Make that for two…

As you know I often plan out my menus for several weeks at a time.  It helps me feel better prepared for the upcoming crazy week if I know what is planned for dinner each night before 4:00 in the afternoon!

So I have encouraged you before to plan out a few nights of menus and try it out.  Well now I have another thing to try.  This time when you plan your meals, see if there is a recipe you can double as you make it and then freeze the doubled portion.  This way you have one meal for the evening and another meal for next month ready to pull out of the freezer.

One recipe I love to do this with is the Chicken Enchilada recipe that I got from a friend when I had my second child.  These are very yummy and are just as easy to prepare as a double batch as  a single.  I don’t pour the sauce over the enchiladas that I plan to freeze as it makes them a bit wimpy.  I freeze the sauce separately OR  make it fresh when cooking the frozen portion.  I just made these over the weekend and now have the doubled batch in the freezer.

Boil your chicken as you get everything else set out and then it will be ready to shred when you are ready to add it to the enchiladas—make some extra and freeze it for other meals

Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas

Ingredient	Single	Doubled
Onion, diced	½ an onion	1 onion
Bell Peppers-red or green	1	2
Chicken breasts- cooked and shredded	Two (about 2 cups)	Four (about 4 to 5 cups)
Cream Cheese, softened	3 oz	6 oz
Chili powder	1 tsp	2 tsp
Onion powder	1 tsp	2 tsp
Milk	1 tsp	2 tsp
Cumin	½ tsp	1 tsp
Sour Cream	½ cup	1 cup
Grated Cheese	1-2 cups	2-4 cups
Flour Tortillas	6-10	12-18

Sauté onion and peppers in margarine—salt and pepper the veggies while they sauté.

In a bowl combine all the ingredients (besides the tortillas!).  Mix.

Spoon the filling into the tortillas and roll up, placing them seam side down in a baking dish

Sauce

Ingredient	Single	Double
Cream of Chicken Soup	1 10oz can	2 10 oz cans
Salsa	1 cup	2 cups
Sour Cream	½ cup	1 cup
Oregano	Dash	Two dashes

Combine the sauce ingredients.  Pour over filled tortillas.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

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Here is a link to a post from Fall of 2010 that has two more recipes that can easily be doubled as you make them and then frozen for later.  I actually plan to make the pot pie in a few weeks and prepare a second one for the freezer.

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Let me know when you have added to your freezer!  If you have a favorite meal to double and freeze- share it with me in the comments section!

Enjoy the recipes and make sure you enjoy your family today too!

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Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Eat one-Freeze one

This recipe was another new one for us.  I found it online in a selection of freeze-able dinners.  I will have to say it took a bit more fussing with than I care for BUT when I remind myself that now I have a meal in the freezer that I just have to put in the oven, the extra fussing was all worth it.  Everyone enjoyed the recipe.  We served it with a green salad, apple slices and crescent rolls–oh and some good old Southern Sweet Tea!

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves 8 or makes two dishes, each with 4 servings

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes (I had a foil container to use for the freezer portion)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and then add:

• a bit of salt
• 1 lb of penne rigate

Cook the pasta until just short of al dente (for me this was about 8 minutes).

Drain pasta and return to the pot.

In a large nonstick skillet heat:

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Place into the skillet and cook until opaque throughout:

• 8 to 11 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Once the chicken is cooked, slice thinly crosswise making small little bites of chicken.  Set aside.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot melt:

• 6 Tablespoons of butter

Add to the butter and whisk for one minute:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (leveled)
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (leveled)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

While whisking, gradually add:

• 6 cups of milk

Add to the milk mixture and then cook for 1 minute:

• 10 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced (Brad and I both said we would like more of these next time so maybe add 3/4 cup or even a whole cup)

Take off the heat and stir in:

• 2 cups of Italian mix cheese (The recipe calls for just shredded provolone, but the store didn’t have it so I bought an Italian mix)

Add to the pot:

• cooked pasta
• cooked and sliced chicken
• season with salt and pepper

Divide the pasta mixture between the two prepared baking dishes.

Sprinkle each with:

• a cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Bake, uncovered,  for about 25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To freeze one or both: 

Don’t bake but rather allow the dish to cool and then cover tightly with foil.  I then like to write with sharpie what is in the dish and cooking directions.  I also wrote that this stays fresh for 3 months and wrote today’s date.

When you are ready to bake one from the freezer—prepare ahead   The recipe says to preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours.  Then remove the foil and bake until golden, about 15 more minutes (so yes, that is almost 2 hours in the oven….but remember- now all you have to do is whip up a salad and slice up some fruit!).

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