Chicken is on sale but what will I do will 10 pounds of leg and thigh quarters? You can probably think of different ways you'd like to cook the chicken quarters and it is a great buy! How can you manage that?
I have a small freezer in the laundry room. It costs me under $200.00 and was delivered free by Lowe's. It has been a lifesaver and has helped when that chicken (and other products) go on sale.
With a little work on my part, I have portion ready meals in the freezer for the times when I want. This is how I suggest you do it.
1.) Make sure you have a supply of freezer bags in the gallon size.
2.) Bring the 10 pound bag home and portion out the meat. Hubby and I can eat only one leg and one thigh each max...if I eat only the leg, I save the thigh for my lunch while he is eating lunch with the hospital volunteers.
3.) Trim away the fat and skin if you want to do that to save calories later.
4.) Place your personalized portion in a freezer bag and zip it closed. Make sure the air is out and the seal is complete.
5.) Label the bag with the amount, i.e. 2 and then the date 8-8-2013.
(If you want to freeze one leg and thigh in a bag, you can probably use a quart size freezer bag. This single portion will allow you to make a chicken dish for company. Just pull out as many single portions as you need.)
6.) Pop the bag in the freezer and to stay organized with what you have, designate space in your freezer for each kind of meat. Inventory your products before you buy more! A sale is totally useless if you let the food in the freezer beyond its freshness. That will be a guide I will publish in the next post.
7.) When thawing your chicken for a meal, use the proper technique and thaw in the bottom of the frig or under cold running water. DO NOT THAW ON THE COUNTER...IT IS NOT A SAFE METHOD. The safety of preparing food is most important. Food borne illnesses can be fatal.
Let's talk about the gorgeous roast you used to buy when you had your children at home. You can still buy it but you will divide the portions by using a scale or just by cutting the roast into 2 or 4 pieces. A baked roast with carrots and potatoes is a yummy comfort meal and the left over meat makes a delicious sandwich the next day. Cook only the veggies you can consume at the first meal and carefully wrap the meat for your sandwich the next day*.
More tips and tricks coming...just keep coming back and leave your questions or comments here.
Thanks,
Susan souscollier@gmail.com
* You can freeze the left over portion of meat for next week's sandwiches. Just thaw in the bottom of the frig!
