Creamy Tuscan Chicken | Future Meals for Me

Series One

This creamy Tuscan chicken is one of the five base recipes in Series One of Future Meals for Me, my freezer-friendly meal prep framework designed to help you cook once and eat well all month.

This is the dish I turn to when I want dinner to feel comforting, generous, and a little bit indulgent, without actually cooking from scratch. It’s familiar and crowd-pleasing, but this version has been designed specifically for the freezer, so it reheats beautifully and stays just as satisfying weeks later.

If you’re new here, Future Meals for Me isn’t about rigid meal plans or eating the same thing on repeat. It’s a system built around a small number of versatile base recipes that can be paired with simple additions like pasta, potatoes, rice, or greens depending on what you feel like that night.

You can read the full framework and download the shopping list, Sunday prep guide, and remix guide here:
Future Meals for Me, Series One Framework

Why This Recipe Works So Well for Freezing

Creamy dishes often get a bad reputation when it comes to freezing, but when they’re built properly, they can be some of the most reliable freezer meals.

This creamy Tuscan chicken works because:

• the sauce is rich but balanced, not overly heavy

• the chicken is cooked gently in the sauce, which keeps it tender

• the fat in the sauce protects the protein from drying out

The result is a dish that reheats smoothly without splitting or turning grainy and tastes just as good on night five as it does on night one.

The Flavours

This dish is all about comfort without heaviness.

Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, and wilted spinach run all the way through the sauce, giving it depth and brightness at the same time. It’s creamy, but not cloying. Rich, but still fresh.

It’s the kind of flavour profile that works beautifully across different meals, which is exactly what you want in a base recipe.

How I Use This During the Week

Once this is cooked and frozen in portions, dinner becomes very simple.

Some of my favourite ways to serve it:

• tossed through pasta, with extra spinach added on the night

• spooned generously over a jacket potato (my absolute favourite)

• with rice and greens for a cosy but balanced bowl

• loosened with a little stock to make a brothy Tuscan-style soup

Same base. Different dinners. No boredom.

Where This Fits in the Future Meals for Me System

This creamy Tuscan chicken is one of the five hero meals in Series One.

Each hero meal:

• makes around six portions

• is freezer-friendly

• is designed to be paired with fresh additions cooked on the night

I recommend cooking this recipe as part of the full Series One prep day so you can take advantage of the shopping list, freezer grid, and remix guide.

You can find the full system here:
Future Meals for Me, Series One Framework

This is meal prep designed for real life.

Frequently asked questions

• Does creamy Tuscan chicken freeze well?

  Yes. Creamy chicken dishes freeze well when the sauce is balanced and reheated gently. The sauce protects the chicken and helps it stay tender after freezing.

• Will the cream sauce split when reheated?

  No, as long as you reheat gently over low heat and stir occasionally. Adding a splash of stock or water helps bring the sauce back together if needed.

• How long does creamy chicken last in the freezer?

  When stored in airtight containers, this creamy Tuscan chicken will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

• Is this recipe good for meal prep?

  Absolutely. This recipe was designed specifically for freezer meal prep as part of the Future Meals for Me framework. It reheats beautifully and can be remixed into multiple dinners throughout the month.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Makes 6 serves

Protein or serve 130g-150g raw beef

Ingredients

• 900g chicken thighs or breasts, cut into large pieces

• Olive oil

• Salt and cracked black pepper

Sauce

• 1 onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1 cup thickened cream

• Zest and juice of ½ lemon

• 1 tsp dried oregano or Italian herbs

• ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  

To Finish

• 2 cups baby spinach

• Extra cracked black pepper

Method

1. Brown the chicken
   Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pan and brown the chicken on both sides until golden. Remove and set aside.

2. Build the base
   In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed. Cook the onion until soft.

3. Add flavour
   Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavour.

4. Make the sauce
   Add chicken stock, cream, lemon zest, oregano, and chilli flakes (if using). Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. Simmer gently
   Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer on low for 12–15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

6. Finish with spinach
   Stir through the spinach until just wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

7. Cool & portion
   Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before portioning into containers.
   

Recipe Notes

Freezer Instructions

• Portion chicken with sauce into 6 containers

• Freeze once fully cooled

• Store for up to 3 months

Defrosting & Reheating

• Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently

• Or reheat straight from frozen on low heat

• Add a splash of stock if needed to loosen the sauce
  
  Keeping the chicken in a creamy sauce is what prevents it from drying out after freezing.