The above pictures are my chicken ready to cook and 5 bags of meal starters. I LOVE having cooked ground beef and cooked, cubed chicken in the freezer. Eliminating that step when it's time to make dinner saves so much time. It can also be a great money saver. I wait for chicken breasts to come on sale, purchase quite a bit and then poach and freeze it. Chicken meat used in soups, salads, sandwiches, and curry dishes is usually poached.
Here are some meals I use poached, cubed chicken in:
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Super Southwestern Bake
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Quesadillas
Here's how it's done: To poach chicken, simmer the chicken in salted stock or water to which 2 ribs of celery, 1 onion, and 1 bay leaf have been added. Cook the chicken until just tender, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. It is important to simmer and not boil the chicken. Boiling yields tougher meat. A low simmer yields more tender meat. Allow the meat to cool. Chop 2 chicken breasts, place in freezer bags (eliminate as much air as possible before sealing), and freeze for future use.
Sheer GENIUS! Now I want to know how you pre-cook your beef! Hand over all your tips sister! :)
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