Meal Prep Made Easy with Bulk Chicken
How do YOU do meal prep? I’ve shared a little about my strategies recently, and many of you messaged me for more tips and ideas. I’ll work on sharing some of those with you periodically. One of my favorite ways to prep is by buying bulk chicken and other meats.
I don’t know about you, but that crazy time between wrapping up homeschool {or afterschool} for the day and transitioning into the dinner hour is the point I have the most meltdowns… and so do my kids. ;)
Over the past few years I’ve gotten so much better about buying in bulk before I run out of things. And one of my favorite new discoveries has been Zaycon Foods.
You’ve seen a few posts here, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter about the chicken I recently tried. And, honestly, while I was given the opportunity to try a box of chicken in return for sharing my experiences with you, I’ll be watching the website for new events regularly.
The chicken is fantastic.
Zaycon Foods offers bulk deals, straight from the farm and processor, directly to your car. Really! When there is an event in your area – for chicken, ham, bacon, ground beef, fruit, honey, whatever – you put your order in at their website, an email and a text reminder jogs your memory about pickup, you drive through at the location, and friendly Zaycon drivers check their list and loads your car for you.
It’s an AMAZING service for a mom with four little kiddos.
Zaycon chicken comes as large, butterflied, boneless, skinless breasts. They are boxed up, and separated into four smaller bags of about ten pounds each. That’s right – you get FORTY pounds of chicken in each box. Prices vary, depending on the event, but my chicken would have been a lot less than the boneless, skinless breasts at our local grocery store.
Processing & Storing Bulk Chicken
So, what did I do with 40 pounds of fresh chicken when I got home?
I enlisted the help of my bigger kids {who were fascinated by so much chicken in one place}, and the littles hung out with Daddy. We spread plastic on the table and pulled out one bag at a time, using 30 pounds.
The chicken was huge!
I trimmed the little bit of fat, tossed it into a stockpot, and cut the breasts into two or three small portions depending on their size. The kids helped put five in large freezer bags. We poured marinade into about two-thirds of the bags, and left the final third plain. Then, we labeled them, squeezed all the air out, and froze them.
We used:
- An organic teriyaki glaze {1/3 bottle per bag}
- Italian dressing {1/3 bottle per bag} and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- BBQ sauce {1/3 bottle per bag}
With the final 10 pounds, I cut the chicken into strips and froze them in two-cup portions. I’ll use these to make homemade chicken nuggets and strips, stir fry, and sandwiches.
The Taste
When I saw the size of the breasts, I was a little skeptical. These are HUGE, and I worried that they’d be tough or dry. On the contrary, this chicken has been some of the best I’ve ever tasted. In fact, the kids love it so much that they want chicken every night now. And, each time I tell them we’re having it for dinner, Trevor asks, “Is it Zaycon? Awesome!” Seriously… he could be a Zaycon spokesperson.
Finding Events in Your Area
If you’re interested in learning more about Zaycon Foods or finding an event in your area, check out their website. Create a free account and you’ll be notified anytime a new event in your area is opened. Zaycon Foods is expanding to offer more products in the future, so you’ll want to be notified as new bulk items are added – but for now… you need to try this chicken.
It will make your life so much easier.
I have 28 chicken dinners in my freezer. For the majority of them, I just need to pull out a bag, thaw it on the counter, then cook or grill it. Served with some steamed vegetables and biscuits, and dinner is ready in a flash.
If I’ve done my job well over the weekend, I can take all the meat out I need for the week and have it ready and thawing in the refrigerator for me. Now my prep is even easier.
How about you? Do you have some tips for prepping and storing meat in bulk?
