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The Cardiologist's Wife - Back to School Meal Tips and Crockpot Recipe The lazy days of summer are almost over and soon families will be rushing from work and school to sports, tutoring, dance or art classes. When they finally get home in the evening, no one wants to cook but everyone is sure to be hungry. You can take some of the stress out of preparing nutritious meals and avoid fast food by doing some advance prep work. If you can set aside several hours on one weekend, you can prepare several crockpot freezer meals at one time, place them in the freezer and be ready for those busy nights ahead. There are several crockpot recipes that work well for freezer meals and many don’t require cooking, only chopping and measuring to assemble. Look for recipes that include several vegetables to make dinner even easier. The hardest part of these meals is remembering to set them in the refrigerator to thaw in time for when you want to cook them. You can also share the workload for preparing these meals. Have one person do the shopping for the groceries needed and another do most of the assembly. Older kids can even help with the prep work. Make sure to use freezer bags, not the storage kind as they protect food better and label each bag clearly and include any cooking instructions. When sealing the bags, try to press out as much air as possible. I like to lay them flat to freeze so they take up less space in the freezer. I also highly recommend taking the time to go through your freezer first, throwing out anything that is old or unrecognizable and organizing food so you can find things quickly. To get you started, here is a link to a website with several crockpot freezer recipes here but you can find others through a google search. I tried this one last night and my family gave it a thumbs up. My only complaint about crockpot meals in general is that sometimes they seem bland so look for recipes with several spices or flavorful additions for the best results. Thai Peanut Chicken for the Crockpot 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 boneless, skinless thighs 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter juice of one lime 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 cup light soy sauce 1/2 Tbsp. cumin crushed peanuts chopped fresh cilantro sliced green onions
Place chicken, bell pepper and onion in a gallon sized freezer ziploc bag. Mix peanut butter, lime juice, broth, soy sauce and cumin and pour over chicken. Carefully seal closed, label with contents and date and freeze. To cook, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Place contents in a crockpot that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray for easy clean up. Cook 4 to 6 hours on low or until chicken is done. Serve over rice, topped with crushed peanuts, chopped fresh cilantro and green onions. For even faster home cooked meals, try doubling a recipe like chili or vegetable soup and freezing the extra portions. Hoping everyone has a great school year! [+] add comment |