Now, here's the fun part: I want to hear your favorite Freezer Meal Recipe (anything that can be prepared and frozen for later use). It doesn't have to be your original recipe, just something that is sure to please the family!
This giveaway is now closed. We have a winner!
JohnsonFamily who said...
"This isn't really recipe, but whenever I got to Sam's I buy their rotisserie chicken. Usually I will pick up a few. I will debone them and then freeze it for a quick grab to toss in salads soups, enchildas...etc."
Good tip, we'll take it! Send me an email within 2 days with your mailing address to get your prize. If there's no response, we'll pick another winner.
Cranberry Apricot Chicken
(great dish for guests!)
Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken (raw, any kind)
1 can whole cranberry sauce (not just for Thanksgiving!:))
1/2 apricot preserves
1 C. french or catalina dressing
1 pkg. onion soup mix
Gallon Ziploc Freezer Bag
Directions:
Put all ingredients except chicken in ziploc freezer bag and squash and mash to mix (this the the kids' favorite part!). Add chicken and mix well. Pour into 9 x 13 greased pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes and serve over rice. If are preparing this for later use, simply put ziploc bag with the sauce and chicken directly in the freezer, defrost when ready to use and bake as directed above.
Video Tutorial and tips:
Kalua Pork
(yes, I know it's traditionally made w/ a pork shoulder, but we really like it this way:))
Ingredients:
Large Pork Loin (around 8 lbs., about $1.58 per lb. at Sams)
coarse Kosher Salt
liquid smoke (in the spice aisle)
Sandwich rolls, any kind
Plastic Wrap
Aluminum Foil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Cut pork loin in half. Lay out two large sheets of aluminum foil. Lay two large sheets of plastic wrap on top of foil. Place half of pork loin on the plastic wrap (this keeps the moisture in! It's an amazing slow-roasting secret!:)). Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and liquid smoke, rub all over pork loin. Wrap up plastic wrap tightly around pork loin and then wrap with aluminum foil. Place in large roasting pan. Repeat with other loin half. Bake at 225 degrees 7-10 hrs. until done. Serve with soft rolls, cheese, bbq sauce, whatever your family likes. YUM!
Video Tutorial and tips:
Crab-Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
Large Pork Loin (around 8 lbs., about $1.58 per lb. at Sams), cut into just under 1" slices--the butcher at Sams Club can do this for you. You'll get about 18 slices.
1 lb. lump imitation crab meat
1 1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup french dressing
Marinade Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. garlic
dash red pepper flakes
dash black pepper
3 Tbsp. tomato sauce (or ketchup if you're in a pinch)
Directions:
Place all marinade ingredients in a gallon Ziploc Freezer bag and mix well. Slide through side of pork loin to make a pocket (see video tutorial). Mix crab meat, bread crumbs, crushed pineapple, and french dressing in a medium bowl. Stuff about 2-3 heaping tablespoons crab mixture into pork loin pocket and place in marinade bag. Repeat with all pork loin pieces (you can fit about 6 in a bag). Place directly in freezer. When ready to cook, defrost and grill 7-10 minutes on each side.
Video Tutorial and tips:
Can't wait to hear your favorite freezer recipes! Good luck and happy cooking!
299 comments:
i have to go with perogies! so easy coming out directly from the freezer. I use them all the time for lunches for my daughter to bring to school in her thermos.
This isn't an entire meal, but it defintely counts as a freezer food. I love to freeze leftovers of taco meat. We use it in nachos, tacos (duh), mix it into macaroni-n-cheese, and tons of other things. So when I've made too much (or someone doesn't show up for dinner when I've been expecting them), I just freeze the leftovers for a quick dinner later.
Oh cool....it was great to actually "see" you and hear your voice. Neat team up with Sam's!
Since I won the chocolate sauce (yay!), don't enter me in this giveaway...I just wanted to say hi! :)
My favorite freezer meal by far is my lasagna.
http://kevnkoi.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-chock-full-of-veggies-lasagna-and.html
Mmm, now you're making me wish I had one to pull out of the freezer right now! ;)
the thing I do the most is chop veggies up and freeze for later use....red peppers, green peppers, onions, anything!
Also, chicken breast cubed.
My fav is Grammy's Lasagna. It takes all day to make the sauce (what true Italian recipe wouldn't?) so when I do it I make 2or 3 and freeze them for a busy day. It is your original lasagna with Marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, parm, mozerella and noodles. Of course the sauce makes it. Ground beef or Homemade meatballs can be added. Mushrooms are a good choice. I never make it the same as I did the last time.
The EASIEST BBQ PULLED "PORK" SANDWICHES you'll ever make. We don't have Sam's Club, but we have Costco, which is similar. They have a huge can of cubed roast beef. If you buy this, drain, pour entire meat contents into the crock pot, and add an entire large bottle of BBQ sauce tot he crock pot as well....Simmer on low for 2 or 3 hours...then break up with a fork. It tastes just like BBQ Pulled Pork. Heap a big spoonful onto your favorite crusty bread, and enjoy!! All leftovers freeze well!
