Christina Tosch - The Big Freeze: Stock-Up on Essential Easy Freezer-Friendly Main Meals

No need to venture outdoors for take-out when you can fake it with this rich and fruity orange chicken. Serve on the bed of rice with steamed veggies for a full-on Asian meal in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Servings:

Cooking Time: 40mins

Ingredients:

• cup all-purpose flour
• 2 medium-size eggs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 4 skinless chicken breasts (cut into average bite-size pieces)
• cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root
• 1 clove of garlic (peeled and minced)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Preheat the main oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.

2. Add the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to 3 separate bowls. Gently whisk the eggs.

3. Next, dip each piece of chicken first in the flour then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. The chicken should be evenly coated.

4. Then, arrange the chicken pieces on the baking sheet.

5. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until it registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

6. To prepare the orange sauce: Over moderate to high heat and in a small pan, heat the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.

7. In a small-size bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water, whisking until a smooth slurry.

8. Add the slurry to the pan and bring to boil until the sauce thickens. Lastly, pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

For easy freezing: Completely cool the cooked chicken. When cool, place in a ziplock bag. Add the uncooked orange sauce to a second smaller ziplock bag. Place both bags in the freezer.

To cook from frozen: Bake the chicken on a parchment paper at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until heated through. Add the bag of sauce to a bowl of hot water to quickly thaw. Pour the sauce into a pan and bring to boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.