Recipe Swap: Boneless/Skinless Chicken Freezer Meals

Today at LifeAsMom, Jessica's recipe swap theme is Freezer-Friendly Meals. Oh, how I love freezer meals! Although I've never quite mastered the whole "Once-A-Month Cooking" thing, I do enjoy making an extra large portion of a meal and freezing some for later. Really, it makes life with two kids sooooo much easier.

Unfortunately, today I don't have much brainpower to sort through recipes to find a new one to post. But, instead I'll give you links to some great recipes that are already posted that use boneless, skinless chicken. A few of my favorites are:

• Southwestern Chicken - This is great when boneless, skinless chicken is on sale. I make a batch of the marinade and distribute it amongst four quart-size ziploc bags with two single breasts per bag. Then I freeze flat and take out early to defrost when I want to use it. What is even better is that my husband is the one who grills it! Then, I usually make up some rice pilaf and a quick green salad. I often serve this to company and they always enjoy it.
• Chicken Chili - I just posted this recipe last week and it got rave reviews. Well, at least from my niece Brittney. I posted it in the afternoon and she managed to make it for dinner that night. Ah, the college days... 

Since Jessica is my sister, I know that she is a good cook and I am familiar with some of her recipes too. Some of hers that I like are:

• Chicken Pot Pie - I looked for ages for a good chicken pot pie and experimented with various creations of my own. None of them turned out as well as this version. I made two of them the other week and cooked one right away for dinner and froze the other one. Yum!
• Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Jessica posted this last week, and it is a good one to freeze. Just thaw it completely and cook as directed. We originally got this recipe from our sister Jamie -- and she likes things SPICY! I don't quite have the tolerance that she does so I don't use the jalapenos. Instead, I usually throw in some salsa for extra kick that doesn't set my mouth on fire.

Cooking Tip: Many of the chicken recipes that I freeze are casserole-type dishes and call for cooked chicken. The easiest way to do this is to boil the chicken, but I found that oftentimes it would get a bit tough or dried out. Then, I read this tip in the newspaper once and haven't had that problem since:

• Fill a large pot with water and place your chicken breasts in it. 
• Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. 
• Allow the chicken to stand in the hot water for about 10 minutes. Cut open a chicken breast to make sure that it is cooked through. If it isn't, let it sit a little longer. The residual heat should cook the chicken without overcooking it. Not only will you get tender cooked chicken, but it saves on energy costs too!