A few years ago, my husband found a recipe for pre-cooking chicken for various recipes. The pre-cooked chicken recipe (and it’s additional recipes) was glued onto an index card that inconveniently slid in a crack behind our cabinet more than two years ago. We’ve never been able to retrieve it. It was such a great tool, though, and we luckily mostly remembered which recipes we loved the most and jotted those down to the best of our recollection.
Pre-cooking chicken makes meals so much easier. Same with pre-cutting vegetables you may need. I have no time or patience at the end of a long day to prepare an extravagant meal – sometimes frozen pizza is a chore.
Also, I am not a huge fan of buying pre-cooked chicken. I don’t know why it bothers me. I guess I want the option to pre-cook it, if I choose. I’m also selective of the meat that our family buys. Sometimes this may cost a little more, but I realized this month that Harvestland isn’t going to make my family broke by eating organic chicken. Harvestland chickens are USDA-certified organic chickens. They are fed all-vegetarian diets with no animal by-products, raised cage-free, and are never given any antibiotics. That makes me feel even better about what I’m feeding my family.
Now let’s get on with a few of our meals….
First, pre-cook your chicken:
- Coat your boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan.
- Cook for 10 minutes on 500 degrees. Turn the chicken over. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Store your chicken for that week’s meals.
We did this last week and managed to make barbecue chicken pizza, chicken fajitas, and penne pasta with chicken and spinach. Another recipe that I make with pre-cooked chicken is burrito bowls. They’re SO simple and delicious!
The barbecue chicken pizza was one of the best we’ve ever had. We normally do individual pizzas on pita bread, but my husband found whole wheat crust (Archer Farms brand) at Target to try. They were perfect.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
1 pizza crust
Barbecue sauce of your choice
Oregano
Mozzarella cheese (we used cheddar this time)
pre-cooked chicken, chopped
Chopped onions (optional)
Coat your pizza crust with the barbecue sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce, along with oregano and the chopped chicken. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Now, another night we decided on chicken fajitas. They aren’t the prettiest foods around, but they’re so good. My son even likes the chicken.
Chicken Fajitas
Pre-cooked chicken
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
Cajun seasoning
Sour cream and/or cheese (both of which are optional)
Tortillas (we went with whole wheat)
Chop your peppers and onion, and cook on a medium heat until they’re tender. Add the chicken. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning to taste. (I usually go with about a teaspoon. Not everyone in my family is a fan of spicy foods.)
Penne pasta with “pesto” spinach
1 box whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I chopped mine so you couldn’t even see they were walnuts!)
Spinach – I used an entire container of spinach.
1-2 cloves of garlic
Pre-cooked chicken, chopped
Saute the spinach, garlic and chopped walnuts. Add the chicken when the spinach is sauteed. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is heated thoroughly. Add to the pasta. Top with mozzarella or parmesan cheese, if you desire.
And for any of my vegetarian friends, this pasta dish is really good without meat. Trust me on this.
The HARVESTLAND® product line includes fresh chicken, turkey, and pork products, as well as a variety of fully-cooked refrigerated, frozen, and deli meats. We obviously stuck with chicken for this review. I also have a super easy slow cooker recipe for a whole chicken, that I hope to share within the next week. It takes just minutes to prepare and the results are amazing.
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I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
January 26, 2015 at 9:45 amI want some of that BBQ chicken pizza. That’s my favorite and yours sounds AWESOME.
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
January 26, 2015 at 10:54 amIt all looks delicious! That’s sad about the recipe card, though. That would agitate me LOL
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
January 26, 2015 at 11:09 amI don’t eat chicken, but if I did, I would be doing the same thing. These are such great ideas!
Jaime says
January 26, 2015 at 11:11 amI totally thought about you when I was editing this last night. 😉 Check out the penne pasta recipe with the spinach and crushed walnuts. It’s so good! And you don’t have to add chicken.
Rena McDaniel says
January 26, 2015 at 12:40 pmI found this so funny because it is actually what I am doing today. I am making homemade chicken pot pie which is so easy as it’s chicken, mixed vegetables a jar of chicken gravy and stove top stuffing but I am also cooking some for a recipe that I have been wanting to try later this week. Great minds think alike.
Donna Ward says
January 26, 2015 at 2:10 pmGreat recipes and ideas – I’l be saving – I usually cook extra check during the meal to use for a few of these recipes! 🙂
TiaMaria says
January 26, 2015 at 2:30 pmI love cooking large batches of chicken in my crockpot, and then using it for quick meals like pasta dishes or casseroles. Since it’s just my fiance and I, one batch can go a LONG way!
Maureen @ A Debt Free Stress Free Life says
January 26, 2015 at 3:56 pmI use that brand chicken too and really love that it’s organic. Precooking and having it all ready seems like a smart thing to do.
Lesley says
January 26, 2015 at 4:16 pmI do my best to stretch our chicken as far as I can. I buy the better chicken, like you, so we have to make it go a lot further. When it is on sale I like to stock the freezer.
