Straight from the Freezer: Chicken Stew with Biscuits

One time, I came up with a brilliant idea that was sure to relieve stress, multiply my time, satisfy my cravings and basically make my life perfect. I was convinced that it was the end to all of my problems. The big idea: make all my meals for a month in one day and freeze them.

Of course, I don’t do anything simply. In fact, I think I subconsciously make my life more complicated than it needs to be; even when I’m trying to make it easier with pre-made meals. Once I had decided to make all my meals for a month ahead, I also thought it would be keen to invite all my friends to join in the process. My reasoning was that if I could buy in bulk, I would save money.

As I may have mentioned here previously, I’ll go to great lengths to save a penny. My goal was to have helping upon helping of delicious homemade meals ready to eat in minutes for less than $1.60 per serving. Eleven of my friends (you should read victims) gathered in a neighborhood church kitchen for what I estimated would be a four-hour cookathon. Four shopping trips, twelve hours, and what seemed like seven thousand meals later, we carted our stash home to pack our freezers.

Needless to say, by the end, I realized my brilliant plan was a little lack-luster. I did save money but I didn’t really get the quality of food I hoped for. It took a lot longer than I anticipated and because several of the participants weren’t experienced cooks or recipe-followers, I ended up with some food that was downright gross. I also realized that I don’t particularly like food that has been cooked, frozen, and then reheated. If it is raw when it is frozen, it isn’t too bad but rubbery pork isn’t my idea of deliciousness.

One dish that I made recently is freezer-friendly, however. Over a month ago, I cooked a recipe of Ina Garten’s Chicken Stew with Biscuits from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I prepared half to freeze (with the biscuits stored separately). This week, after a 9-day long cold, I didn’t feel much like cooking and this chicken-potpie-like dish was what I craved. Glad that I had a frozen portion remaining, I popped in in the oven. When I pulled it out, it was just like the day I originally made it. Buttery flaky biscuits with yummy flavorful filling; a perfect comfort meal.

While I may never again experiment with turning potatoes black in the freezer or spend from dawn to dusk cooking for a month at a time, I will definitely make this delicious dinner again and freeze some for a later date.

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, Biscuits, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Stew, Chicken Stew with Biscuits, cooking, Freezer-Friendly Dinner, Ina Garten