Freezer Chicken Pot Pies

During my month of Kissing the TV Goodbye I wrote about how I made 12 chicken pot pies for the freezer and I thought I would share the recipe. They do require a little work, but are so worth it in the end. They are delicious, the meat is fresh and unprocessed, I know how much sodium is in them, and I can eat the gravy. Yumm-O!

Freezer Chicken Pot Pies
from: Cooks Country February/March 2007
printed with permission

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp minced fresh thyme (I used 1/8 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp dried parsley)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 (15-oz) boxes Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust (is the recommended brand of Cook's Country)
1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 large egg, beaten for baking
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
6 (2-cup) disposable aluminum loaf pans

1. To make ahead: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large Dutch oven over high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Add broth and bring to boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate and strain broth into bowl.
2. Melt butter with remaining 1 tbsp oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrots, celery, and 1/4 tsp salt until lightly browned and softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, and cook 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth, milk, and thyme and simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Off heat, add chicken and lemon juice to sauce and season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to medium blow and cool until just warm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.
   
4. Unwrap and unroll pie crusts onto lightly floured counter. Glue 2 crusts together using 1 beaten egg. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts. Using loaf pan as a stencil, cut out 6 pastry toppings. Stir frozen peas into cold filling and divide mixture among the 6 disposable loaf pans. Top with pastry and use fork to seal edges. using paring knife, make 3 steam vents in each crust. Tightly wrap each loaf pan in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
5. When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap frozen pot pies and arrange on rimmed baking sheet. Brush crusts with egg, cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until crusts are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let pot pies rest 10 minutes before serving.

My Tips:

• don't oversalt - taste as you go
• I usually don't cook my veggies very long in step #2, that way they stay a little more firm after the pot pie is baked
  
• write the "date to be eaten by" on the aluminum foil
• reuse the foil to bake them
  
• use an address label with the information in step #5 and put on each pot pie in the freezer, that way you don't have to look up the instructions every time you want to make one (or if you give them away the baking info is right there)
  

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein

I love Cook's Country Magazine. It's my all-time favorite cooking magazine. It's from America's Test Kitchen (on PBS) and I love that because they go through all the trial and error to get the "just-right" recipe so I don't have to. In the center of the magazine they have 30-minute meal recipe cards. I wanted an extra vegetable with our Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein so I tried making garlic green beans and they were delicious! I also bought some wonton skins (wrappers for egg rolls) and cut them into strips and fried them. They gave the dish some extra crunch. Yumm! Makes great leftovers, too!

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein
(from Cook's Country February/March 2009)

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I just used white vinegar since I didn't have rice)
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I used ground ginger and taste-tested as I added)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 1/2 cups water
4 (3-oz) pkgs ramen noodles, broken into large pieces, seasoning packet discarded
1 (16-oz) bag cole slaw mix
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4-in-thick slices
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch (whisk in the cornstarch so you don't get lumps) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Tranfer half of soy sauce mixture to large bowl and reserve. Add water to saucepan with remaining soy sauce mixture and return to boil. Add ramen and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes (maybe a little less than 4 minutes because they'll soften as they set). Off heat, stir in cole slaw and mix. Cover and keep warm.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels (season with salt and pepper). Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute per side. Transfer chicken to bowl with reserved soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer noddles to platter and top with chicken. Serve.

Garlic Green Beans

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup water
large bunch of green beans

Use the same skillet you cooked the chicken in and add vegetable oil. Heat on meiumm-high until smoking then add the garlic and sautee until fragrent, about 1 minute. Pour in water and add green beans, mix to coat. Cover for 2 minutes, toss, and cook uncovered another 2 minutes. Serve.


That's it. And it was delicious! As good as any Chinese take out, I think. And it only took 30 minutes!! Fry up some wontons to give this meal an extra crunch. Enjoy.