My favorite home-made freezer dinner is calzones. I use my favorite pizza dough recipe, and stretch the dough into circles that are about 8" across. Then add favorite toppings, but no sauce, so they don't get soggy. Seal edges together and brush tops with butter. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or til done. Serve with sauce on the side. You can freeze these individually and just pop them in the microwave for a minute to start them thawing, and then transfer to the oven or toaster oven til they are hot.
I am queenesperfect at yahoo.com This is great for kids to help make. Mine love to break up the "trees" of broccoli.
1 lb strip steak, sliced in thin pieces
1 bunch of broccoli, flowerets cut in small pieces
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
Stir Fry Mixture:
2 c chicken broth
(3 T corn starch, ! c orange juice, 3 T sugar, 3
T soy sauce, 1 t ginger, " t garlic powder,
" t salt)
In large skillet, sauté broccoli and beef on
med-high for 2 min in 1 T oil. Cover and let
simmer for 5 min. Fold in water chestnuts. Pour
stir fry mixture over broccoli & beef and stir
constantly until thickened. Recover if needed to
cook broccoli longer.
Serve stir fry over steamed rice. Serve hot
rolls with butter.
it's all about the italian food. Prepare one large batch of spaghetti sauce using browned hamburger meat and you have, spaghetti, lasagna, mostacioli, among others. All of which can be frozen and served later. (The only one you don't want to freeze the noodles of is the spaghetti, but everything else can be thrown in the oven to bake)
Here is a link to my cooking blog with my family's favorite freezer meal: Taco Soup.
http://kissthegrits.blogspot.com/2009/02/taco-soup-for-freezer.html
Here is our favorite dessert that I make a huge batch of and freeze in small bags for a quick snack: Peanut Butter Bars
http://kissthegrits.blogspot.com/2009/02/peanut-butter-bars-and-some-to-freeze.html
My favorite freezer meal is Lasagna
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees .
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Now here is where I make mine different.....take 1 noodle lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with enough of the ricotta cheese mixture to cover noodle. Top with mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Now roll the noodle and insert a toothpick, now repeat with each of the remaining noodles, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Now you have 12 individual lasagnas that you can freeze in pairs or singles, great for a quick meal or to take one for lunch and heat it up in the microwave.
My absolute FAVOURITE freezer meal is Hamburger Tarts! They are amazing when they come out of the oven, great hot or cold, and reheat amazingly well from the freezer!
Here is the recipe:
18 slices white bread
1/2 cup butter or magarine (as needed)
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup diced onion
2 tsp. ketchup
3/4 cup shredded cheese (any type)
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
CUT crusts off each slice of bread. Butter one side of each slice then press buttered side down into muffin tins.
COMBINE all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Fill each bread slice with about 1/4 cup beef mixture.
BAKE 40 minutes at 350°F until mixture is browned on top and cooked through.
I freeze ALL my cookies, muffins, brownies, etc so they aren't on the counter with me chomping on them while my kids are at school. :) But my fave freezer meal is pot roast. I peel a bunch of potatoes, chop some onions, baby carrots, add beef broth and a pack of liption onion soup mix. Sams Roast is the best! Freeze it all, then in the morning before church or whatever, empty the freezer bag into the crock pot. So easy!
I just love soup out of the freezer. It's always better once it's been frozen. I make huge pots of soups and bag em up.
My soups: Now with this I just go what's on hand and don't go by measurements as much as taste.
*Hamburger meat-drained
*California style frozen vegetables
*any type frozen vegetables
*water
*can of diced tomatoes
*2 cans tomatoes sauce
*frozen or fresh okra
*1 onion
*teaspoon basil
*Salt & pepper
*add during the last 30 to 45 min of cooking 1 to 2 envelopes Lipton recipe secrets vegetable mix, just according to how big the pot is & your taste.
I’ll add any other left over vegetables I put in the freezer or left over "I even like to put squash in my soup sometimes".
1. Brown & drain hamburger meat
2. Add all vegetables that need to cook for awhile, with some water “not to much” just cook them soft.
3. Add tomatoes sauce
4. Lipton vegetable mix
Just let your taste guide you, sometimes my soup cooks for 2 to 3 hours.
Soup from the freezer provides the perfect meal on cold day or rainy ones with a sandwich or by itself yum.
Thanks & I hope everyone enjoys as much as my family.
I found this recipe @ http://organizedhome.com/freezer-cookbook-recipes-freezer-cooking
I AM going to try it. Yummy!
Cannelloni with Cheese Sauce
2 c marinara sauce
1⁄4 lb ground beef, browned
1⁄4 lb Italian sausage, browned
1 c onion, chopped and sauteed
6 cannelloni, large
1 c white sauce
6 oz cheddar cheese, grated
2 T parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
To make filling, combine browned beef, browned sausage, sauted onion and Marinara Sauce. Cook cannelloni as directed, but cook for only 3/4 recommended time; rinse and drain. Fill cannelloni with filling mixture and pack firmly into greased baking dish.
To make cheese sauce, warm White Sauce until nearly boiling; add grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Pour over cannelloni, coating pasta generously. Cool.
To freeze: cover baking dish with aluminum foil; place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To prepare: uncover and bake frozen casserole in 400-degree oven for 1 hour, or until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, return to oven for 5 minutes to brown top
A group of us have a freezer meal group and we just actually started a freezer meal blog. After searching and searching for freezer meals, I think we are actually the first blog to have only freezer meal recipes on it. To pick a favorite is hard. I love the chicken cordon blue bake, my kids love the pizza loaf & we all love the poppy seed chicken.
Check out our blog at NVFREEZERMEALS.BLOGSPOT.COM
I like making meatloaf to put in the freezer. It's an easy meal you can put in a disposable loaf pan and takes really no time at all to prep!
Here's my favorite meatloaf recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/meatloaf-recipe/index.html
I freeze ALOT!
Here is my FAV:
http://daysofdicarolis.blogspot.com/2009/01/weekly-wine-down-awesome-pantry.html
Mexican Lasagna
6 tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups rice
3 cups stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn
Tortilla chips
1 cup of meat- whatever you have. Cooked beef, cooked chicken, etc.
Layer a baking dish with 3 tortillas- cutting to fill spaces
Sprinkle 1 cup cheese
Layer last 3 tortillas on top of cheese- cutting to fill spaces
Saute onion, garlic and tomatos in EVOO.
Add uncooked rice and broth- brining to a boil and bringing down to a simmer.
In another pot- add your meat, taco seasoning and about 1/3 cup water- let simmer.
Layer the rice mixture on top of the tortilla.
Layer 1 cup cheese.
Layer tortilla chips- broken up.
Sprinkle corn.
Layer your meat.
Layer last cup of cheese.
Put in the fridge for 30 min - 1 hour.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
My children love this prepared on the bbq...but can also be done in the oven. When I buy my meat I prepare it all in Ziplok bags and freeze and all my main ingredient meals are ready. "YUMMY CHICKEN" 2 packages of boneless/skinless chicken breast (5-7 pieces) 1/2 cup soya sauce, 1/2 cup of canola oil, 4 tbsps of ketchup, 2 tbsps of vinegar, dash of garlic powder, pepper and salt. Massage it all together in the Ziplock bag. Freeze. When ready to use let thaw in the fridge over night so flavors can blend and absorb well. Cook on the bbq medium/high or bbq at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes...so good...there are never any leftovers.
lasagne or bbq pork out of the crockpot split
My camera just died and as a blogger that's a near death experience for me too!
So please enter my green chicken enchilada casserole recipe.
Boil chicken breasts with garlic, salt and pepper, then shred,
(Chicken can also be slow cooked in crock pot during the day IN the sauce!)
Fry 20-30 small corn tortillas
1 Can Green enchilada sauce
1/2 lb monterey jack or pepper cheese
Layer like a lasagna....
Cover and freeze BEFORE cooking!
Heat at 350 until cheese is bubbly
YUM!
yum, does this sound good!!
Honey Barbequed Ribs
(Dinner Is Ready page 71)
3 lbs boneless pork ribs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbl liquid smoke
Place pork ribs in bottom of slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours. Drain and discard liquid. Reduce heat to Low. In a bowl, combine garlic salt, pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Mix well. Pour over ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 3 hours. Remove from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Heat until hot throughout.
I must say that I really enjoyed this post. You have some fabulous ideas and I so need to do one of these swaps with my friends. Nice work.
a fellow Welcomitsa saying hello. :)
oh man I'm loving these recipes!
My favorite freezer meal is Taco Casserole:
In a 9x13 first pour some taco sauce and spread it, then lay tortillas lining the bottom, then spread refried beans over the tortillas, then spread shredded chicken over the beans, then spread a layer of salsa, then lots of cheddar cheese and top it off with a final layer of tortillas, cheese and taco sauce. Put it in the freezer - just thaw and bake it at 350 for 30 minutes - and add a side of chips and salsa or cornbread and enjoy!
www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com
I get frozen chicken breast and sautee it with frozen veggies and oil for a quick, easy meal.
txhottie_86 at yahoo dot com
I like to freeze Beef Oxtail Soup. I used to think it was so gross. When I married my husband, I tried it and loved it. It usually takes 2 dyas to make and makes a lot. It freezes well, so we usually freeze some for another night. Sometimes we freeze some for my father as well.
http://softiehappiness.blogspot.com/
one of my favorites is freezer pizza. no more ordering out!
http://cookbookjunkies.blogspot.com/2009/04/freezer-pizza.html
Mandy,
You did great on your video! I know how long those take to make, I always have to do so many retakes that my husband gives up! Great job!
My favorite freezer meal is a good baked ziti. It's a dinner that the whole family loves and a breeze to put together. Good luck everyone!
I love making chili in large batches to freeze for my hubby to eat when I have to work evenings.
One of our basic freezer meals is ground beef enchiladas--just they way my mom made them growing up:
1 lb. ground beef, cooked with taco seasoning
8 flour tortillas
1 big can enchilada sauce
about 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
olives for garnish
To make several, I buy one big package of beef at Sam's, the big bag of tortillas, and the big bag of cheese. These freeze really well in the foil pans.
Thanks for the chance to win!
I love freezer meals. It's great to read others ideas too!
One of our families favorite is Sloppy Joes. I like to puree vegetables like carrots and celery for added nutrition. You can find the recipe here...
http://www.kids-meal-ideas.com/how-to-make-sloppy-joes.html
Our favorite freezer meal is breakfast burritos. We always make a huge batch and wrap them individually in wax paper then put them in large freezer bags. My husband especially likes to keep some in the freezer at work because he can just heat one up and have a very hearty meal any time he wants one. We usually include breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, onions, cheese, and sour cream. We all love them.
Swedish Meatballs
Would love to win, don't have a camcorder.
Honey BBQ Ribs:
3 lbs boneless pork ribs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbl liquid smoke
Place pork ribs in bottom of slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours. Drain and discard liquid. Reduce heat to Low. In a bowl, combine garlic salt, pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Mix well. Pour over ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 3 hours. Remove from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Heat until hot throughout.
I TAKE 2 POUNDS OF GROND BEEF, GROUND TURKEY AND GROUND PORK AND I MIX THEM UP AND SEPARATE THEM INTO EQUQL PARTS AND NOW I HAVE READY MADE MIX FOR MEATLOAF, PASTA ETC.
snowyatnite@yahoo.com
I have the easiest meal that I double and freeze. Take a store bought rotiserie chicken, add 1 cup of BQ sauce, a splash of red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of water...easy peasy to freeze
i make and freeze lasagna
I like to make homemade soup and freeze leftovers.
I love making omelettes out of different leftovers...my two favorite are taco meat and spagettii meat sauce.
Goulash! I can make a big batch, when every thing is on sale, noodles, ground beef, ans spaghetti sauce. Put some paprika in it and your done. I put it in freezer bags, and when we don't feel like cooking, we get it out of the freezer, and microwave it, and it is good. Thanks
Spaghetti sauce, I make vats of it, it freezes so well
I love all the ideas that I'm getting from these comments. We'll spend every couple of weekends, cookings up a storm and freezing meals to last for quite awhile. My favorite is Lasagne or Stuffed shells. Close seconds are meatloaf and meatballs, which we use to make different meals with, like spagetti, sweedish meatballs, etc.
Thanks so much.
Well, considering that I just made it, I think it qualifies. I make turkey soup and freeze it. I just boil the turkey carcass in water all day and then strain the broth from the bones. I chill it overnight and skim the fat off. The next day, I saute onions, carrots and celery and add them and some sliced turkey to the boiling broth. Add some seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes till the flavors have some time to work together. If you add barley, cook a little longer.
Louisian Hash
2 lbs ground beef
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup rice, cooked
Brown beef, pepper, and onion until tender.
Combine mixture in baking bowl, cover, and bake until rice is tender.
Thanks!
1bmore @ gmail . com
I cook pot roast in the slow cooker then freeze half of it since I never eat it all at one time.
1lb roast
1 package McCormick beef stew seasoning
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 large potatoes chopped
1 package baby carrots
1 chopped onion
Clean and chop potato, carrots, onion.
Add roast to crock pot
Add pepper, sugar and hot sauce
Add mccormicks seasoning
Add potato, carrots, onion
Fill with water
Cook for 5 hrs on high
Serve and then freeze the rest
my favorie meal to freeze is lasagna.
lasagna
I freeze my famous meatballs for a quick-thaw dinner on a hectic night:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 Tbs. onion flakes
3/4 c. crushed croutons
salt & pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients on a bowl; I mix it with my hands. Roll into quarter-size balls. I cook mine on the stove-top so you have to rotate them to be sure all the sides are browned. Cool & freeze.
I love to freeze veggies i grow in my garden to use in the winter
Lasagna. I got the recipe from a box of Prince lasagna. I make a big pan and freeze half.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups (about 28-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
16 pieces (about 16 oz.) PRINCE LASAGNA, uncooked
4 cups (2 lb.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
CLASSIC LASAGNA
In large skillet, brown meat; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; simmer 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Lay flat on foil to cool. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread about 1/3 cup meat sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce, overlapping edges. Spread one-third cheese mixture over pasta; spread with about 3/4 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers TWICE, beginning and ending with pasta. Top with remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake about 10 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. 10 to 12 servings. MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS: Prepare as directed above. Do not bake. Cover baking dish tightly with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 2 months or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove foil and plastic wrap; replace foil. If frozen, bake at 350°F. 2 hours 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. If refrigerated, bake at 375°F. 50 to 60 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. To make individual portions, prepare as directed in recipe above. Refrigerate unbaked PRINCE LASAGNA overnight. Cut into 8 to 12 squares (serving size pieces). Place each piece in small microwave-safe dish. Cover tightly. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Microwave each dish, loosely covered at HIGH (100%) 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Meatloaf. I love to buy a huge pack of hamburger and then make mini-loaves for the freezer. Yes, meatloaf is easy to prepare but this way my hands only get dirty once and then I can just pop them in the oven for about 40 minutes frozen for a quick weeknight dinner.
In fact, this is what we had on Wednesday! :)
Here's one that is yummy, freezes well, and was a hit at a frozen dinner exchange:
Chiminchangas
3 cups cooked chicken or beef, shredded
16 oz. jar of salsa
16 oz. can refried beans
4.5 oz can of green chiles
1.5 oz taco seasoning
16 oz. jack or cheddar, cut into 16 sticks
16 8 inch tortillas
Combine all but cheese and tortillas. Place 1/3 cup on each tortilla, top with cheese stick, wrap up. Place in Ziploc bag for freezing. Can be fried or baked in foil.
I usually make double batches of sloppy joes and taco filling to use for later. I am not much of a chef, but am going to try some of the listed recipes!! princessliak at yahoo dot com
Mine is Lasgne
we love taco's fast and easy and healthy
Cheese Filled Burgers with Dried Tomato
6 slices Bread- firm textured
1 14.5 oz Hunts diced petite garlic tomatoes--they used dried tomatoes packed in oil with herbs, reserve drained oil
3 eggs
1½ tsp salt
¾ tsp greshly ground black pepper
3 lbs lean hamburger
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese-they used fontina cheese
12 hamburger buns
4 tbs olive oil
1 Put bread in food processor or blender. In bowl mix all ingredients except cheese.
2 Divide meat into 24 equal portions. Put cheese on half the patties and press a plain patty on top and seal the edges
3 Cover airtight and chill at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hrs.
4 Hot grill. Cook 6 minutes, turn about 7 more. Toast buns on grill if desired.
5 Enjoy
Servings: 12
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 13 minutes
Love, MOMBA
Granola
6 Cups rolled oats
2 cups oat bran
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup flaxseed
1 cup pumpkin seeds (can use sunflower seeds)
2 cups pecans
2 can apple juice concentrate - 12 oz. total
½ cup flaxseed or walnut oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups craisens (raisins)
1 cup unsweetened cocoanut
1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix oats, oat bran, seeds, and nuts in a large bowl. Combine the apple juice concentrate, oil , vanilla, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2 Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until everything is well coated with the oil mixture. Spread the mixture evenly on 3-4 cookie sheets.
3 Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Stir after 10 min. Remove from oven and add the raisins and the cocoanut. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Servings: 36
Yield: 18 cups
Store in the freeer and you have instant granola breakfast. FreeZe so the oils stay good. Low sugar and lots of grains.
Love,
MOMBA
I love making freezer dinners! My favorite is meatballs in gravy (aka tomato sauce). They're so versatile - meatball sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs or break them up and use them for lasagna. asthenight at gmail dot com
Pizza Casserole Low Fat Freezer Recipe
2 lb. extra lean ground beef OR ground chicken OR ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 jars (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
16 oz. whole wheat or multigrain spiral pasta, cooked and drained
4 c. shredded skim mozzarella cheese
6 oz. sliced pepperoni
In a large skillet cook beef/chicken/turkey and onion until meat is thoroughly browned. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and noodles, stirring well.
Divide mixture in half and put one half in each 9x13 pan. Top each with 2 cups cheese, then top with pepperoni.
To bake one immediately, preheat oven at 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes or heated through. Serve.
To freeze, cover and place in freezer. To thaw and cook, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 35-40 minutes, or until heated through. Serve!
We make this the day after Thanksgiving ... or 2 days after, depending on how tired we are!
Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped carrot
8 Tbsps flour
6 Tbsps butter
2 cups milk
5 cups turkey broth
3 cups diced cooked turkey meat
1.5 cups or a 476 ml can of cooked wild rice
Salt, pepper, herbs to taste
Make your carrots small enough they are easy to eat and won’t take long to cook but not too small. Add olive oil or some of your broth to a frying pan and saute the veggies. You want the onion fully cooked and some bit left in the carrot. The carrot is going to soften more when frozen, thawed and reheated so don’t over cook it.
Now take your stock pot and melt the butter with a med-high heat. Add the flour and whisk it well, it will combine easily. Keep whisking and add about a quarter of the broth, when that thickens add the rest of the broth. Whisking still, add the milk and let this come to a boil to thicken. You want it to coat a spoon but not get too thick. When it’s thick enough remove it from the heat.
Add your cooked onion and carrot, diced turkey and wild rice to the broth mixture. If you use canned rice be sure to drain it first. Taste for seasoning. Canned rice is a bit salty, one more reason I like homemade broth with little salt added. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the broth you used was a little bland add some other herbs, oregano is good in this recipe.
Your soup is ready to serve or cool before going into the freezer.
My favorite freezer dinner is hamburgers. It is the easiest thing (but really delicious). I use a pound of hamburger and mix in a tablespoon of basil and teaspoon of garlic. Then I use a hamburger cutter (kind of like a cookie cutter) to make identical patties and put them in individual baggies. Then I have them ready any time. Fast and easy!
gmerrell@cox.net
Here is a link to my favorite
http://tarahsfoodreviews.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/7/r
Tarah
tarah716[at]ymail.com
A freezer dinner I have made before is Chicken Packets.
I got the recipe out of Once A Month Cooking.
I should do more OAMC it makes dinner time so much easier.
I also blogged about your giveaway.
My mom's Italian Sauce:
Italian Sausage
Onion
Garlic
28 oz diced tomoatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
Basil
Oregano
Brown together: Italian Sausage, chopped Onion, 2 cloves of minced Garlic.
Boil: 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans tomato sauce, basil, oregano, add meat mixture. Simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Let cool and bag in Freezer bags: great for Lasagna, spaghetti, goulash, minestrone etc.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is our fave. It's great to have on hand.. esp for rainy or cold days!
28 ounces crushed tomatoes — canned
10 ounces enchilada sauce — canned
2 medium yellow onions — chopped
4 ounces chopped green chiles — canned
1 clove garlic — minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups water
14 1/2 ounces chicken broth — canned
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 dashes black pepper
1bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
9 ounces cooked chicken — chopped
Combine all ingredients except chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours, or High for 2 to 2.5 hours.
Add chicken, cover and cook on Low for another hour.
hebert024 at aol dot com
This isn't a recipe but I like to brown hamburger or turkey burger in large quantities and freeze it. It makes cooking go so much quicker when the meat is already cooked. Thanks!
chicken roll-ups:
Mix 2 cups shredded chicken, 8 oz cream cheese and season with salt and pepper. Roll crescent dough out and separate into triangles. Put spoonful of filling on dough and roll up. easy!
My favorite freezer meal is Lasagna
every night we eat together.
The biggest struggle is making something every one will eat.
lasagna, I can make enough for a couple of meals and freeze half.
Thank you for a great giveaway! I would love to win. I love Sams club and do alot of my shopping there. I buy there pork loin and then take half of that and throw it in the crock pot with nothing but a can of root beer. Let it cook about 8 hours on low..Shred it up and add any bbq sauce. So yummy! I then freeze whatever is left for a quick meal later. Thank you
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net
sweethollycottage(at)charter(dot)net
TACO SOUP
1LB ground beef
taco seasoning packet
hidden valley ranch seasoning pack
can of corn
can of white beans
can of pinto beans
diced onions (optional)
1 can of tomatoes
Brown meat and drain.Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or pan and cook until done.
Freeze leftovers.
Dress as you would a taco.Start off with tortilla chip or Dorito's,add soup then top with lettuce ,olives,onions,cheese,sour cream...just whatever you'd like.My dh just likes sour cream and cheese and taco sauce.
This is an absolutely delicious and hearty soup...it's my grandmother's Minestrone Soup! It freezes REALLY well and is so good served with French bread!
http://rachelvsthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/minestrone-soup.html
This is another soup recipe I recently made and it, too, freezes well!
http://rachelvsthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/chicken-noodle-soup.html
Just one more! This is a pulled pork recipe that is SO simple to make! You could easily freeze it for later use!
http://rachelvsthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/03/barbecue-pulled-pork.html
I mentioned your giveaway in my blog!
http://www.rachelvsthekitchen.blogspot.com
I got this recipe for frozen pizza dough from a Bell's Booklet.
Herb Pizza Crust
makes 3 10-14 inch pizzas
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups flour (I used part whole wheat and part all purpose to make it a bit healthier.)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
3 tablespoon oil (Olive oil is the healthiest to use. It's good for your heart.)
Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and let stand for about 5 minute. Combined dry ingredient in a large bowl. Kneed in yeast mixture and oil into the dry ingredients. (I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook attachment.) Once a dough as formed, shape in into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise till it doubles in size, about 45 minute. Punch dough down. Place dough on a floured surface and divide into three balls. Brush the balls with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30-45 minute. Shape dough into your pizza crust by working from the center of the ball outwards. 1/4 inch for crispy crust. 1/2 inch for soft crust. Now you freeze it, with or without toppings.
NOTE: You can omit the herbs in the recipe and it would still turn out great.
It takes a little time to make, but on those nights you would usually pick up a pizza, it's a great alternative. By the way, I make mine the right size to slip easier into a freezer bag once it's completely frozen Makes for easy storage.
Our Potato Soup freezes well!
Potato Bacon Soup
3/4 cup chopped Leek, washed well and drained
4 large Garlic cloves, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 (1/2 pound) russet Pre-Baked Potato
2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
3 tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 1/2 tablespoons minced Fresh Chives, Bacon Bits, and Sour Cream
Preparation:
In a heavy saucepan cook the leek and the garlic with salt and pepper to taste in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the leek just begins to soften, add the potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, and the broth and the heavy cream, and simmer the mixture, covered, for about 10 minutes. At this point you can also add some grated cheddar cheese into the soup if you like. When serving, add a dollop of sour cream on top and in the center of the soup. Garnish with bacon bits and chives.
addeviant006 at gmail dot com
EASY Low-fat Chili
1 lb. ground turkey
Worcestershire sauce
Lawry's season salt
1 can of each: black beans, chili beans, kidney beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
Chili powder to taste
Garlic salt to taste
1. Season ground turkey with worcestershire sauce and Lawry's season salt to taste. In my opinion, you can never have enough worcestershire sauce!
2. Brown turkey and drain.
3. In a big pot, add turkey, all cans of beans, stewed tomatoes, and onion. Add chili powder and garlic salt to taste. For an extra spicy chili, add cayenne pepper.
4. Simmer on medium heat until onions are tender. (about 15 minutes)
5. Serve immediately, and freeze leftovers in a freezer-proof ziplock bag.
Enjoy!
I also blogged about your giveaway.
www.bargainsbythebagfull.blogspot.com
I know this isn't a full meal but I love the sweet and sour meatballs. The kids love it to. I can have it with anything or on a sandwich.
brewerchickey78(at)yahoo.com
My Chili freezes really well, I often make a huge batch and freeze it in small (lunch-size)plastic containers Here's my recipe for the Chili:
1 LB Ground Turkey meat
1 Large Can Pinto Beans, drained
1 Lg. Can of Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 Lg. Can Chili Beans, drained
1 Lg. Can Pork & Beans, drained and fat/bacon removed
1 Packet Chili Seasoning Mix
1 Can Crushed Pineapple, drained
1 Lg. Can Tomato Sauce (or 2 med. cans)
1 Lg. Can Corn, or you can use frozen corn
Brown the turkey meat in a large saucepan, or brown turkey meat in a skillet and then transfer the drained meat into a large pot, add all of the remaining ingredients, stir, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes and it's done. Be sure to let the chili cool down before freezing it. Makes about 8 servings. We love it with fresh Cornbread:)
Everyone loves this Chili!
maggie@mannwieler.com
I make about 6 shephard's pie meals and freeze them for future use.
thebun@personainternet.com
My favorite is hah brown casserole:
1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
1/4 cup melted butter
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 3 quart casserole dish.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute cornflakes in 1/4 cup melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.
Bake covered in preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes.
SOUTHWEST MEATLOAF
(I freeze this loaf)
2 lbs. ground chuck
1 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips
1/3 cup taco sauce
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup grated cheese, such as a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack
Combine all ingredients. Press into loaf pan.
When ready to cook Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, or until top is brown and loaf shrinks from edges.
dctm at bellsouth dot net
Here's one I like!!
Bacon Wrapped Chicken 12 boneless chicken breasts
2 cartons (8 oz.) whipped cream cheese with onion and chives
2 T. butter
Salt to taste
12 bacon strips
Flatten chicken to 1/2 in. thick. Spread 3 T. cream cheese over each. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt; roll up. Wrap each with a bacon strip.
Freeze uncooked.
To cook: Thaw overnight in fridge. Place seam side down in a greased pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 for 35-40 min. or until juices run clear. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Here's another favorite.
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Cool Lime burritos8 Servings
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons canned green chilies
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn kernels
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup sliced green onions
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
8 flour tortillas (for serving day)
Advance Prep: Drain and rinse kidney beans.
Preparation: In a glass bowl, combine lime peel, lime juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, cumin, garlic and chilies. Pour into large freezer bag. Add corn, beans, onions, cucumber and cilantro. Seal bag; rotate to mix vegetables. Place vegetable mixture bag and tortilla bag into a larger bag.
To serve: Thaw. Stir to recombine. Drain marinade off vegetable mixture. Discard marinade. Warm tortillas slightly (the filling won’t be warmed). Divide mixture between tortillas. Roll to enclose filling.
This is sort of like a beefaroni dish:
*1 lb. lean ground beef
*1 pkg mac and cheese OR 8 oz. pasta + 1/4 cup velveeta
*1 cup tomato sauce
*1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Brown the meat, and fix the macaroni and cheese as you normally would. Then mix everything together. This freezes very well, and you can either reheat it in the oven or on the stove. You can add vegetables too; just make sure you put in a little extra cheese and tomato sauce.
urchiken at gmail dot com
Another I like.
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Super Burgers 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
garlic, salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Cooking Day: Combine all ingredients and shape into hamburger patties. You will freeze these raw and cook them on serving day.
Directions for Serving Day: Defrost patties and cook on grill or pan fry.
i make a pot roast and potato and carrots in the crock pot and we cant eat it all, what left i freeze into 2 different portions and freeze it for later only a few minutes to reheat and easy. thanks
Baked spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. spaghetti
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
mozzarella cheese
Boil spaghetti. Divide and put in 2 9x13 pans.
Brown ground beef. Add sauce and soup.
Put mozzarella cheese on top of spaghetti. Cover with sauce mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until sauce is bubbly (about 25 min if not frozen) or cover and freeze.
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Taco Soup
1 lb. hamburgertaco_soup_019
1 large can whole/diced tomatoes
1 can black beans w/juice
1 can kidney beans w/juice
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) w/juice
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can corn
Brown hamburger in large pot, then add all canned ingredients EXCEPT corn. Cook until boiling, then add taco seasoning, return to boil, turn down and simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until beans are soft). Add corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with grated cheese on top. If freezing, cool completely before ladling into gallon Ziploc bags. Freeze flat. When ready to cook it, thaw overnight, dump in large pot and warm over medium heat. Serve with corn muffins.
