Meal-Prep 101: Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken

Meal-Prep 101: Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken

THIS CLASS WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 20, 2017 at Quest Community Church (Westerville, Ohio) in the back kitchen area at 6:30 PM Quest Meal-Prep Class

The following recipe is for our class on 04/20/2017 at Quest Church.  This versatile recipe is is great to have as a go to in the freezer.  It can be used as a main dish served over rice, as burrito filling, soft taco filling, added to a casserole or soup, pretty much anything you can imagine.  Even if you can’t join us in person, I hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS (for each meal bag):

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast (or thighs)
• 4 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 fresh bunch of cilantro, chopped with the stems
• 1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen corn
• 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 can of jalapeno and tomatoes diced.
• 1 can of green peppers or 2 jalapeno peppers diced (optional)
• 1 tsp of cumin.

Other items you will need:

• Cutting boards (two, 1 for produce, 1 for the chicken)
• Latex gloves (2 pair, 1 pr for the chicken 1 pr for the jalapeno peppers if you are chopping)
• Knives (1 for chicken, 1 for produce)
• Can opener
• teaspoons and tablespoons
• garlic press or a use your produce knife
• 1 large gallon freezer bag
• 1 quart freezer bag
• marker to label your bag.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Before we get started, Write on your Gallon freezer bag, Cilantro Lime chicken, thaw over night.  Crockpot cook for 6-8 hrs low.
2. Prepare your chicken on your chicken cutting board, put on your latex gloves.
3. Cut your chicken in half then in half again and then in quarters.
4. 

   

   

   

   Place the chicken in your quart freezer bag.

5. Remove your “chicken gloves” & discard.
6. Add in two tablespoons of lime juice in with your chicken.
7. Remove the air from your “chicken bag” and seal, place to the side.  Now, clean off your chicken cutting board with hot soapy water and keep away from your produce.
8. On your produce cutting board, chop your fresh cilantro.  make sure you use the stems, this is where most of your flavor comes from!
9. Place in your gallon freezer bag.
10. Dice your onion and place in your gallon freezer bag.
11. Add in your frozen corn and rinsed black beans to your gallon freezer bag.
12. Add in your small can of jalapeno/diced tomatoes.
13. IF YOU WANT FRESH DICED JALAPENO PEPPERS, PUT ON YOUR LATEX GLOVES FOR PRODUCE.  You WILL thank me later.
14. When you cut fresh peppers, keep in mind the heat is in the seeds, more heat, leave the seeds, less heat, makes sure you leave out the seeds.
15. Add your Peppers to the gallon bag. (removing your gloves after working with your peppers.)
16. Add in your cumin.
17. Add in 2 tablespoons of lime juice.
18. Gently roll and place your chicken bag on the top of your produce.
19. Push out the extra air and seal the gallon bag.  (I like to double bag my items.)
20. Flatten bag and freeze.

Day be before preparing instructions:

• Set upright in the refrigerator (in a bowl in case it leaks) to thaw.

Cooking day instructions:

• Open bag carefully and pull out your chicken bag.
• Put the chicken in your crock-pot first.
• Dump in the remaining ingredients from the gallon bag on top of the chicken.
• Set crock-pot on low and cook for 6-8 hours.
• Before serving, shred with a fork the chicken and stir into the cooked ingredients.
• Serve over rice, with corn tortillas as soft tacos, in large flour tortillas as burritos, over corn chips as nachos anything your heart desires.
• The shredded left overs are also great to freeze and have on hand for soups!

Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

Mrs. Kay L. Rice