Meal Planning: 20 {Quick-fix} Chicken Breast Recipes

Sunday: 20 {Easy} Ground Beef Recipes
Tuesday: Meal Planning Tools & Printables
Thursday: 20 {Easy} Shredded Chicken Recipes

2012 was a year of revelation for me! My life was changed by all of the amazing resources out in the world wide web that taught me that there are hundreds of easier, cheaper and healthier ways to do things!

Whether it is meal planning, organizing, budgeting or cleaning – we have no idea what we are missing out on!

That is why this week is all about meal planning and the amazing tools, resources and ideas that have helped me. I truly hope that the information that I am sharing is a blessing to you and your home!

Chicken breast is so easy and can be used in hundreds of ways, literally!

So this next challenge to you is to break out the crockpot, pour in a bunch of chicken breast and then freeze the shredded chicken for plenty of meals to come!

Here’s how!

OPTION 1: Throw some chicken breast into the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Use a fork or spoon to shred the chicken. Spoon two cups of the shredded chicken into a quart sized zip top bag to freeze (or 4 cups for larger families, 2 cups equals one pound).

OPTION 2: Dice some chicken and cook stove top until cooked through. Spoon two cups into a quart sized zip top bag to freeze.

Chicken Breast Freezing Guide:

It is safe to freeze ready-prepared chicken. For best quality, flavor, and texture, use it within 4 months.

FSIS recommends three ways to thaw chicken: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Never thaw chicken on the counter or in other locations. It’s best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Boneless chicken breasts, bone-in parts, and whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or longer to thaw. Once the raw chicken thaws, it can be kept in the refrigerator an additional day or two before cooking. During this time, if chicken thawed in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen without cooking it first.

More information for safe handling of ground beef see the info page at the USDA Food & Safety Inspection Service site.