White Chicken Chili

I did not write down this recipe so all these measurements are approximates but I think with stuff like chili's it is better to prepare to your taste anyways. I just taste test as I go!

1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cartons low sodium chicken stock or broth(and more to add later if needed)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans green chili's
3 cans of northern beans(you can use dried beans if you'd like)
1-1 1/2 c. white corn
1 c. milk(I used 1 % because that is what we had)
juice from 2 limes

Recommended toppings:
Sour cream or plain yogurt
cheese
low sodium tortilla chips(like from Good Earth)

In a large stock pan saute the onion and near the end add the garlic and the seasonings. Allow to saute a little longer so the flavors can deepen. Add the stock/broth and bring to a boil. Throw in your chicken breasts, thawed or frozen, it does not matter. Boil until the chicken is cooked through(20+ minutes possibly more if frozen breasts are used). When the chicken is cooked all the way through remove from the pot and cut up into little chunks or whatever size you are comfortable with sticking in your mouth. Return to the pot. Now add the remaining ingredients and adjust liquid to your desired thickness or soup-y-ness. I added the milk b/c I was out of stock and wanted a little more liquid but didn't want to just water it down. Add more seasonings if desired. I know some recipes call for oregano but I chose not to use it. Stick it in at this time if you want to use it, maybe a couple pinches. Return to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

*This is a great meal to freeze. Simply scoop somewhat cooled soup into a gallon freezer ziploc bag and double up. Lable the bag and freeze like a brick. When you are ready to unfreeze it place it on a plate and heat for about 6 minutes. Once it is loose enough pour it into a microwave safe serving bowl, heat it through the rest of the way and serve. Chili's freeze really well and maintain a lot of it's original integrity. So cook in bulk freeze and save time later :)

Freezing Pizza

Last night I was making Pizza and decided to make enough dough to freeze a couple pizza's. You will need:

Your favorite dough recipe adjusted to be able to make 3 or 4 pizza's
Your favorite sauce ie: regular pizza sauce, spicy marinara, ranch, alfredo, creamy garlic, garlic oil...etc
Your favorite toppings
Lots of shredded mozzarella cheese

Combination ideas:

Ranch dressing with diced cooked chicken, diced roma tomatoes, minced garlic(I just put it in the dough) and bacon(blech, but some people like it)

Spicy marinara with cooked spicy italian sausage and ham

Aflredo with grape tomatoes(halved), spinach and cooked chicken

Regular pizza sauce with cooked sausage, chopped onion and chopped green peppers(one of my favorites) and/or any toppings you like

Preheat the oven to 450. Roll out your dough to the size of your pizza dish. Spray your pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Make sure you rolling pin is well floured and so is the dough and roll the dough around the pin. Transfer to your pizza pan and unroll the dough onto the pan. Go to town and fork the pizza crust so it doesn't get bubbles. Cook the dough for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with a light layer of cheese(this will help in keeping the dough from getting soggy when you freeze it). Return to the oven for another minute or so to help the cheese melt to the dough. Allow the pizza dough to cool. Once cooled put on the sauce, topping and then cheese. Lay out two long pieces of plastic wrap next to each other. Gently remove the pizza from the pan and wrap in the plastic wrap. Use two more sheets of plastic wrap to protect pizza from getting freezer burnt. You can do more layers too if you'd like. Lable the pizza to be cooked at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden(this does not require you to defrost the pizza, stick it in the oven straight from the freezer). Enjoy the time saved next time you wanna have a pizza! If you want to cook one of the pizza's right away there is really no need to pre-cook the crust, just assemble the pizza like normal and cook.

Packaging freezer meals

Ziploc bags are probably the most frugal thing to use. They work great for stuff like soups and sauces, marinating meats, shredded meats, potstickers and roll dough. They are money savers as well as space savers. For things like sauces, soups and shredded meats make sure all the air is out of the bag and flatten like bricks and stack.

Make sure to label everything...you don't want to get stuck with something that you have no idea what it is or how long it's been in there. Label with the date and/or the expiration date, the cooking time and the temperature ie: cook at 350 for 60 minutes.

