BBQ Chicken Bowls ala Sous Vide

I don't know if your kids are like mine but both boys hate cafeteria food. I don't think they've eaten the food at school since Kindergarten. Now with two high schoolers the beginning of the school year means meal prep!


Best Gadget to help with meal prep? The Sous Vide Machine!

The Sous Vide (pronounced Sue-VIED) is a precision cooker, meaning it cooks food to a precise temperature and keeps it there. Restaurants have used these for years, cooking to a temperature then finishing the item on the grill etc.

I use the Magic Mill Sous Vide Machine. 

Yes, this is another machine for the kitchen but,

There are benefits to cooking in a water bath.

Food is cooked evenly to a precise temperature, it does not require babysitting.
Food is cooked in its own juices staying tender and moist.
Less waste as food does not dry out and lose volume when cooking.

Here's my Sous Vide recipe for BBQ Chicken Bowls

1lb chicken
Rufus Teague Rub
Vacuum seal bag - another gadget I love, my Foodsaver Vacuum Sealer

Rub the chicken with Rufus Teague 

This stuff is awesome!

Place in Vacuum seal bag.
Vacuum out all the air.

Cook the chicken in a water bath at 140 degrees for 2 hours. The reason you vacuum seal is to keep all the air out of the bag helping it submerge in the water. If you don't vacuum seal you can always weight down the chicken in the bag with an item from the kitchen.

Chicken can be used immediately or transferred to the refrigerator already sealed in the bag.

As needed (each of the boys' lunches take a full chicken breast) grill the already cooked chicken in a cast iron skillet for grill marks or pan sear for texture. Don't cook too long as the water bath already cooked it.

My additions:

Vacuum Sealed Chicken

Green Beans
1 cup green beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce

1. Brown garlic in olive oil.

2. Add green beans, sauce for 3 minutes.

3. Add soy sauce saute for 2 more minutes.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup long grain rice

Pan Seared Chicken Breast

1/2 lime juiced

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cook rice according to package.

2. Combine rice, lime juice, cilantro a touch of olive oil.

Layer rice with chicken finishing with green beans.

The perfect thermos meal for school!

With just a little chicken left, I sautéed the chicken with some Texas Pete Wing Sauce. In a large flour tortilla, I added Spring Mix, chicken, Ranch Dressing and shredded cheddar for Buffalo Chicken Wraps.

Coming up next Sous Vide Beef for Steak Fajita Thermos Lunches!

This is another version of the Sous Vide. Food is placed in a container, the cooker inserted for even cooking. This is beneficial for large groups of food, some even fill coolers with water using this type of cooker.

WTF - Tater Tot Bombs

I thought I would share my recipe this morning of Tater Tot Bombs, easy to do and feeds a crowd of teenage boys.

Ingredients:
Tater Tots or Potato Rounds
Bacon
Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook bacon, getting burnt several times by popping water. Boys walk through the kitchen and bacon is gone, cook other half of the pound of bacon. Hide bacon from boys.

2.  In a panini press or cast iron skillet or frying pan, put the potato rounds together. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes, press down with the top of the press or lid or plate so they mash together. If cooking in a skillet turn them over to brown the other side.

3. Once one layer of crowns is done, remove and make a second layer. Hide cooked tater tots from boys as this will disappear very quickly.

4. Once second layer of crowns is done, find cooked bacon (eat a piece or two, you have plenty) layer the bacon on top of the cooked "cake" of potato rounds. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Place first layer of crowns on top and cook on low for another 10 minutes melting the cheese and browning the potatoes.

5. Place on a cutting board and cut into even pieces, hiding one for yourself in the dishwasher, they'll never look in there.

You can put your own take on this bomb by adding:
granny smith apples and pepper jack cheese
Sausage and cheddar cheese
Ham and swiss cheese

Any two ingredients will do!

Bon appetite!