Dietitians Dish – August 28, 2023
Batch Cooking Saves Time
Prepping food and planning out meals saves time and money.
Batch cooking is one type of prep that goes a long way for busy weeknight meals.
This batch cooked chicken using a slow cooker is great for weekend meal prep.Once they’re cooked, you can dice or shred up the chicken breasts and portion out (and freeze) for other recipes. Individual recipe portions can be frozen in separate freezer-safe, zip-top plastic bags and stored for up to three months. Just be sure to label the bags with the contents, portion size and date.
These and other delicious recipe ideas featuring pre-cooked chicken are available on InSeasonezine.com. This is also a great option if you’re cooking for a large group!
Batch Slow Cooker Chicken
Ingredients:
- 6-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 chicken breasts)
- 2 tsps. garlic powder
- 2 tsps. ground black pepper
- 2 tsps. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 cups less-sodium chicken broth
Directions:
- Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and salt.
- In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken and broth; cover and cook on high 3-1/2 hours or low 7 hours or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°.
- Transfer 2 chicken breasts to cutting board; chop. Transfer remaining chicken to large bowl; with 2 forks, shred into bite-size pieces. Makes 4 cups chopped chicken and 9-1/2 cups shredded chicken.
Tuscan Chicken Skillet Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
- 1/2 (16-ounce) package linguine
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- In a large, high-sided skillet, add pasta and 2½ cups water, heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, spinach, salt, pepper, and chicken; cover and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is al dente and sauce has thickened.
- Stir in cheese; serve garnished with basil and cheese, if desired. Makes about 6 cups.