3 Brilliant Meal Prep Meats That Will Change The Way You Host & Entertain

Do you enjoy having people over, but don’t care for all of pre gathering stress and scurrying?  Me neither.

When starting from scratch, making a meal and hosting guests can be a lot of effort.

I have found an unlikely solution to take the stress out of cooking and entertaining.

Meal Prep Meats.

Forget the mountains of frozen casseroles and disposable foil pans.  That’s not what we’re talking about here!

This is a little trick many of our favorite restaurants have been employing for years…cooked ahead meats.

They don’t scrimp on freshness or flavor, and neither do you.

Now at first glance I know this might sound a little odd, but hear me out.

I’ve spent the better part of the past decade figuring out how to cook meals from scratch (on a daily basis) and entertain at the drop of a hat.  The goal is always exceptional food with above average flavor.  I like to live a full life, so it’s imperative that doesn’t take all day to prepare.

The work involved with entertaining can be so great that I think it keeps a lot of us from doing it in the first place.

We want to make great food to showcase to others, but it just takes a lot of time when you are starting from a blank slate.

Don’t start from a blank slate.

Having cooked ahead meat meal starters on hand is a total game changer.

I love knowing that I have the ability or feed a dozen people at the drop of a hat.  You never know where your day might take you, and if you find yourself in the company of people you enjoy it’s so much fun to be able to invite them over for a plate of delicious food.

I’m not interested in making anything ahead unless it tastes as good as the day I made it.  You too?  Ok good.

Not all frozen items are created equal, as some reheat much tastier than others.  These cooked meats below are sensational out of the freezer.  When properly reheated and paired with fresh ingredients they make for some insanely delicious meals.

Still not convinced?

Having these meats on hand may give you the confidence to strike up an impromptu gathering with the old friends you happened to run into.  Why?…Because you have most of the work all ready done.

These cooked ahead meal staples are one of my hosting and entertaining commandments.  They allow me to live the life I want, and eat like it too.  Let’s meet the meats.

#1 Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

These really are the best!  The tangy lemon marinade infuses wonderful flavor into the chicken, that tastes as a good as the day you made it.  I ALWAYS have a gallon storage bag full of these pre-grilled chicken breasts in my freezer.

They bale me out on busy week nights, and they are tasty enough to entertain with.  I use them to make the following recipes! (Email me if you want any of them!)

• Best Every Butter Chicken Fajitas
• Garlic Spinach Chicken Fettuccini Bowl
  • 
• Feta & Berry Grilled Chicken Salad
• Pear & Pecan Grilled Chicken Salad
• 5 Minute Chicken Stir Fry
• Chicken & Artichoke Heart Pizza
• Grilled Chicken Club Sandwiches
• Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
• Chicken Penne With Marinara
• 5 Minute Thai Chicken Noodle Bowls
• *Many More I know I’m Forgetting** 😉

Here’s the Recipe!

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Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Chicken Breasts

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 3 cups lemon Juice
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs Garlic Salt
• 1 Tbs Black Pepper

Instructions

Whisk lemon juice, sugar, oil, and seasonings in a large bowl until well incorporated.  Submerge chicken breasts in marinade, cover and refrigerate over night.

Grill on med/med high heat until cook through (juices run clear).

When cooled, freeze in gallon storage bags (no air compression required).

Mark grill date and contents on outside of bag.

#2 Lean Organic Ground Beef

Well seasoned organic ground beef is one of our week night meal staples and sneaky entertaining hacks.  Having a large supply of it on hand makes any meal happen in minutes.

Below is a list of just a few of the recipes I can make in 30 minutes or less with this meal prep beef prepared ahead and waiting to go.

• Best Ever Chugwater Chili
• Beef Pin Wheels With Cheese Sauce
  • 
• Italian Beef Soup
• Tacos
• Shepards Pie
• Caden’s Mexican Casserole
• Spaghetti
• Crispy Ball Park Beef & Bean Burritos
  • 
• Raviolis with Meat Sauce

As always, email me for any of these weeknight staples! 😉

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Seasoned Organic Ground Beef

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 10 lbs Organic Ground Beef
• 4 Medium Yellow Onions
• 2 Tbs Salt
• 1 Tbs Pepper

Instructions

1. Dice onion, and combine with remaining ingredients in a large stock pot or tabletop roaster.
2. Cook on medium/medium high heat until browned and crumbled to desired texture.
3. Remove excess fat by elevating one edge of the stock pot and pushing cooked burger to the high side.

