The other night I realized I was getting low on lunches in the freezer, so I decided to do some marathon cooking. First I poached two big boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a big skillet. Once they were cooked, I shredded the meat and split it into three piles. I used the poaching liquid (and the pan I cooked the chicken in) to make cheesy enchilada flavored rice with onions and peppers. In another skillet, I made fried rice with broccoli. While the rice dishes were cooking, I took one third of the chicken and made chicken salad. (My secret is to use equal amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise.) When the rice dishes were done, I put the cooked chicken in them. I split both dishes up into freezer containers, made up two sandwiches for me and Michael’s lunch, and put the bowl and two skillets in the sink to soak. In about an hour, I had 8 lunch portions in the freezer and two yummy sandwiches.

People at work always say they don’t have time to pack their lunch. They are always impressed with my homemade soups and fresh sandwiches. (Regarding my leftover roast chicken sandwich: “Is that from Arby’s?”. Um, no, it’s from Samaree’s.) If you take an hour or so once a week, you can cook and freeze an array of food that will keep you within budget, is healthier than fast food and tastes a heck of a lot better.