By Patti Diamond
One Pot Now, Several Dinners Later
This time of year asks a lot of us. Calendars fill, to-do lists multiply and somehow the family still expects dinner every evening. They're traditional that way.
Before the season gathers speed, make this the week you cook a little ahead. One big pot now can put dinner in the freezer for those evenings when your energy runs out before your obligations do.
This big pot of chicken, carrots, celery and onion becomes several meals, depending on what you add later. Serve it over rice or biscuits, tuck it beneath a pot-pie crust, give it a mashed-potato roof or turn it into creamy chicken soup.
Tender chicken and vegetables turn golden biscuits into a comforting dinner, one of several meals from a single pot. PHOTO CREDIT: www.JasonCoblentz.com
We're doing the chopping and simmering once, then leaving ourselves options.
Chicken thighs bring rich flavor and stay tender during simmering, but use breast or whatever cut is on sale. The seasoning is intentionally simple, so you can add flavors to suit each meal when you serve it.
A light, dairy-free gravy keeps everything moist and makes the starter easy to reheat. It also freezes beautifully. For creamy chicken soup, add evaporated milk when that dinner comes around.
Serve one portion for tonight and freeze the others in amounts your household will actually eat. Label each with its name, date and quantity. Your future self has many talents, but identifying frozen mystery rectangles shouldn't be a requirement.
BIG-BATCH CHICKEN DINNER STARTER
Yield: About 12 cups
Prep: About 1 hour 15 minutes
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large onions, diced
2 pounds carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 celery stalks, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt, to taste
Pat chicken dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken briefly on both sides; transfer to a plate. Repeat with another tablespoon oil and remaining chicken. It will finish cooking later.
Add remaining oil, onions, carrots and celery. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and stir for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in broth, scraping up browned bits. Add thyme, sage, pepper, chicken and accumulated juices. Bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and chicken reaches at least 165 F.
Remove chicken, shred or chop, then return it to the pot. Adjust seasoning and gravy consistency with additional broth if needed.
Store: Divide promptly into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Use within 3-4 days or freeze portions for later. For best quality, use frozen portions within three months. Thaw in the refrigerator; reheat to 165 F.
CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE DINNER
For each 4 cups of starter, try:
Dinner tonight: Heat and spoon over cooked rice, noodles, biscuits or mashed potatoes.
Pot pie: Place hot filling in a baking dish and top with pastry. Bake at 400 F until pastry is cooked and golden and filling reaches 165 F, approximately 25-35 minutes.
Potato-topped chicken "cottage pie": Spread hot filling in a baking dish, top with 3 cups warm mashed potatoes and bake at 400 F until bubbling and 165 F throughout, approximately 20-30 minutes.
Creamy chicken soup: Add 1 cup broth and heat thoroughly. Stir in one 12-ounce can evaporated milk; heat gently to 165 F. Add more broth for a thinner soup and adjust seasoning.
Consider those freezer portions an early holiday gift to the person who usually makes dinner. (That's you.)
Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime — Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com
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