After more than 40 years of deciding what’s for dinner every night, I’ve learned a few things. Some things I’ve learned through success, but many things I’ve learned by failure. Have you ever bought chicken with the idea that you’d get it cooked and waited too many days? Thrown chicken in the freezer only to discover it’s made it’s way to the very back and is now freezer burned? It’s happened to even the best organized homemakers.

One way to get chicken used in a timely manner is to meal prep it for future meals. This last week I got a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale. My plans changed during the week, and I was concerned I would not get the chicken used in the 1-2 days recommended for storing raw chicken. And if I’m honest, potential food-borne germs in chicken scare me more than any other protein.

I had a couple of ideas on using this chicken in the next couple of weeks, but I needed to get it cooked for freezing. Here’s the best method I have found for baking moist, flavorful chicken breasts that will work for many recipes. I stored in 2 cup quantities because that’s the amount many recipes require.

The chicken breasts I used were quite large. I ended up with almost 8 cups of shredded chicken. I used the food processor for ease, but you could easily shred or chop by hand.

Here’s what I plan to make with the chicken I prepped:

1. Chicken pot pie: I am making pot pies for two, so 2 cups will make 2 meals/6 in. pies. Two cups is enough for one large (9 in.) chicken pot pie. I’ll post that recipe soon.
2. Green Chicken Enchiladas: Definitely not authentic, but they are delicious. I think I’ve posted this recipe, but I’ll double check.
3. Chicken Noodle Soup: It’s going to cool off next week, so 2 cups will go into some quick and easy chicken soup. Recipe soon!
4. Chicken Salad: I kept the remaining scant 2 cups to make some chicken salad for lunches. I have some celery that needs to be used hanging out in a mason jar full of water in my fridge.

You should be able to click on the image to save the recipe.

I am living in my waste not, want not era. Groceries are too much to be letting food go. I hope anyone who reads this will try this recipe. It’s delicious!