|
| We have a meat processor in the area that sells fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts at a very good price HOWEVER you must take a 40 lb carton of them. In the past I've laid them on cookie sheets and tried to quick freeze them before bagging them. I've been wondering about taking a bunch of them and cooking them in a roaster and then cubing them to freeze as pre-cooked cubes to add to stir frys, vegetable dishes, casseroles, etc. Would this work well? What would you do with 40 lbs of chicken breasts? By the way, I have a new Foodsaver (got for Christmas) that I'm itching to try out...possibly on this project. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by Michelle_MO (My Page) on Wed, Dec 26, 01 at 11:51
| With that quantity of chicken, I'd do a little bit of everything! Freeze some on cookie sheets and then bag to use whole (grilled or for sandwiches or something). Some, I'd bag with italian salad dressing (or any other marinade) which you can then defrost and grill or broil for a quick dinner. For cooked, cubed chicken, here are a few things I'd make: - chicken salad |
|
| Thanks Michelle for the wonderful ideas! I take it from your post that cooked diced chicken will freeze and reheat well. I guess that was the point of my original question....I've never tried cooking before freezing...BUT...you can do that with left over turkey, so I would guess that chicken is about the same. |
|
- Posted by Michelle_MO (My Page) on Fri, Dec 28, 01 at 16:21
| Yes, the cooked, cubed chicken will freeze and reheat great! Just think of all the convenience foods available that already include the cooked chicken that you just reheat (they have fajita kits, stir fry kits, even salad kits with frozen chicken!) Just be sure to cook it *just* until done. You want it to be plenty juicy and tender so that it stands up to a little more cooking in the reheating process. |
|
| Bizzybee...your Foodsaver will be perfect with this project! I haven't been able to get as much chicken at one time as you, but when it is on sale, I buy a lot. I then package into individual meal sizes, which for us is 1 lb. of meat. If I've cooked the chicken first, then I simply place a bag of frozen chicken in a pot or deep skillet of hot water to thaw and heat at the same time. A great time saver, believe me! |
|
- Posted by Agapeangel (My Page) on Thu, Jan 3, 02 at 19:59
| you can even marinate your chicken and put in the foodsaver bags and just freeze with the marinate. take out the night before, put in fridge and bam you have your meal all ready to cook. the foodsaver is GREAT!!! |
|
| Any suggestions on the best way to barely cook the chicken before freezing? I've found that if I just put the chicken on a cookie sheet, it gets rather dried out. So I freeze a couple breasts in a single layer in a sealed freezer bag. Once there solid, I combine several bags in one. I still have trouble with freezer burn, though. I already use good quality freezer bags, and I don't want to purchase one of those food-saver/vacuum things (I'm a single person with a tiny kitchen -- I don't think there's room nor need for it!), but I would aprreciate any suggestions on how to help the frozen chicken fare better. |
|
- Posted by Diane_from_NJ (My Page) on Thu, Jul 11, 02 at 17:17
| on a related tangent, I can tell you that cooked chicken freezes really well...if I make a crock pot chicken, I'll pick the bones clean, put the chicken in a Ziplock baggie (I only use the brand names for freezing), and then use it in enchiladas, pot pie, etc. it makes the completion of the meal SO much easier! Good luck! I wish I could find a deal like that! My family loves chicken! |
|
| I am the type of person to want to hurry up and get something cooked so I can have it on hand later when I need it, so my suggestion is for the fastest way to cook the chicken, but not necessarily the most flavorful. I would take my giant stock pot and just boil those chicken breasts 'til they're done. Then I would wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and freeze. That way I can just take one out at a time and reheat it for a sandwich or slice it for salads or stir frys. Of course it will be very bland, but you can always add to it later. |
|
- Posted by Shannon_MA (My Page) on Mon, Aug 26, 02 at 20:28
| Allison, I've used several brands of the freezer bags (when I was feeling rich, they were on sale, and I had coupons), and found someting better (which I first used as a poor college student). LOL. I use the freezer wrap (right next to the aluminum foil, store brand is fine). I tear out a section and wrap the breasts very tightly. I use masking tape to seal, and have never gotten freezer burns with it. This way I can wrap one pound of meat for small recipes, two or more for larger recipes. And I don't have to worry about the bags being the right size or squeezing out all the air. Which I have yet to do, so I have to eat my bagged chicken rather quickly. |
|
- Posted by victoria38 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 11, 09 at 16:23
| Just to address freezer burn -- place whatever in ziplock, zip almost closed, insert common soda straw, draw out the air, seal. Who needs a machine? |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Once-a-Week Cooking Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.