For casserole dishes we just use foil pans. They are inexpensive, they can go in the dishwasher and they usually come in packages of 4 or more

Buy the costco size plastic wrap. It's good for wrapping the foil pans or pizza crusts or doughs.

Supplies that will be useful:

-permanent markers
-ziploc freezer bags, quart and gallon sized
-plastic wrap
-a large bulk pot
-a large bowl

A personal discovery

I have found that when freezing individual portion sizes of a meal that the cheap ziploc tupperware are not a good idea. If dropped they often shatter and more often then not when trying to open the lid it will also break or shatter. Look for tupperware especially made for the freezer like the ones used for freezer jam or more heavy duty ones. For things like soups and sauces using a freezer ziploc bag placed inside of another ziploc bag works really well and stacks nice and flat in the freezer. Always use a second ziploc bag for added leakage protection.

What freezes well and what doesn't?

What freezes well?

Cooked rice, bread dough, pie crusts, cookie doughs, rolls, burritos/taquitos, waffles, shredded cheese(it needs to be shredded), soups, pastas sauces and other sauces, cooked ground beef(of course raw ground beef too), fish, grapes, broccoli(any veggies that you can buy in the frozen section at the grocery store), nuts, potstickers, marinated raw meats(you can put them directly in the freezer but if you are just going to marinate them later then why not freeze them in their marinade, they will become more tender and pack more flavor and it will save you time when you want to cook them up), shredded pork or beef or chicken with some of it's flavor juices...

What does NOT freeze well?

Water based fruits and veggies like lettuce, celery and watermelon, cheeses unless they are shredded, mayonnaise, custard based pies/tarts and frostings do not freeze well, fully cooked noodles will become soggy when defrosted. If you do desire to freeze noodle based dishes only cook the noodles about 50-70% of the way(depending on the dish) or for dishes like a lasagna it is not necessary to cook the noodle at all(though bear in mind it will be a firmer noodles but if that is what you like then it is great. If you are going to freeze pan fried food like chicken tenders just remember that if you don't want them to be soggy then you will need to reheat them in the oven.

Utilizing YOUR freezer for meals while saving money, time and reducing waste

I have crossed quite a few people lately who have been interested or semi-interesting in freezer meals and I am more then happy to share what I know with people but often talking about it isn't enough. So I've decided to write what I know down here so I can send people here to get info on what I can share about utilizing your freezer for dinners. And if I forget I can always come back here and look too.

Here are some reason's why freezer meals is a good idea:

-you can save money each month by shopping in bulk and wasting less and with meals in the freezer you are less likely to eat out.
-cooking your own freezer meals is healthier then buying stuff like tv dinners or other packaged and preserved meals
-It is very nifty for when you have sick or pregnant friends or friends that are just unable to make meals for themselves or their families.

Sounds great right? Well with my experience this isn't quite as easy as it sounds. It does take a lot of discipline and effort. Are you disciplined enough to spend the amount of time needed to cook in bulk in order to save money and make the time spent to freeze to meal worth it? Are you disciplined enough to eat what you have and not necessarily what you want or are craving at the time? Do you have enough freezer space? How good is your knowledge of what freezes well and what doesn't? These are potential stumbling blocks that if you can overcome it will open up a world of frugality with your time and your money.

So how long do things last in the freezer? Because we aren't using preservatives to make stuff have a longer shelf life we are limited in how long things last in the freezer and retain their nutrition. This sounds disappointing but things actually last for a good 2-6 months depending on what it is. Here are some general guidelines:

Breads and doughs- 2 months
Frozen desserts and drinks- 2 months
Main Dishes- 3-6 months
Salads(not water based), sides and soups- 3-6 months

Stuff will last longer in a freezer compartment that isn't exposed when the freezer door opens. Stuff stored in the door wont last as long.

So what freezes well? What doesn't? Find out in the post entitled What freezes well and what doesn't? Or click the link.

p.s. I'm by no means an expert in this stuff. What I know is what I have experienced and learned along the way. If you want to learn more from a person who has been educated in this check out this website. This woman is a native Utahn and has made appearances on Good Things Utah, Studio 5 and KJAZZ. She also does classes at Thanksgiving Point. For recipe's designed just for freezing I would purchase one of her books.