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One of the grocery stores in my town puts chicken breast on sale every six weeks or so. It is such a great deal that I’ve gotten into the habit of stocking up on it whenever I can. At first I would simply freeze the raw chicken, but since I’ve gotten into the habit of cooking and preparing most of it as soon as I get home. Below I share the different ways I prepare the chicken in before throwing it in the freezer. It’s a process known as “freezer cooking” and it has made dinner a breeze around here on days when we are all busy running around all day.

Season Or Marinate It

Your first step after brining the chicken home should be to season it. Take most of the breast meat and toss it in your favorite versatile marinade. A simple one is a bottle (or two) of your favorite italian dressing. Pour it over the chicken and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Remove some of the chicken and freeze it along with some of the marinade to be grilled later. Take the meat out of the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before grilling. It can also be thawed quickly by submerging the freezer bag in cold water.

Precooking The Chicken

Take the rest of the marinated meat and pour it into a large baking dish. Depending on how much chicken you bought, you may need to do this in several batches. Bake the chicken at 400 to 425 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Baking time will depend a bit on how thick your chicken is. I serve a portion of the baked meat for dinner that night with rice and a salad or side vegetable dish.

One Dish – Different Meals

Take the rest of the chicken that you didn’t eat that night and allow it to cool completely. I thinkly slice some of it to be used in chicken salad later. If you are planning on serving the baked chicken over a bed of salald or on a sandwich later that week, store it in the fridge, otherwise slice and freeze it. To serve, just thaw and then use as you would any grilled chicken strips.

You can also freeze the entire chicken breasts and then rehead in the microwave or the oven and serve it with your favorite side dishes. For best results allow the meat to thaw completely, then microwave for a few minutes or reheat in a 350 F oven until the chicken is heated through.

More Freezer Cooking Suggestions

What else can you do with the chicken to turn it into yummy freezer meals? Most casseroles freeze really well. Take a look through your cookbooks or think about anything you make that’s a casserole dish that also includes chicken. If you need some ideas, take a look at my freezer casserole recipes here.  Put together a few of them and then throw them in the freezer to be used on a busy night. We also happen to like bbq chicken. I cut the chicken into bitesized chunks and brown it in a large pan. Next I add pently of barbecue sauce and a little water and let the mixture simmer until the chicken is all the way cooked through. After it’s completely cooled, I put it into freezer bags or plastic containers with lids that can be stored in the freezer.