Make Ahead Chicken Bake Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness or less.
• Place beaten egg in a bowl. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in another bowl. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Let cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Freeze in a 1-gallon resealable bag with smaller bags of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat chicken at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until heated through and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Top chicken with tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, an additional 3 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, broccoli, soup, milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper and mushroom mixture; transfer to a greased 13-in x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until stuffing is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with cheese, chow mein noodles and almonds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and cheese is bubbly.

SLOW-COOKER MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN

Steps:

• Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix oil, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat.
• Add chicken to slow cooker; pour 1/4 cup water over chicken. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and easy to shred.
• Transfer chicken to cutting board; cool slightly. Shred chicken, then toss with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard remaining liquid.
• To Freeze: Divide chicken into 2 portions (about 2 cups each). Place each portion in freezer container or resealable freezer plastic bag. Label with date. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 1 hour. Transfer to freezer; freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight or until completely thawed. Use in recipes calling for cooked chicken.
• To Make in Oven: Heat oven to 425°F. Place rack in large rimmed sheet pan. Spray rack and pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix oil, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat. Place in single layer on rack in pan. Roast 33 to 38 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of largest thigh reads 180°F and meat is tender enough to shred. Remove from oven; let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Toss shredded chicken in pan liquid to coat.

MAKE-AHEAD CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Whisk egg yolks, mayonnaise, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add chicken and turn several times with tongs until evenly coated.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add panko and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to get around the edges to incorporate darker breadcrumbs, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then stir in mustard powder, if using.
• Using tongs, place a cutlet in skillet. Pat surrounding toasted panko onto cutlet with one of your hands, pressing firmly to adhere. Turn and repeat on the other side with more breadcrumbs. Lightly shake off excess breadcrumbs. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet (if you are making these ahead and freezing, skip wire rack and place directly on a baking sheet). Repeat with remaining cutlets, spacing evenly apart on baking sheet. Discard any remaining panko. At this point, breaded cutlets can be frozen up to 3 months. Freeze chicken on baking sheets until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to resealable freezer bags or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between cutlets.
• Preheat oven to 450°F and bake cutlets until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a knife, 10-12 minutes. If cutlets are frozen, they will take a little longer, 14-16 minutes. You can also bake chicken 1 or 2 at a time in a toaster oven at 450°F. Bake directly on rack, 12-14 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN & RICE BAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• In a skillet, melt butter, and cook onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until tender.
• Transfer to a 9" x 13" (23 cm x 33 cm) disposable casserole dish, or split among 2 smaller dishes.
• Add chicken, rice, soup, stock, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly, and cover with foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with bread crumbs if desired, and bake an additional 10 minutes. Or, bake for 30 minutes, let cool completely, cover, and freeze up to 2 months.
• To reheat, let thaw in the refrigerator during the day. Bake as directed above.
• Enjoy!

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Whisk condensed soup, sour cream, milk, and mayonnaise together in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved Cheddar-Parmesan mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables and stir to combine the sauce.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Add cooked rice as the bottom layer. Add cooked broccoli as the next layer, and then layer on the cooked chicken. Cover with remaining sauce. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar-Parmesan mixture, plus extra Parmesan if desired, and continue to bake until browned, about 15 minutes more.

MAKE -AHEAD CHICKEN (OR TURKEY) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add rice,and cook on low till liquid is absorbed - about 20 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled or sprayed 4-quart casserole.
• While rice is cooking, make Parmesan Cheese sauce and set aside.
• Preheat oven to *350. In a skillet melt butter. Add the mushrooms.bell pepper,onion,and almonds. Saute until soft-about 5 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and basil.Add to the rice in the casserole along with the chicken and Parmesan Cheese sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake,covered, until bubbly - about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
• PARMESAN CHEESE SAUCE.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter or margarine.Add flour and salt and stir until blended. Add broth and stir until slightly thickened. Add milk,wine and Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth and flavors are blended - about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

MAKE-AHEAD CRISPY CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Spray large rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Transfer to shallow bowl.
• Between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, place each chicken breast; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. Season chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
• In shallow pan, stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In shallow bowl, mix eggs and water with whisk. Coat both sides of chicken with flour mixture. Dip chicken into beaten eggs; turn to coat. Dredge in browned bread crumbs, coating completely. If there are any bread crumbs left in bowl, pat them on top of chicken breasts to cover any bare spots.
• Place chicken breasts on cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).
• To freeze: Arrange unbaked breaded chicken breasts on two large cookie sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; freeze 3 to 4 hours or until frozen solid. Wrap each breast in plastic wrap, and store together in 2-quart freezer bag up to 1 month. To bake: Heat oven to 450°F. Place desired number of frozen breaded chicken breasts in 1 layer on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn over; bake 8 to 10 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).

MAKE AHEAD MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Mix together buttermilk with mustard, honey and seasonings.
• Place chicken breasts in a freezer bag.
• Pour marinade over chicken breasts.
• Freeze.
• On serving day thaw chicken, discarding marinade.
• Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear.

MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER-TO-OVEN CHICKEN PACKETS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients in a very large bowl until the meat is well-coated in a uniform sauce.
• Place a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil on your work surface; top with a 12-inch piece of parchment paper. Spoon a quarter of the chicken mixture into the middle of the parchment paper.
• Fold the long sides so they meet in the middle of the packet, then crimp these long edges together to make a tight seal, using the foil to catch and hold the waggly parchment paper in the seam. Roll both of the ends of the packet to seal as well. continue to make 3 more packets.
• Set the packets on a large baking sheet and freeze for at least 24 hours. Remove the sheet and stack the packets flat in the freezer.
• To bake, position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
• Place 1 or more of the packets straight from the freezer on a large lipped baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until hot and steamy inside. Cool for 10 minutes before opening and serving.