Liz Mays says
January 26, 2015 at 4:37 pmMmm chicken fajitas sound so good right now. Barbeque chicken pizza is a new favorite of mine too.
aimee fauci says
January 26, 2015 at 4:51 pmThis looks and sound fantastic and I agree with you about the pre cooked chicken.
Nikol Murphy says
January 26, 2015 at 5:03 pmI love this idea and I really can’t believe I have never heard or thought about it. I have heard about getting a full chicken and just cooking it for the week. I hate raw chicken, by think I’ll try this out. Thanks!
Jaime says
January 26, 2015 at 9:24 pmI have a whole chicken already prepped in the slow cooker (and in my fridge overnight) for tomorrow’s dinner. I’m not a fan of raw chicken, usually. But I hate buying pre-cooked chicken. I’m strange. (True story: When I was pregnant, I had an aversion to chicken that was prepared in our house.)
Ourfamilyworld (@OurFamilyWorld) says
January 26, 2015 at 7:42 pmPre cooking saves a lot of time and you eat healthier. Those chicken fajiats look delicious. I want some
Pam says
January 26, 2015 at 7:48 pmI love having pre-cooked chicken around the house. It makes it so easy to toss together a meal when I don’t feel like cooking! My go to is chicken salad, but chicken wraps or tacos are great too.
Jeanine says
January 26, 2015 at 8:09 pmThat pizza looks delish! What a great idea. I need to do this what a really great and efficient idea!
Lois Alter Mark says
January 26, 2015 at 8:55 pmI always buy pre-cooked because I am not a cook! That barbecue chicken pizza looks amazing!
Tracie says
January 26, 2015 at 9:46 pmI’ve never tried pre-cooking chicken like this. But it makes good sense that it would help to save a lot of time.
Kay Adeola says
January 27, 2015 at 5:49 amChicken pizza would be a big hit in this house my kids love anything like that,Its perfect when it is home made too.
Heather D. (@GirlGoneMom) says
January 27, 2015 at 8:37 amThere are a few dishes I will actually pre-cook chicken for for different meals. I love when I actually leftovers on hand so I don’t have to do that!
The Mid-Atlantic Foodie says
January 27, 2015 at 11:21 amYou can never go wrong with BBQ chicken pizza. It’s almost always perfect, as are chicken fajitas. I like you can’t stand pre-cooked chicken. There’s something about it that just isn’t right… Of course with 4 children I’ll use it in a pinch, but I have to be in a serious bind. Hahaha.
coolchillmom says
January 27, 2015 at 12:59 pmI will definitely give your chicken BBQ pizza recipe good use! You have great chicken recipes here! thanks for sharing
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
January 27, 2015 at 2:12 pmChicken is a hit around here. We buy whole chickens from the farmers and then I roast it. We’ll eat roasted chicken , then the rest of the chicken goes for other meals. Then, I’ll boil the bones and fat/skin for homemade chicken stock. I always get as much as I can out of the food I buy.
Angela says
January 27, 2015 at 2:19 pmGreat idea! I like cooking meals ahead. In fact, I spent the whole morning making freezer meals.
Tough Cookie Mommy says
January 27, 2015 at 5:34 pmThis looks so good. Pizza and chicken are my favorite foods so this is truly a food match made in heaven.
Rosey says
January 27, 2015 at 9:10 pmI buy pre-cooked chicken once in a blue moon. Like you though, I’d much rather get it fresh, my pick.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
January 27, 2015 at 10:53 pmWhat great options. I so need to do this, my weeks tend to get so busy – make in bulk and re-use in different recipes. Great idea!
Marielle Altenor says
January 28, 2015 at 12:00 amI so need to start meal planning. Those recipe ideas are very simple and easy to make. It would save on time and on money for sure! Love it!
Jason says
January 28, 2015 at 6:36 amThere’s a paleo book, Well Fed, as well as a blog, that has a lot of precooked meat ideas. She uses chicken and ground beef and mixes other vegetables and spices to make different types of meals. I bet you can find it down at Mom’s. 🙂
Chrissy Mazzocchi says
January 28, 2015 at 11:23 amThis is a great idea, I’ve thrown away meat this week too because I didn’t use it in time.
Babita says
January 28, 2015 at 1:54 pmI pre-cook chicken in the oven and freeze it. I like using them in salads and wrap. Of course the favorite in our house is the Fajita.
Krystal says
January 28, 2015 at 3:43 pmThat is such a smart idea. I am trying to get better about meal planning!
LaVerne Reese says
October 12, 2018 at 11:11 amDo you cover the chicken when you put it in the oven?
Jaime says
October 12, 2018 at 11:14 amI don’t. And depending on how thick the chicken breasts are, the chicken may not be 100% cooked, but I’m cooking it in other recipes later in the week.
Polly says
March 24, 2019 at 3:21 pmJaime, thank you for sharing this! I have made this so many times. Everyone that tries it, loves it!