but burrito filling, lasagna, pasta casseroles, etc. And of course you can use ground beef instead.




Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 small diced onion
1-2 cups of salsa
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
*corn tortillas- I lightly saute both sides in canola oil to crisp them up, yummy!

Saute onion till soft, add ground turkey. Generously season with salt and pepper and cumin. When cooked through, add salsa, put lid on pan and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with cheese, tomatos, sour cream, avacado, lettuce etc.

Freezer bag method:
Follow directions above. Let mixture cool. Add to plastic freezer bag, or freezer contatiner.
Reheat to serve, add a little more salsa when reheating.

More Freezer bag cooking!

Spring is approaching and the last thing I want to be doing is slaving over a hot stove every night! Just another reason why I LOVE Freezer Bag Cooking! ITs not just for the crock pot! Here are some of my favorites for the BBQ. Just defrost and throw on your indoor or outdoor grill! Have frozen veggies, potatoes for a potato salad, fruit for a fruit salad on hand and you can have weeks of meals all ready to go!


I take one day out of the month and make about 20 freezer bag meals so my freezer is always full of ready to go dinners!

Here are some of my easy grilling favorites:
Thai Chicken- Click for great recipe
Italian Chicken- your favorite bottle of Italian dressing
BBQ chicken- Your favorite BBQ chicken
Teryaki Chicken- Add your favorite teryaki sauce to the chicken

Some of my other favorite Freezer Bag Meals:

PB chicken- Delicious! My kids just love it!
Southwest chicken
Cafe Rio Chicken
Roast Chicken
Sweet Pork
Plain Chicken Breasts- I love to fill 3-4 bags with already trimmed and pounded chicken breasts. I label the bag for the dinner I have in mind. My favorites to have chicken ready for are Chicken Caccetori, Coconut Chicken(new revised recipe) and Balsamic chicken and sweet potatoes.

I hope this will help you simplify your life, while continueing to save money and eat heathy home cooked meals! It has really helped me to do this! Buy your chicken on sale! Use this method with your own favorites! Good Luck!

Freezer Bag Meals!

Simplify your life by making Freezer Bag Meals!

For me, this method of freezer meals is a life saver! There are a few days out of the week that are the hardest, due to our schedule, for meals to get on the table. So, I needed something always ready to pull from the freezer and put in the crock pot. NO prep mess, EASY clean up!I take one day in the beginning of the month to do my freezer bag meals. I put together anywhere from 5-8 meals in only a few hours. Get your meat on sale, chicken or chuck roast, and save for your freezer meals.


All you do is trim meat, rinse and pat dry with paper towel, then place in a freezer bag. Add all your ingredients (except cheese, beans, corn, etc.) Anything you want cooked the full amount of time in the crockpot will do.
Place bags laying flat into the freezer. Take bag out of freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. The next morning dump contents into crock pot, or place on grill, or in casserole dish for the oven! Some of these recipes you can use for grilling or baking as well. Thats the great part about it, you can use whatever method of cooking you want, or that your recipe can work for.


Here are some of my favorite recipes. Just prep your meat the way you want it to be in your crockpot or grill etc. Depending, I will sometimes cut mine up in chunks,for beef stroganoff, or Creamy italian chicken) or leave chicken the way it is for other recipes, like grilling.




Make sure you label your bags with the date and recipe, you could also add any other special cooking instructions.

Italian crock pot chicken- (Add all ingredients to bag, just dice up cream cheese and butter into cubes)-serve over rice or noodles-
Creamy Southwestern chicken -(just salsa and chicken, add black beans and corn later!) Use leftovers for tacos,burritos, tortilla chicken soup, quesadillias
Cafe Rio Chicken- (Mix together all ingredients, then pour overn chicken in the freezer bag)- Burritos, nachos, quesadillas, soups
Cheesy crock pot chicken- (Mix all ingredients together, then pour over chicken in freezer bag)Over rice or noodles
Roast chicken- Along side baked or roasted potatoes
Beef Stroganoff or Roast- (Mix all ingredients together, then pour over chicken in freezer bag)- Serve Along side mashed potatoes or over rice or noodles
BBQ Chicken- serve with rice or potatoes
Thai BBQ chicken (Mix all ingredients together, pour over chicken, I love this one for an all ready to grill chicken dinner!)

Click here for Grilling Freezer Bag meals and more recipes!