What should I do with 6# chicken breasts? Fajitas?

[mom2abcd]

They had a great sale at Sam's Club and I want to cook these all up and freeze portions. I could throw them all in a crock pot, but I'd like to try making up Fajita meat to have on hand.

 

Does anyone have any good and easy recipes for something like fajitas? If I could cook them all in the crock pot rather than stand over the stove that would be great, but not necessary.

 

TIA

[elise1mds]

I just throw the meat in the pan with some oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, and a bit o' tequila and saute it up. You could easily marinade the meat in that mixture or add the liquid into the crockpot to cook it. The veggies (bell peppers, onions, sometimes tomatoes) can be thrown in, too.

[Parrothead]

If you are going to cook them before freezing, I'd just boil and shred. That way you can use the meat for just about any chicken dish - just heat, season and serve.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 14yo goes through at least 6 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts every 2 weeks all by herself.

 

I cut the breasts in half and spread them out on saran wrap and cover them with another layer of saran wrap. My dd pounds them flat with a mallet. I remove the top layer of saran wrap. My dd spices them up. She usually does 3-4 different spicing regimens with the pounded breasts.

 

I transfer the breasts onto saran wrap on a tray and freeze them. After they're frozen, I peel them all off and put them in two gallon ziplock baggies (two are usually sufficient).

 

My dd can pull one out any time for a snack. She just microwaves the breast for 1 minute and then cooks it the rest of the way on our George Foreman grill.

 

She has a turbocharged metabolism and usually eats around 3000 calories/day, none of it junk food. She is 5'0" and weighs 95 pounds.

[Mrs Mungo]

If you are going to cook them before freezing, I'd just boil and shred. That way you can use the meat for just about any chicken dish - just heat, season and serve.

 

I agree. Since the meat is pre-cooked it would be quick and easy to make fajitas or just about anything else with it.

[mom2abcd]

Sounds like a great plan! We used to make up a ton of hamburgers and "flash freeze" them like this. What spices does she like?

 

I really need to spend the $ to replace my mallet...

 

My 14yo goes through at least 6 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts every 2 weeks all by herself.

 

I cut the breasts in half and spread them out on saran wrap and cover them with another layer of saran wrap. My dd pounds them flat with a mallet. I remove the top layer of saran wrap. My dd spices them up. She usually does 3-4 different spicing regimens with the pounded breasts.

 

I transfer the breasts onto saran wrap on a tray and freeze them. After they're frozen, I peel them all off and put them in two gallon ziplock baggies (two are usually sufficient).

 

My dd can pull one out any time for a snack. She just microwaves the breast for 1 minute and then cooks it the rest of the way on our George Foreman grill.

 

She has a turbocharged metabolism and usually eats around 3000 calories/day, none of it junk food. She is 5'0" and weighs 95 pounds.

[AngieW in Texas]

spice combinations she likes:

 

paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper

 

Chicken Magic, paprika

 

Lawry's seasoned pepper, paprika, salt

 

paprika, Old Bay Seasoning

 

She really likes paprika, so she always uses it. I buy Hungarian sweet paprika.

 

Lately she's been using the mix at the top of the list a lot.

[Mynyel]

I take an put my chicken in the slower cooker (or oven if needing it quick) with nothing but Italian dressing. It adds flavor to the meat and I still use it in any dish, adds a nice flavor to any dish. May favorite to use it with is chicken enchiladas...YUM!

[cougarmom4]

If you are going to cook them before freezing, I'd just boil and shred. That way you can use the meat for just about any chicken dish - just heat, season and serve.

 

This is what I do...although I throw it all in various baking dishes and bake it for an hour...then dice/shred & divide into ziplocs for the freezer. (In fact, I just cooked up 10 pounds last night!)

 

I just pull a bag out in the morning, let it thaw & use it to make lots of things: white chicken chili, chicken pot pie, chicken enchiladas, bbq chicken sandwiches, hawaiian haystacks, chicken noodle soup, chicken pasta, etc.

[mom2abcd]

Thanks for the list, Angie!

 

spice combinations she likes:

 

paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper

 

Chicken Magic, paprika

 

Lawry's seasoned pepper, paprika, salt

 

paprika, Old Bay Seasoning

 

She really likes paprika, so she always uses it. I buy Hungarian sweet paprika.

 

Lately she's been using the mix at the top of the list a lot.

[mom2abcd]

I take an put my chicken in the slower cooker (or oven if needing it quick) with nothing but Italian dressing. It adds flavor to the meat and I still use it in any dish, adds a nice flavor to any dish. May favorite to use it with is chicken enchiladas...YUM!

 

Super simple! I will try that next time. Thanks!

[mom2abcd]

This is what I do...although I throw it all in various baking dishes and bake it for an hour...then dice/shred & divide into ziplocs for the freezer. (In fact, I just cooked up 10 pounds last night!)

 

I just pull a bag out in the morning, let it thaw & use it to make lots of things: white chicken chili, chicken pot pie, chicken enchiladas, bbq chicken sandwiches, hawaiian haystacks, chicken noodle soup, chicken pasta, etc.

 

Hawaiian Haystacks? I've never heard of that. Could you share your recipe, please?

 

How do you shred baked chicken? I have to cook mine at a low temp for a long time to get it "shreddable." Maybe the trick is to go at it with two forks while it's still hot? My baked chicken seems so... hard...

[Carol in Cal.]

Super simple! I will try that next time. Thanks!

 

Take bunch of standard baking potatoes. Clean the skins thoroughly and pierce them, but leave them intact. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes. That way they will be about half cooked.

 

Drain, and let cool.

 

Slice the short way in very thick slices--about 1 1/2 inches thick, leaving the skins on still.

 

Marinate in Italian salad dressing. (Do they still sell Viva Italian? That works great in this recipe.) Marinate for hours, maybe half a day or so, turning every so often.

 

Then barbeque on a charcoal grill.

 

You will not believe how good these are. The marinade soaks in and the barbeque taste makes it marry the potatoes amazingly. So cook about twice as many as you usually would eat, just in case. These reheat well in the oven, too.

[Guest janainaz]

I buy the Wal-Mart brand packet of fajita seasoning (I've tried them all and like that one the best). You can buy frozen sliced bell peppers (green, yellow, and red). Add some onion and that's it.

 

Another idea for a LOT of chicken is to make BAKED chicken tenders. You can marinate them in buttermilk or plain yogurt for a few hours, roll them in a flour mixture or cracker crumbs (whole-grain crackers are the best). Just bake them and then put them in a freezer bag. They are so easy to re-heat and really good!

[Carol in Cal.]

I would simmer, not boil, it in chicken broth for 20 minutes, and then let it cool down in the pan, and then freeze it in separate pieces on a cookie sheet, and then double bag it once it's frozen.

 

You can use that chicken meat in pasta sauces (dice and add 4 minutes before serving. It will warm up in that time) or chicken salads.

 

Save and freeze the broth as well. It will be a great soup base--chicken broth, but enriched!

[Margo out of lurking]

...

[mom2abcd]

Thanks for all the delicious-sounding recipes, friends!!

 

So good to get recipes from my online friends:o) I will say a prayer for you when I make them!