Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas

As part of the freezer meal series I thought I would share an example of what I do on a typical kitchen day when I am making two sets of meals.

On kitchen day when I am making more than one meal I try to group like things. By that I mean using like ingredients that require like prep work.

Two meals I love to make together are Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas.

I combine these recipes because they both require cooked chicken, and I use chicken breasts for each. So I turn my oven on, and cook enough chicken for both.

Once the chicken is cooked, it requires the same preparation - cool and chop/shred.

Both recipes require black beans, and I like to buy the dried black beans and then cook the needed amount in the pressure cooker (6-8 minutes once pressure is reached, I turn off the heat once the pressure is reached and let it coast to the finish, then push the button down with my wooden spoon to release the pressure, then rinse the beans), so I cook the beans for both recipes at the same time.

Both recipes require cilantro - so I chop it together.

By making these recipes together I am saving work, I am only turning the oven and the stove on once, and not for any longer than I would for each recipe, so I am saving there too!

If I am being really devious, the night before I will have a seasoned chicken breasts for supper, and cook the chicken for supper, and for the two freezer meals all at the same time, saving even more work and energy costs (just use multiple pans and two or more shelves in your oven). Then I will let the chicken breasts cool over night so they are ready in the morning (and save the chicken juice for the soup).

And of course, we would then have enchiladas for supper on kitchen day (the Tortilla Soup needs to rest in the freezer before being its best!)

Results of kitchen day: 7 meals (3 tortilla soup, 4 enchiladas)

Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- Tips for converting your favorite recipes to freezer recipes
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas