- Before I start, I write on the bag with black sharpie. I include the name of the recipe, the date, any serving instructions I may forget (like, serve over rice, quinoa, etc), and if it's a new recipe, I write the ingredients down so I remember what's in it.
- Put the bags into large serving bowls to hold them upright, so your ingredients don't spill all over the counter.
- Pull the garbage can next to you. You'll have a lot of stuff to pitch!
- Lay out all of the utensils and ingredients you are going to need before you start, so you aren't wasting time searching for things. I also put things away as soon as I am finished using them (or, in the case of utensils, in the sink), so that by the time the bags are completed, the only clean up I have is wiping the counters.
- Cut up all your veggies before you start. I think it helps make assembly feel more streamlined.
- Assemble all the ingredients in the bags first, and then put the meat into all of them at once. That way, you don't have to keep washing your hands or worry about contamination.
- When you freeze the completed bags, it's a good idea to leave them in the bowls until they are solid. One, if they have a hole, it will catch the leak instead of allowing goop to run all through your freezer. Two, if you freeze a gallon zip lock bag flat, depending on your crock pot, it may not fit when you are ready to cook it. (It's a good idea to check the bowls to make sure they are an OK size too).
- On that note, when you are ready to make your dishes, you may have to allow the bag to thaw just a little before you get the food out, because the bag will freeze into the liquid. Keep that in mind, and allow an hour or so of thaw time when you want to prepare it. You may not be able to just pull it out of the freezer and throw it into your crock pot.
I think that's it. Now, on to the recipes.
First up, Chicken Chili:
This recipe came from the Woman's Day website. My sister in law shared it with me several years ago, and it quickly became a family favorite. If you want to see the original recipe, click on the name.
Ingredients:
1 16 ounce jar salsa Verde
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (the original says to cut them, but I don't. They end up very tender and break apart with a fork when it's all done. It's an unnecessary step, in my opinion)
1 15 ounce can of corn, drained
1 15 ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Throw everything into the crock pot, and cook on low for 6 hours. I serve it over rice with a heaping spoonful of sour cream mixed in.
This is a recipe from Good Housekeeping. It's a Moroccan dish that goes well over quinoa. You can click on the link to see the original. I don't use the olives that it calls for.
Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen butternut squash
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup raisins
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 pounds chicken thighs
Combine squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic, beans, broth, and raisins in the bag. In a shallow bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken thighs and place on top of the vegetables. Cook on low 6-8 hours. The original recipe says to serve it over cous cous, which I'm sure would be good. I actually love cous cous, but I serve it with quinoa because it's a healthier carb. This is one that's even better as left overs. When I freeze this bag, I put the chicken on top. I get it out of the freezer about an hour before putting it into the crock pot to loosen the bag from the frozen crevices. I cut open the bottom of the bag to let the contents fall out in the order I put them into the bag, so the chicken stays on top. If the chicken were to be at the bottom, the spice rub would come off during cooking. Cutting the bottom of the bag worked well for me the last time I did it.
Now, the next two recipes are ones I have not tried, so here are my advanced apologies if you make them and they are terrible!
This recipe came from a blog I found on Pinterest. The link is embedded in the recipe title, if you want to see some of the other recipes they recommended. There are lots of these types of recipes on Pinterest, so if you find that you like making freeze ahead crock pot recipes, I encourage you to search Pinterest for more ideas. I really just started doing this myself. I intend to do more in the near future. As I gather recipes I find good, I will pass them on! Now, onto the recipe:
Ingredients:
2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup large pineapple chunks
1/2 cup pineapple juice (use what's in the can)
Add all ingredients to the bag and freeze. Cook in a crock pot on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice.
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
This last recipe is from a little cookbook that someone gave me as a gift. It smelled good when I was putting it together, so we shall see...Definitely not the healthiest recipe in the bunch, but hey, every once in a while, we all need some creamy, fatty comfort food, right?
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of chicken
2 10 ounce cans of cream of chicken soup
8 ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 package onion soup mix
I put everything except the chicken into the bag and then kind of squished it all around to mix it well. Then I threw in the chicken. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
One of the nice things I have found about doing frozen crock pot bags, aside from the ease, is that it takes longer to cook. I don't know about you guys, but I often leave for work early in the morning and don't return until dinner time. Depending on the day, that may be 9 hours or more. Many times, my food is over cooked, even if I put it on low. When it's frozen, it has to thaw, which slows the cooking time down enough that the food isn't burned, but it's still ready to go when I step in the door!
If anyone has any good crock pot recipes to share, I'd love to have them. The crock pot is one of my best friends, and I love to use it!
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