Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [21]
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
ON HAND FOR COOKING EACH ENTRÉE
Fresh raspberries (optional)
1. Rinse chickens under cool running water. Remove neck and giblets from cavity and discard. Pat chickens dry with paper towel.
2. Put one chicken into each 1-gallon bag. Over each chicken, measure 1 cup vinaigrette, 1 cup berries, ½ cup onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Seal and freeze.
TO COOK ONE ENTRÉE
1. Completely thaw one bag of chicken in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, in a greased baking dish and pour marinade into cavity. Roast for about 1½ hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 180ºF. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.
The sweet flavors in this dish are a twist on traditional southwestern cooking. This versatile filling can be used on regular tostada shells in place of ground beef or beans. You might also consider using it in our Cinco Layer Bake and Sweet Chicken Tostada Crowns on the following pages. —KN
SWEET CHICKEN TOSTADA FILLING
MAKES ABOUT 14½ CUPS
1 TWO-PACK (8–10 POUNDS TOTAL WEIGHT) WHOLE CHICKENS
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups prepared mango salsa (such as Santa Barbara)
5 one-quart freezer bags, labeled
1. Clean and cook both chickens (see Cooking Methods, page 65). Cool and pull meat from bones. Discard skin and bones. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. (A whole chicken will yield about 1 cup of meat per pound.)
2. Beat together cream cheese and salsa in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Stir in chicken. Divide mixture evenly among freezer bags, about 3 scant cups of filling in each.
3. Seal and freeze.
TO COOK ONE ENTRÉE
1. Completely thaw one bag of filling in the refrigerator.
2. Bring the filling to a simmer in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Do not boil. Use as a filling for tacos, tostadas, or burritos.
You’ll notice the ingredient list calls for Sweet Chicken Tostada Filling (page 61) and Chipotle Roasted-Tomato Sauce (page 176). Canned enchilada sauce works well, too, but we prefer it like this. Serve with a fresh green salad or fruit salad with jicama. —KN
CINCO LAYER BAKE
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
2¾ CUPS (1-QUART BAG) SWEET CHICKEN TOSTADA FILLING (PAGE 61), THAWED
6 ten-inch flour tortillas, cut in half
1½ cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Chipotle Roasted-Tomato Sauce (page 176)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (optional)
Vegetable cooking spray
Aluminum foil
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom entirely with 4 of the tortilla halves, overlapping as necessary. Spread 1½ cups of the tostada filling over tortillas. Next layer with ¾ cup of the beans, ½ cup of the tomato sauce, and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat with a layer of tortillas and the remaining filling, beans, and tomato sauce. Add the remaining 4 tortilla halves and top with 1 cup cheese.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the casserole reads 165ºF.
4. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, guacamole, or salsa, if desired.
JUST RIGHT
Some people like their enchiladas gooey, whereas others prefer them drier and crunchy. Some like more black beans, others prefer less. Whatever your preferences, feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste.
Tostada crowns, sometimes called tostada bowls because of their shape, offer a fun way to present a meal. The filling here is sweet and mild, but you can turn up the heat by mixing in jalapeños. Served for Cinco de Mayo or another festive occasion, these are sure to please. —KN
SWEET CHICKEN TOSTADA CROWNS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
2 CUPS SWEET CHICKEN TOSTADA FILLING (PAGE 61), WARMED
4 tostada crowns
2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
1 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
8 tablespoons prepared salsa,