Caesar Salad & Chicken Freezer “Meal Prep”
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
Frozen, thinned-out chicken slices (see Freezer Prep Method below)
Mayo
Salt
Seasonings of choice: fresh cracked black pepper, dried oregano, red pepper flake, etc.
Salad Components
Caesar or dressing of choice
Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
Toppings of choice: croutons, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano, etc.
Instructions
Marinate the chicken: Take frozen, thinned-out chicken slices straight from the freezer (see below). Add a squirt of mayo, a sprinkling of salt, and spices of choice, and then uniformly spread the mayo marinade over the chicken.
Cook the chicken: Add the marinated chicken slices to a pan or griddle over medium heat, and cook until it reaches 155 F internally. Set aside to rest for a few minutes.
Assemble salad: Prep any salad components. Add toppings and chicken to the lettuce, and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy.
“Thinly Sliced” Freezer Prep Method
The next time you have a package of chicken, ground beef, or a steak that has hit the freeze-by date and you aren’t able to use it, try this method.
Instead of just tossing the whole package into the freezer, take a few minutes to prep the protein so it can be instantly cooked for future meals.
How it works:
Remove the protein from the original packaging.
Slice, portion, or butterfly the protein into very thin pieces or small strips.
Spread protein slices on a baking sheet and add to a freezer for a few hours or until solid.
Transfer frozen, portioned protein into a freezer-safe bag or container.
When you are ready for a meal, take out a few strips at a time and cook straight from frozen into a meal. The protein is in small enough pieces to brown and cook all the way through without needing to defrost it first.
Applications:
Stir-fries
Taco/burrito fillings
Sandwich fillings
Salad or rice bowl toppings