Can I cook chicken saltimbocca and then freeze it? What's the best way to thaw and reheat?

I want to make chicken saltimbocca for a friend who is about to have surgery and needs some easy freezer meals. This is her favorite meal. I want to make it as easy as possible for her and cook it ahead of time so all she'll have to do is heat it up. Do you think I can cook the chicken and then freeze it? If so, how do you recommend she heat it up so it doesn't dry out?

dazeyduke
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4 Comments

dazeyduke March 27, 2013
Thanks, Antonia. I'll try that. Great idea with the orzo.
 
AntoniaJames March 27, 2013
Your on the right track! Slightly undercook the chicken and make extra sauce! You'll want to cover the breasts entirely in sauce when you freeze them. That will keep them from drying out. And yes, she should defrost in the fridge -- it should take about a day -- and then take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before putting into the oven. Then she should cook them, tightly covered, in the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes (depending on how cold they are when they go in, her oven temperature reliability, etc.). I'd reheat with the sauce, covered, from the get-go. I think they'll hold up better. They won't be exactly the same as if you had made them fresh, but they'll still taste pretty good. And how about making some orzo to go with it? Freeze it tightly packed into a small container, which you then cover (inside, right on top) with a piece of plastic wrap before putting the lid on. The extra layer will help prevent freezer burn. She should defrost the same way she defrosts the chicken, and then reheat in the microwave. It will freeze fine, and will be good for soaking up the sauce. Or, she can get some par-baked artisan bread (or you can get it for her!), cut into meal-appropriate portions and wrapped first in foil and then tightly wrapped in plastic. That could be defrosted in the fridge, too, and then baked in the foil at the same time. This is such a nice thing to do for your friend! ;o) P.S. The sage might lose some of its flavor when frozen, so use a bit extra.
 
dazeyduke March 26, 2013
I was going to top chicken breasts with sage and prosciutto, dust with flour and pan fry. Then make a simple lemon, wine, butter and stock pan sauce and freeze the chicken with the sauce. I was thinking I might make extra sauce to freeze separately in case the chicken dried out when I froze it. Do you think she could then defrost both in the refrigerator and heat, covered in a 325* or so oven for 15-20 minutes and top with the extra sauce after it's heated? I've never had great success with frozen meals so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
AntoniaJames March 26, 2013
What recipe will you be using? There seem to be a lot of different ways that people make it these days. You might be able to make some of them work. (Others, I'm not so sure about.) If you can let us know the basic ingredients and how you usually prepare the dish, I'll try to provide a helpful answer. ;o)
 
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