Combine shredded chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. This can be done ahead, and stored in the refrigerator and freezer.
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine shredded chicken mixture with 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese.
Spoon into tortillas and roll up.
Place in a greased 9 x 13″ pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter.
Add flour and cook on medium, stirring constantly.
Add chicken broth and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until thickened.
Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream and green chilis.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20-22 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
2.2.1
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Operation Dinner: How to Plan, Shop & Prep for Easy Family Meals. Available for $5.99 on Amazon. Includes over 75 recipes, free printables for creating your own Meal Planning Binder and more!
Having shredded chicken on hand in the freezer is one of my favorite tricks for making easy weeknight dinners of soup, casserole or sandwiches. I’ve shared several of my favorite shredded chicken recipes here on the blog, but so far I haven’t shared my chicken stock recipe! What an oversight!
While cooking your chicken for shredding, you can also make some of the best chicken stock in the world. Which makes for the best chicken noodle soup in the world. I think everyone needs to try this at least once. It may sound like a lot of effort, but if you’re cooking chicken anyway, it really isn’t too much work. And it’s oh, so worth it!
STEP 1: MAKE THE SHREDDED CHICKEN
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Having shredded chicken on hand in the freezer is a must-do for folks looking to save time in the kitchen. There are so many delicious ways to use it, and dinner gets done in a snap.
Convinced? Good. Now go get some chickens and let’s cook ‘em:
Ingredients:
1 3-4 lb chicken
1 onion, chopped into chunks
3 carrots, chopped into chunks
2 ribs celery, chopped into chunks
1 Tbs. whole peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 Tbs salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients in large stock pot and cover with water.
Cook covered until boiling.
Reduce heat to a gentle boil and continue cooking for 1 1/2-2 hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove meat and allow to cool, then freeze in meal size portions.
{I highly recommend cooking more than one chicken at a time so you can have plenty in your freezer. It keeps well in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.}
CHICKEN STOCK
From the above recipe, you’ll have a nice start on your chicken stock. Take a few extra steps for even more flavor:
Strain stock and remove all fat and remaining veggies.
Add chicken carcass back to pot, along with:
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbs. whole peppercorns
Cook covered on low for 4-5 hours. Remove from heat and allow stock to come to room temperature. Skim off fat.
Strain and freeze into meal size containers or use immediately to make chicken noodle soup!
Now as long as we’re going all out, we might as well do some homemade noodles too, doncha think? If you’ve ever wanted to try making your own noodles, then this recipe is the perfect opportunity. They are quite foolproof and really don’t need to look pretty. The biggest tip for success is to cut them as thin as humanly possible, because they will enlarge quite a bit when added to the soup.
You’d be surprised the difference a homemade noodle can make in a soup. And you’ll probably be surprised how easy they are to make. This noodle recipe can be used to make dumplings, ravioli, lasagna, you name it.
Knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth. You can use your stand mixer or bread machine on “Pizza Dough” cycle to do the work for you.
Roll out dough as thin as you can (1/8″ thickness is ideal).
Once dough is at desired thickness, roll it into a log.
Slice the log to make uniform noodles, ⅛-1/4″ wide.
Make sure all noodles are unrolled and allow to air dry thoroughly before cooking. Use a cookie rack for quicker drying time.
FOR THE SOUP:
Combine all ingredients in a stockpot.
Cook on low for 1-3 hours. Noodles should be soft and tender.
2.2.1
If you’re wondering how this soup holds up in the freezer, so am I. It never makes it to the freezer. One of these days I’ll make enough to set some aside as an experiment but for now, I’ll say it works well to make the chicken stock ahead and freeze it. From there you can make this soup fresh without too much effort!
Here’s a delicious way to use up shredded chicken. It’s a nice alternative to the typical pizza toppings. You can use your favorite pizza crust and sauce recipe, but you should really give mine a try – I’m telling you, it’s the best.
This is one of my go-to meals for using up the shredded chicken I keep in the freezer. If you need an easy, affordable and satisfying meal, this one fits the bill. My kids love that they each get their own ramekin cup so they don’t have to share
You can head over HERE to view my freezer recipe for shredded chicken, along with 40 recipes for using it in meals.
In a saucepan, combine flour and butter, stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed.
Slowly add heavy cream and chicken stock. Continue to cook and stir until thickened.
Add chicken, garlic, onion, potatoes, carrots and peas.
Cook on med-low, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Pour into individual ramekins or custard cups.
Slice biscuits into thin strips and weave on top of chicken mixture to make crust.
Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes
2.2.8
Operation Dinner: How to Plan, Shop & Prep for Easy Family Meals. Available for $5.99 on Amazon. Includes over 75 recipes, free printables for creating your own Meal Planning Binder and more!
This recipe is a favorite in my house. If you keep shredded chicken in your freezer like I do, it’ll whip up in just a few minutes! It’s good old fashioned comfort food, especially with a nice crusty loaf of bread.
I’m a sandwich girl. Always have been. I love me a good sandwich any time of the day.
This recipe was born from my sandwich-love and my need to find ways to use up the shredded chicken I keep in my freezer. It has a nice little kick with the addition of a little hot sauce and garlic powder. Find the right loaf of bread and you’ve got yourself a family favorite – guaranteed!
Shredded chicken is a great thing to have on hand. It keeps well in the freezer, it’s easy to defrost and it’s a huge time saver. We use it to create easy casseroles, soups and sandwiches like the ones I listed HERE. This recipe is a relatively new creation, and one of my favorites.
STEP 1: MAKE THE SHREDDED CHICKEN
