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Not all mega cooking means cooking tons on a single day.  Some recipes are as easy as buying a bunch at once and repackaging and labeling for specific meals.  These chicken dinners are that type.  Use heavy freezer bags and label.  If a recipe calls for grated cheese, grate for all the recipes at once and put them in bags and attach to the bag of chicken for that recipe.  I have to label the cans needed for recipes as well, or put them ion a special designated shelf or my creative children will use the planned ingredients for a different spur-of-the-moment dish.  With very few steps you can have several dishes planned and ready for a quick just-toss-together.  It makes dinner preparation easier, especially when you have children learning how to cook.

These recipes serve a dozen people.  So if your family is smaller...you'll get just that many more dishes for your freezer!  I like to spend a day doing the chicken and vegetarian dishes and another doing the beef dishes.  When I'm done my Month's Worth usually turns into six weeks worth of planned dishes.  It costs up front to buy that much groceries but it saves both money and time over the next several weeks.

CRISPY CHICKEN

4 ½ cups crisp rice cereal, coarsely crushed
6 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¾ cup butter
12 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

In a shallow bowl, combine cereal, flour and seasonings.  Place butter in another bowl.  Dip chicken in butter, then into cereal mixture.  Place in a greased baking pan.  Drizzle with remaining butter.  Bake, uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

LEMON CHICKEN

3 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons salt
3/8 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup lemon juice
3 pounds chicken, pieces
3 cups rice, uncooked

Mix all the spices and lemon juice in a bag.  Add chicken pieces and freeze.  When thawed, preheat oven to 450.  Arrange chicken skin-side down in a baking dish treated with nonstick spray.  Pour liquid over chicken.  Bake 20 minutes.  Turn chicken over, baste it.  Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until chicken is tender and no longer pink when cut along the bone.  Prepare rice according to package.  Serve chicken over rice.

Fuss-Free Chicken Potpie Casserole
from Working Mom's Fast & Easy Kid-Friendly Meals by Elise Griffith

3 cups diced cooked chicken breast
2 cans (15 oz ea.) mixed vegetables, drained
2 cans (10 3/4 oz ea.) cream of something soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
cooking oil spray
4 cans crescent rolls

Above quantity makes TWO cassroles.  The directions below is for ONE.
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Place the chicken, mixed vegetables, soup, and cheese in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
3.  Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dishes with cooking oil spray.  Open 1 can crescent rolls, unroll dough sheet, do not separate the rolls, and press into bottom of baking dish.  Spoon meat and vegetable mixture onto the dough and spread evenly.
4.  Open remaining can of dough, unroll, place ontop of meat and vegetable mixture, and press.  Pinch edgesof dough to seal.
5.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until dough is cooked and filling is bubbly.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole
also perfect for left-over Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy!

Stove Top Stuffing, prepared as desired
4 cans cream of something soup
6 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 pkg. small frozen peas
4 T. minced onion
2 cups milk or sour cream
grated cheese as desired

Combine chicken, peas and minced onions.  Mix soup with sour cream or milk.  Layer stuffing, chicken mix, soup mix and cheese.  Bake at 350-375 for about 30 minutes.

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