Italian Chicken Pasta Toss

This recipe is so fresh and is full of vegetables. My husband and I really enjoyed it, but the kids, not so much. They aren't used to zucchini and red peppers. We still make them try it but they mostly stuck to the tomatoes, chicken, pasta and peas.

Italian Chicken Pasta Toss
adapted from Pampered Chef Casual Cooking

3 cups uncooked bow-tie pasta
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp Italian seasoning mix
1 tsp salt
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Press garlic into skillet and saute with onions. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken and set-aside. Add zucchini, pepper, seasoning mix and salt; stir-fry 2 minutes.

3. In a large bowl combine warm pasta, chicken and veggie mixture, peas and tomatoes. Toss until well combined. Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare this dish. I chopped all my veggies in the time it took for my water to boil and my pasta to cook. Just make sure to keep the pasta warm while waiting for the meat and veggies to cook. You can make this a vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken. Enjoy!!

Tater Crisp Chicken

Yumm! This was really delicious. I've made it in the past when I got drumsticks from SHARE and this last time I got chicken hind quarters so this recipe works for thighs as well.

Tater Crisp Chicken

10 drumsticks (I had 4 large drumsticks and 4 large thighs)
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups dried potato flakes

Seasonings (I just sprinkled in some of each):
paprika - a little more of this
poultry seasoning - a little more of this
cayenne pepper
garlic salt
pepper
onion powder
parsley flakes

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an edged baking sheet with aluminum foil (this really saves on clean-up).
• Mix dried potato flakes with seasonings in a shallow bowl.
• Dip chicken (I removed the skin on the thighs and kept the skin on the legs) in butter then in the potato flake mixture. Shake off excess flakes (if you get too many potato flakes on your chicken it will come out soggy).
• Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

It came out really crisp and the seasoning was just right. We had mashed potatoes and creamed peas with our chicken. Enjoy!!

Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing

I've been making Chicken and Stuffing since just after college. It was my "signature" dish when I was sharing an apartment with two friends. Today, I tried something different and cooked it in my crock pot. I knew I would be busy this afternoon and wouldn't have time to cook dinner later. Again, I apologize for no pictures, but it sure tasted great. The meat was so tender and moist. And it was really easy to throw together.

Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (you can use cream of chicken if you want)
1 can of milk
1 box corn bread stuffing (or another type of boxed stuffing)
1/2 stick butter melted

Spray the crock with non-stick cooking spray (I use Pam). Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom, top with sliced cheese. Mix the can of cream of mushroom soup with the milk and pour over cheese. Top with the box of stuffing and pour melted butter on top. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

I worried about how I was going to get the chicken out of the bottom, but when I put the serving spoon in, the meat just fell apart. It was so delicious. I hope you try this one soon. Enjoy!!

(If you want to bake this dish in the oven, only use half a can of milk and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.)

Curried Chicken Salad

This recipe is from Pampered Chef's Main Dishes cookbook. This chicken salad tastes very fresh. While I was making it, I thought there was a lot of fruit to chicken ratio, but it was very delicious!! You can cut it down to one Granny Smith apple if you like and add another cup of chicken. I served this salad on whole grain bread but it would be excellent on croissants.


Curried Chicken Salad

1/2 cup light mayo (I used regular)
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
3/4 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced (I used a yellow onion that I had in the pantry)
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into sixteenths and sliced
1/3 cup pecans, chopped (I omitted)

In a small bowl, blend mayo, yogurt, curry and salt; set aside.

Dice chicken, cut grapes in half and thinly slice celery and green onions. Core apples and cut into sixteenths then slice. Combine chicken, grapes, celery, green onions, apples and pecans in a large bowl. Add mayo mixture and mix lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Enjoy this yummy refreshing salad with slices of cantaloupe.

Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup

Seriously, this recipe is easy and delicious!! I saw it on the Rachel Ray Show about a year ago and I had to try it. So, I looked it up online and it's super easy!! It really only takes about 20 minutes - most of it's cutting and boiling.

Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup
from the Rachel Ray Show

1 rotisserie chicken (I just used cooked s/b chicken breast because it's what I had on hand)
2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil - you can use vegetable oil if you don't have EVOO on hand)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I cut my slices in half)
2 to 3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 to 5 celery ribs, cut into matchsticks
2 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks (I omitted these because I didn't have them on hand)
salt and pepper
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley (I just sprinkled on some dry stuff)
1/2 10-ounce box frozen peas, defrosted

1. Bring a large pot of salted water over high heat for the egg noodles. Discard skin from the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. Shred the chicken meat with your fingers or two forks and reserve.

2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan, and cook until the veggies begin to get tender, 3-4 minutes. Toss zucchini inot the pan along with some salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until all the veggies are tender.

3. While the veggies are cooking, drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the noodles and reutrn them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the butter and parsely to pot and give everything a good toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles.

4. Add the shredded chicken and peas to the pan with the veggies and cook until the chicken is heated through.

5. To serve, spoon some noodles into a bowl and top with the chicken and veggie mixture.


I didn't get a picture of this one because we dug-in too fast and it was gone. It's so good and really easy. I usually have all the ingredients in the house (except for the rotisserie chicken) and I substitute the chicken for chicken breast or whatever's in the freezer. Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas

I haven't made this recipe since we were first married and living in our little apartment. My mother-in-law was over for the weekend and we made this for lunch after church. I remembered it tasting good so I thought I'd give it a try with the boys. And they liked it. It makes for great leftovers.

Chicken Enchiladas

1/2 cup onions, browned in 2 tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 cup pecans (opt)
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp cumin
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 tortillas (I used Azteca Homestyle Flour Tortillas)

Topping:
1 can cream chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom)
8 oz sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 can green chilies

Mix onions, cream cheese, milk, cumin chicken and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Place 1/2 cup mixture per tortilla, roll, and place seam down in greased 9x13-inch pan.

Mix topping and spread evenly over tortillas.

Cover and bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

I topped the enchiladas with lettuce and tomato. I also served Hy-Vee's Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips with Black Bean and Corn Salsa (that I got free!! with the purchase of the chips!).

PS. I have to admit this isn't my favorite recipe for chicken enchiladas. If you have a chicken enchilada recipe, I'd love to give it a try.

Honey Nut Chicken Sticks

My husband's sister-in-law made delicious Honey Mustard Chicken Strips over the weekend so I decided it was time to share my favorite chicken strip recipe. I'm allergic to processed meat so we don't buy chicken nuggets frozen from the store, but I loved them as a kid and was really missing them. This is a great recipe for chicken strips/nuggets from Rachel Ray's Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats.

Honey Nut Chicken Sticks
4 Servings (if you make nuggets you can serve more)

2 lbs chicken tenders (I just take chicken breast and cut them into strips or nuggets)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
a splash of milk
2 cups Honey Nut Corn Flakes (we use the generic brand of Honey Bunches of Oats)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
2 tbsp grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a large, shallow dish. Coat the chicken in the flour. Beat the eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Combine the cereal, bread crumbs, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, and vegetable oil in a food processor. Transfer the breading to a shallow dish.

Place a nonstick baking sheet near the chicken breading station. In batches, dip the flour-coated chicken into the egg mixture and then in the breading and place on the nonstick cookie sheet. When all the tenders have been coated, bake them for 15 minutes, or until evenly browned and cooked through. Cool enough to handle and serve, or pack up for a picnic! This chicken may be served hot or cold.


This recipe is a 30-minute meal, but the first few times you make it, it will probably take a little longer than 30 minutes.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Rice

1 to 1/2 lb chicken breast, cubed
2 cups Minute Rice (brown or white)
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes.

This recipe is from my friend, Beth. She served it to us for dinner with a side salad and beer bread. I like this recipe because I usually have all the ingredients in my pantry and freezer. No special trip to the store. Yay!!