Freezer Cooking

Do you freezer cook? There are loads of resources online on once a month cooking (OAMC). Cooking just once a month would be great if I could only be that organized (and have the freezer space)! I haven't attempted any OAMC, but I do, occasionally, do what I call "freezer cooking". For example, if I'm making chicken casserole, I'll go ahead and double the recipe and freeze one for later. Lately, I've been inspired by Crystal, the author of the blog "Mom of Littles", to do some major freezer cooking before the baby gets here (She's also the inspiration behind the checklist) to make life a little simpler after sister's arrival.

I was off on Monday for the Easter holiday, and AP was with my husband's parents for a few days, so I seized the opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen. I decided I'd cook and freeze three chicken recipes that had similar ingredients but very different flavors. Then, I hit the grocery store. In addition to buying all the ingredients for my freezer cooking, I did my weekly shopping as well. My bill was higher than usual, but only by about a quarter. I can see how cooking once a month could really save on your grocery bill. Because I was cooking recipes with similar ingredients, I was able to buy things (like sour cream that usually go bad in my fridge before I use them) in bulk.

These are the ingredients that went into my three dishes...
plus a large bag of frozen chicken breasts, cooked and chopped. Boy, was I tired!
I doubled the recipes for chicken casserole, chicken tetrazini, and chicken enchiladas (recipes below). Since one of those recipes is too big for my family of three, I split most of them into 9 in square pans. Here are the fruits of my labor: 8 nights worths of freedom from the kitchen (not counting the inevitable left-overs)!
The whole ordeal took me about 3 hours. The hardest part was the Tetris game I had to play to get them all to fit in the freezer! I was totally worn out, but it was well worth it. I'll probably do one more round with a few beef dishes and maybe some muffins.

The Recipes
Warning: These are in no way diet dishes. They all include at least one or all of the ingredients essential to Southern cuisine: cream of mushroom soup, cream or chicken soup, sour cream, and butter.

*When I heat these from frozen, I double the baking time and bake covered with foil for 1/2 the time.

Mama's Chicken Casserole
When we were young, this is the dish my sister and I would always request on special occasions, like our birthdays. It's probably my number 1 comfort food still today.
You'll need:
- chicken (about 2 cups, , cooked and chopped)
- can of cream of mushroom soup
- can of cream of chicken soup
- sour cream (8 oz.)
- butter (1/2 stick, melted)
- two sleeves (at least) of crackers (My mom's always used Townhouse, but when I started making this mysef, I thought it was Ritz, so I ended up altering the recipe. I still use Ritz, but either will do.)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Smash up crackers (I just squeeze them in the sleeve.) and pour them into a bowl.
3. Pour butter over crackers and stir until coated.
4. Put 1/2 of the crackers in the bottom of a casserole dish.
5. Mix the first 4 ingredients together and pour them in the casserole dish.
6. Top with the remaining crackers.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas
At our house, we call them "fajita things". I think a more accuate term is "enchiladas". They're great the next day as left-overs - maybe even better than the first time around.
You'll need:
- chicken (about 2 cups, , cooked and chopped)
- sour cream (8 oz.)
- shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar, but you can use whatever you want).
- butter (1/2 stick, melted, or spray butter)
- flour tortillas (burrito or fajita size will do)
- jar of salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly butter the tortillas, wrap in foil, and warm in the oven for about 5 mins.
3. Mix chicken, sour cream, and a handful of cheese. (At this stage you could also add in diced onion or any other veggie you'd like. My family likes 'em plain.)
4. Spoon some of the chicken mixture into the centers of the tortillas, roll them up, then place them width-wise in a casserole dish.
5. Spoon salsa over the top.
6. Bake for about 30 mins, or until the edges of the tortillas start to brown.
7. Top with cheese and bake a few more minutes until melted. (If you're freezing this one, don't add the cheese until you're ready to eat it.)

Chicken Tetrazini
I found this recipe in Bully's Best Bites. I believe it came from Beverly Hooks. I think I've added a few ingredients along the way. It super-easy and oh, so good!
You'll need:
- chicken (about 2 cups, cooked and chopped)
- thin spaghetti (12 oz., cooked and drained)
- small can of chopped mushrooms
- small can of peas
- butter (1 stick, cut into pieces)
- cream of chicken soup
- sour cream (8 oz.)
- cheddar cheese (1 cup)
- chicken broth (1 cup)

1. Mix all ingredients (leaving out 1/2 cup cheese) in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 12 mins., stirring occasionally.
3. Add the rest of the cheese.
4. If eating right away, mircrowave for two more minutes, then serve.
If freezing, spoon into freezer pans. When ready to eat, bake at 350 for about an hour.