Five Spice Cream Cheese Chicken

This was another dish I received via freezer meal swap - thanks, Elizabeth! My whole family devoured it and my husband and I fought over leftovers the next day!

2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless/skinless
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp mustard seed, ground
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

Season chicken with spices and salt. Combine the cream, milk, and cream cheese.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream sauce. Stir occasionally and let the sauce thicken for three minutes or so. Serve the chicken with the sauce over the top.

To freeze: Combine chicken with spices and salt in a freezer bag. Combine cream, milk, and cream cheese in a quart bag. Thaw in fridge before following cooking directions above. (Note: The cream sauce may seem a little curdled, but just whisk it.)

Chicken in Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a meal that looks like it took a lot of effort but it's pretty easy to put together. The flavor of this sauce is incredible. I served mashed red potatoes with it and used them to sop up extra sauce on my plate! I used boneless, skinless thighs but you could easily use bone-in. Mine crisped up enough without the skin and made it easy to devour, HA!

8-10 chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil (I used fresh, just chopped a few leaves)

Preheat the oven to 400. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down if it has skin, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and herbs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.

Place in oven and roast until completely cooked through, about 20-25 minutes for boneless chicken, 25-30 for bone-in.

Chile Rellenos Casserole

This sounded delicious when I saw the recipe. I altered it a bit for easy prep and to make it large enough for my family. I'm glad I did, because there was hardly any left! The chilies do add a bit of spice so cut back to one can if you're afraid of that (my kids all ate it with the two cans).

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-7 oz cans diced green chilies
3 cups cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375. Cook ground beef and onion. Drain, then add cumin, salt, pepper, and chilies.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put in meat mixture. Top with cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk, then add flour and mix well. Pour mixture over cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To freeze: Once assembled, cover with press-n-seal and foil; freeze before baking. Thaw in refrigerator and follow baking directions above - you might have to add 10 minutes or so to the cooking time.

Irish Potato Leek Soup

I've made both potato soup with bacon and cheese, and potato leek soup -- this recipe sort of combines both of those and is delicious! It helps to have an immersion blender, but a regular blender or food processor will definitely work to puree this -- just be sure to let it cool slightly first.

8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1 onion, diced
3 leeks, halved & sliced
4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
48 oz chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup real bacon pieces
1 cup cheddar cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onions and stir to coat; season with a little salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes; cover and cook another 15 minutes. Stir in broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir in the bacon and cheese.

To freeze: Allow soup to cool completely. Put in gallon freezer bag and freeze flat. Thaw, then reheat on stovetop until warmed through.


**For gluten free, be sure to have gf chicken broth

Chicken Club Casserole

This was delicious and you could easily change it to suit your family's tastes (a couple of my kids grumbled at the tomatoes and spinach!). This would be wonderful with ham, broccoli, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes... so much! It completely fills a 9x13 baking dish, so if you have a smaller family you could divide it into two 8x8 pans.

1 lb rotini pasta, cooked a little less than al dente
2 lbs chicken breast, cubed and cooked
2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup real bacon pieces
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 cups colby-jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the shredded cheese. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To freeze: Once in baking dish freeze. Thaw, or mostly thaw, before following baking instructions above. You will probably have to add 15-20 minutes to baking time.

Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros

We love gyros, but lamb can be expensive so I thought I'd give chicken gyros a try. This smelled amazing as it cooked!! I suggest topping them with tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta, and tomato. This will make 10-12 pitas, depending on how much chicken you like on yours.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Before serving, shred and let sit in juice for 10 minutes or so.

To freeze: Put all ingredients in freezer bag and squish to mix. Lay flat to freeze. Thaw in refrigerator then empty bag into slow cooker.