Meals in a Jar (26 page)

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 12 Mylar bags, vacuum bags, or tote bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch chicken in tomato sauce

• 1 sidekit Polenta (
page 121
), Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
), Buttered Noodles (
page 120
), or Rice (
page 120
)

Label each bag:

Prepare the polenta, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice according to package directions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the spicy braised chicken until heated through. Serve over or with sidekit. Serves 6 to 8
.

Classic Chicken and Vegetables 10 Ways

Did you ever notice how many recipes start with chicken, onion, celery, and carrots in chicken stock? You can go dozens of ways with this flexible beginning. Our approach here is to create a great flavor base by partially browning the chicken to start. Be sure to taste your chicken stock and make sure it has great flavor, but isn’t too salty. Once we’ve canned the chicken and vegetables, we can thicken the chicken stock with a butter and flour roux to make a creamy gravy. This is delicious served over biscuits, or tucked into a flakey pie crust for chicken pot pie, or simmered with oh-so-tender dumplings. This recipe, more than any other, tastes like home to me.

Makes 16 (8-serving) meals, in 12 different varieties

Ingredients

16 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)

olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups chicken soup base or bouillon granules, divided

24 cups (6 quarts) of water

16 onions, chopped

12 ribs celery, chopped

12 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cups butter-flavored vegetable shortening or 4 cups ghee packaged in quarter-pint jars or pouches

4 cups flour

5-1/3 cups dry milk

Instructions

For chicken stew mix: Working in batches, chop the chicken into chunks and season with salt and pepper. Coat a large skillet with oil and brown the chicken on all sides (it needn’t be cooked through, just browned). Mix the soup base or bouillon and the water. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and add them back into the soup mixture. Using a canning funnel, fill 16 sterilized quart-size jars or pouches each with 2 cups of chicken, 1 cup onions, and 3/4 cup each of celery and carrots. Fill with soup base liquid, leaving abundant headspace (1 to 2 inches). Wipe the rims or edges to be sealed, add the lids and rims, or heat-seal the pouches. Pressure-can for 90 minutes.

For thickener: In each of 16 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1/4 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening or one 1/4-pint ghee

• 1/4 cup flour in a zip-top bag

For gravy mix: In each of 16 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1/3 cup dry milk

• 1 tablespoon chicken soup base or bouillon granules

Chicken and Dumplings Ready-Made Meal Assembly (serves 8)

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch chicken stew mix

• 1 packet thickener

• 1 packet gravy

• 1 sidekit Biscuit Mix (
page 126
)

Label each bag:

In a large saucepan, melt together the flour and shortening or ghee from the thickener packet, and stir and cook for 3 minutes to make a roux. Open the chicken and drain the liquid into a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl. Stir in the gravy mix and enough water to equal about 4 cups. Add the gravy mix liquid to the roux. Over medium-high heat, stir and cook until thickened. Stir in the chicken and vegetables, and cook until heated through. Meanwhile, mix the biscuit dough, but instead of baking as directed, roll out the dough until 1/4 inch thick, then cut into 1-inch squares. Drop the squares into the chicken mixture, press gently and quickly to submerge, and cover tightly to steam the dumplings. Cook for about 10 minutes and taste a dumpling to be sure it is cooked through. If it is, serve; if not cook 5 minutes more. Serves 8
.

Chicken Pot Pie Ready-Made Meal Assembly (serves 8)

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch chicken stew mix

• 1 packet thickener

• 1 packet gravy mix

• 1 Pie Crust Sidekit (
page 127
)

Label each bag:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan, melt together the flour and shortening or ghee from the thickener packet, and stir and cook for 3 minutes to make a roux. Open the chicken and drain the liquid into a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl. Stir in the gravy mix and enough water to equal 4 cups. Add the gravy mix liquid to the roux. Over medium-high heat, stir and cook until thickened. Stir in the chicken and vegetables, and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat. Prepare the pie crust according to the package directions. Transfer the chicken filling to one 9 x 13-inch baking dish or multiple smaller dishes. Roll out the pie crust and use it to top the dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8
.

Chicken Shepherd’s Pie Ready-Made Meal Assembly (serves 8)

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 jar or pouch chicken stew mix

• 1 packet thickener

• 1 packet gravy mix

• 1 sidekit Mashed Potatoes (
page 122
)

• 1 vacuum bag containing 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Label each bag:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt together the flour and shortening or ghee from the thickener packet, and stir and cook for 3 minutes to make a roux. Open the chicken and drain the liquid into a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl. Stir in the gravy mix and enough water to equal 4 cups. Add the gravy mix liquid to the roux. Over medium-high heat, stir and cook until thickened. Stir in the chicken and vegetables, and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to the package directions and stir in the garlic-Parmesan mixture. Transfer the filling to one 9 x 13-inch baking dish or multiple smaller dishes, and top with mashed potato, spreading to cover. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8
.