Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken Strips

2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup reduced fat or regular baking mix
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 pounds chicken breast strips


Melt butter in a 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan in a 425 degree oven. Place baking mix and next 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to combine. Add chicken, several pieces at a time, shaking well to coat. Arrange chicken in melted butter in hot baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

TO FREEZE: place uncooked, coated chicken strips on a baking sheet(covered with wax paper) in freezer. Once frozen, place strips in a plastic freezer bag and freeze until ready to prepare. Bake frozen strips on a hot, buttered jellyroll pan at 425 degrees for 35 minutes, turning after 25 minutes.

After I made these, I realized they didn't have enough breading. I'm going to have to experiment with ways to get more of the breading to stick to the chicken, like dipping it in milk and then coating, and milk and coating again until coated to my satisfaction. Beware that smaller strips will cook faster than larger ones, so maybe fix all the smaller strips for one meal and the larger strips for another meal.

Chinese Honey Ginger Chicken

I'll keep this recipe, but it's a VERY mild flavoring/marinade. So if you like your food much spicier, it might not be for you!


6 chicken breasts
4 tsp chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 tbsp sherry(alcoholic or cooking)
1/4 cup chives

Combine all ingredients in a freezer container or Ziploc bag. Freeze.

Instructions from freezer:

Allow to thaw. Pour Chinese style honey ginger chicken into a casserole dish. Prehead oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes(or until done...mine have to cook longer than this). Serve over rice!

Pesto Hamburgers

Makes about 12 burgers.

3 lbs. lean ground beef(not previously frozen)
3 bread slices, crumbed(white or brown bread is fine)
2 onions, chopped
3 eggs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp pesto(see pesto freezer recipe below)
3 garlic cloves, minced

Optional Basil Mayo for serving day(enough for 4 burgers)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp pesto

In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, onion, cheese, pesto and garlic, mixing well. Add ground beef, stirring until fully combined. Divide into 12 and make 12 burgers(about 5" in diameter), making sure to depress the center of each slightly. Flash freeze on a cookie sheet(lined with wax paper), then transfer into freezer Ziploc bag container. Or separate each with wax paper and freeze stacked. I personally, flash froze on a cookie sheet, then put into a Ziploc bag, tearing up the wax paper from the cookie sheet and using it between frozen patties.

On serving day: Remove burgers from freezer the night before or morning of serving and allow to defrost in refrigerator. Cook on grill(indoor or outdoor) or broil until center of burgers reach a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve with basil mayonnaise(mixing mayo and pesto together) on a bun with your choice of burger toppings.

Pesto Sauce Freezer Recipe

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

In food processor or blender, combine basil, parsley, and garlic and run until chopped(about 15 seconds). Then add remaining ingredients, blending until smooth. Pour pesto sauce into freezer container or freezer bag and freeze.

On serving day:

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Thaw pesto sauce, add Parmesan cheese, and serve. Can be heated if preferred. Serve over pasta.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

This recipe was super yummy. I think it is my new favorite marinade!

2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

Combine ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Add chicken to a freezer bag, then add Caribbean Jerk mixture. Carefully move the chicken around so it is coated, then freeze.

On cooking day, thaw in refrigerator and remove chicken pieces, disposing of the leftover marinade(I poured extra marinade in dish if baking). Barbecue on grill or bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 60 minutes(may vary depending on which chicken pieces are used).

Canadian Mac and Cheese

This is your basic mac and cheese with some ham and veggies in it. Not bad and easy to feed the kids. Not as cheesy as kraft, my favorite box mix, but since it's made with cheddar, it has a more natural flavor.

3 cups chicken broth(I roast or boil 2 to 3 chickens a week in our house for my husband's lunches, so I always save the excess fluids, minus the fat, to use as chicken broth).

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 lbs elbow macaroni noodles(I just used a whole box, since it was easier)

1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

5 tbsp. water

1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peas(I hate peas, so they don't go in mine, but the original recipe calls for them)

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded(I'm generous with the cheese)

Combine broth, milk, and macaroni noodles into a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with water, then combine with noodle mixture. Bring to a boil then add peas and bacon. Stir well, remove from heat. Then add cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Freeze in preferred serving sizes.

On cooking day, defrost and heat in saucepan over medium heat until heated through(you can always add a tbsp. of milk or so if the mixture looks dry. You can also microwave to heat, if you prefer.

Sweet and Sour Pork

I made this recipe for the first time without freezing it, even though I found it amongst resources for freezer recipes. It was really good. Not overly sweet, but the sauce tasted similar to that glaze you put on Easter ham.

Sweet and Sour Pork

2 lb. cooked pork, cut into strips(I cut into strips before cooking and might actually cut into bite size pieces next time before cooking)

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp. corn starch

1 cup beef or chicken broth(I used chicken)

1/2 tsp. cloves(I used ground cloves)

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup frozen sour cherries or canned, pitted cherries(I could only find canned at the commissary, but made sure I drained the juice off before adding to the recipe)

1 tbsp. lemon juice(I just squeezed one lemon and used whatever it gave me)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

Place cooked pork strips into casserole(I used 9 x 13). In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and broth, stirring until very smooth without any lumps. Add cloves and bay leaf. Cook mixture over low heat, stirring until thickened. Add sour cherries, lemon juice, and butter/margarine then bring to a boil. Pour mixture over pork in casserole dish, then bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and freeze into serving size containers.

On cooking day, defrost and reheat in saucepan. Serve over rice.