Pecan-Crusted Chicken Strips

Here is another freezer meal recipe! This is also delicious on top of salads. :)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or ~2 lbs chicken tenders)
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup panko (japanese bread crumbs)
~3 oz pecans, finely ground

1. Rinse and trim chicken, then cut each lengthwise into three strips.
2. Into a gallon freezer bag, combine chicken, honey, mustard, oil, salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Seal and mix well.
3. Into a quart freezer bag, combine panko and pecans.
4. Put both the chicken and panko/pecans into another gallon freezer bag. Seal and freeze.

To cook entree:
1. Completely thaw in refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Place breadcrumb mixture on a plate. Shake excess sauce off each piece of chicken, roll in breadcrumbs, and place on greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken pulls apart easily and is no longer pink in the thickest part, and crust is golden.

Baggie Ice Cream

If you're looking for a fun and tasty treat to make with the kids, try this one! The kids make their own ice cream by putting together a few ingredients and shaking away!

Here is the recipe for the baggie ice cream (per person):
What you'll need:

* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 cup half & half
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
* 6 tablespoons rock salt
* 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
* 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
* Ice cubes

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tips:

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that -- a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.

Cheesy Italian Chicken

This is another freezer meal, or throw everything into the crockpot for dinner tonight!

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
¾ cup milk
¾ cup Italian bread crumbs
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

Mix all ingredients together in freezer bag. Seal well and freeze.

To cook entree:

Thaw completely in refrigerator. Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Stir often so cheese doesn't stick to the bottom. Serve over rice or noodles.

Sesame-Soy Sirloin

This is a freezer meal, but can be cooked after marinating all day instead.

4 boneless top sirloin steaks (~2 lbs)
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in freezer bag and mix well. Seal bag and freeze.

To cook entree:

Completely thaw in refrigerator. Grill over medium heat for 14-18 minutes, or until desired doneness. Turn occasionally and baste as desired. Do not baste during final 5 minutes of cooking. Discard remaining marinade.