4. Use a large spoon or ladle to spoon out excess grease from the reservoir pool and discard.

5. Let cool, and store in family sized meal portions using the squish and seal method.

#3 Whole Organic Baked Chickens

This baked chicken might be the most delicious of all.  Reheat this beauty and someone would never know it wasn’t freshly roasted that day.

If you don’t have to time to roast them yourself, that’s ok.

Take some help from the store, and follow the packaging instructions listed below.

You’ll use moist and tender chicken for entertaining and weeknight meals!  Here’s just a few of my favorite recipes that are only minutes away when this baken chicken is prepped and on hand.

• Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
  • 
• Appie’s Famous Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken & Noodles Over Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
• Crispy Chicken Taquitos w/ Fresh Guac
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• BBQ Chicken Sliders

My oldest really enjoys shredding time!  I figure the bonding time and cooking lessons are totally worth the mess.

Here’s the easiest recipe in the world! 😉

Print

Organic Baked Chicken

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 Whole Organic Chickens insides removed
• 2 Tbs Light Tasting Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper to Taste

Instructions

1. Rinse chickens & pat dry on a lightly greased baking sheet

2. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast at 375 degrees until cooked throughout (will depend on size of the chicken, read package cooking directions or use a meat thermometer).
4. When chickens are cooled enough to handle, remove skin and shred meat.  Pay careful attention to remove all the skin and bones.  

   Shred in to 1-2 inch pieces.

5. Utilize pan drippings to rehydrate shredded meat.
6. Store in quart sized bags using the seas and squish method

Squish & Seal Storage Method

Sealing in freezer bags is a bit of an art form.  Wait until meat is cooled enough to hand and follow the steps below.

1. Fill quart bags roughly 3/4 full (or enough for 1 family sized meal)
2. Seal ziplock closure most of the way, leaving a small open pocket at the edge (maybe the size of a pinky width).
3. Press down firmly to force out air, and while under compression, seal the rest of the way.
4. Flatten the bag to ensure a good seal and for easy freezer stacking.
5. Make note the date and contents on the outside of the bag.

 The Cost/Reward of Meal Prepping

You may read this and think, ‘there is no way way I’m doing all of that!’…But hear me out for a sec…

You may spend half a day preparing these 3 meats simultaneously, but you will create meal starters for over 30 meals!

Think of how much time that will save you!

You will knock out week night meals in a flash and put your effort more towards delicious fresh embellishments.

You’ll keep yourself from eating quick junk foods because you can throw meals together in minutes.  You will be more up for hosting parties and gatherings because you have a lot of the work all ready done.

If you’re going to the trouble of lighting your grill in January (which in our neck of the woods usually means a temperates in the single digits) why not fill er up?

You’d be wise to make the most of your down filled grilling experience by making enough to enjoying for weeks to come.

It’s the same for ground beef.  If you’re going to the trouble of pan frying 2lbs of meat for a week night meal, why not do it in bulk and save some for later?  If we’re cooking something in the oven why not fill it up to max capacity and utilize the goodness for months to come.  You’ll save time and resources when doing so!

 Reheating Reminder

When it comes to reheating your frozen goodness, do so with care.  You can quickly ruin your perfectly grilled chicken by torching them in the microwave on high power.  Remember to use the half power setting, and turn at 1-2 minute intervals.

Also, when it comes to reheating in the microwave try to avoid doing so in anything that is plastic.  Glass and porcelain are a much safer options, and storage bags should be avoided all together.

Submerging frozen storage bags in cool water will unthaw them in as quickly as 15 minutes! (Place a weighted object on top of bag to keep it submerged under water).

Ok guys, plan your meat day and make it happen! 

Cheers for now.

Psssssssssst! Want to learn about one of my secret weapons?