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Farmer’s Casserole
Serves 8
6 cups frozen shredded hash browns
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
1 cup diced fully-cooked ham
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 beaten eggs
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grease a 13×9x2-inch baking dish (or separate into two smaller pans). Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onion. In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, evaporated milk, pepper, and salt. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. Freeze. ***To prepare to serve, thaw and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.***
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
I got this one from a friend and I love it.
Olive Garden Alfredo Fettucine
8 ounces Cream cheese -- cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Milk
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned, cooked and cut into strips
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces Fettuccine; cook -- drain In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan,
butter and milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with sauce, add chicken coating
well. Freeze. Defrost overnight in fridge. Reheat in saucepan.
jjrener at hotmail dot com
My grandma made strawberry freezer jam when she was younger! You can use fresh or frozen strawberries and a mix that the Ball jar company makes for freezer jam. Just mix them together with a little water and freeze in a jar or the ball containers. Take it out when you make toast and it melts on your hot toast. So good. Makes me miss my gram's so much!
Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!
Janna Johnson
janna@FeedYourPigBlog.com
www.FeedYourPigBlog.com
My favorite meal to freeze is Katie's Bourbon Chicken.
http://busymomscookbook.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-havent-put-bourbon-chicken-in-my.html
I make a double batch and freeze half for another time! It's SO delicious!
karialissa(at)gmail(dot)com
i love reading about other cooks ideas to make my life easier
Mama's Beef Stew
3 lbs of Beef Stew meat
1 lb pkg of baby carrots
6 large potato's peeled and diced
2 sticks of celery diced
1 large can of beef broth
1 can or frozen pkg of mixed vegetables
1 small onion cut up
Garlic powder or cloves
salt and pepper
(All seasoning and onion optional)
Put all contents in crock pot (except can of mixed veggies. Add can or frozen package veggies 4 1/2 into cooking) on low for 5 hours. Stir occasionally if your available. When all contents is cooked take out a half a cup of the hot broth out of pot add a few table spoons of flour. Stir until it is dissolved. Pour contents back into crock pot and stir. This helps to thicken up the sauce so it is not soupy. You can separate for two meal and freeze or separate into single servings for freezing and quick supper's for those on the go or night owls who work late.
I blogged about the fabulous giveaway thanks for the opportunity both my camera's have recently broke and I know how wonderful Samsung Camera's are.
http://nightowlmama.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-samsung-sc-dx103-digital-dvd-camera.html
wow
a huge package or two or three of chop meat and then make meatballs, meatloaf, hamburger patties and stiffed peppers! THe meatloaf receipe is chop meat, onion, cracker crums, salt, pepperm egg, tomatoe sauce (save some to pour on top) and allspice. It's so easy!
I like to freeze half of my Loaded Baked Potato Soup when I make it for the family b/c it makes so much.
I then put the potato soup together in the crock pot. I got this super easy recipe from Nancy and have added a couple ingredients. You could call mine the "Loaded Baked Potato Soup". This time I used canned diced potatoes instead of frozen hashbrowns b/c I needed to use them up and couldn't tell a difference. It was very filling!
Recipe 1 can cream of mushroom 1 can cream of celery 1 can of cream of chicken
1 large pakg hashbrown potatoes (or 3 cans of canned diced potatoes) 1 qt half and half velveeta (1/2 large package) saute onion A couple dollops of sour cream
1 package of real bacon bits
Mix it all together in the crockpot until hot.
I love to freeze cookie dough into balls. I do this so I won't eat all the cookies in one sitting!! I put the balls on a cookie sheet, freeze and then put them into a ziploc bag. Then it's so easy to pop them out on a cookie sheet and bake when you want cookies. This recipe is also good frozen after the cookies are made. I love chocolate chip cookies out of the freezer.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - found on allrecipes.com
1 c. butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar (I use 1/2 c.)
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/4. c. boiling water
2 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix well.
Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Stir in oats and choc. chips.
Drop by t. onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
I make ham balls and freeze half for later:
take ham, grind it up, mix with some ground beef and spicy italian sausage, add graham cracker crumbs, one egg or two depending on how much meat is there, shape into meatballs, bake at 350 for 30 minutes, add a sauce made of tomato soup, vinegar and brown sugar all mixed together. Do not freeze the sauce.
wow
One of our favorite foods to freeze is Turkey Dressing. We also freeze Brunswick Stew, Spaghetti Sauce, and Chili. Thanks.
One recipe I make and freeze a lot is cheese potatoes. I can make a double batch and freeze one for later.
1 Large can of Cream of chicken
2 cups cheese
Sour cream
frozen hash browns (1 bag)
Mix everything and 1/2 cheese together and spread in baking dish. Put remaining cheese on top. Cover with foil and put in freezer so you can just take it out and pop in the oven. You can also add ham or chicken to make it a meal instead of a side dish!
i use frozen tortolini and add cubed cheese, sliced meat, and caeser dressing and it is fast and easy!
I have a recipe on my blog
http://thesingersentinel.blogspot.com/2009/04/great-easy-freezer-meal.html
It's for Sante Fe Chicken Wraps and it's good and easy.
suzanne.singer@us.army.mil
When I make lasagna, I always make two of them, one for now, and one ot freeze for later. It is a traditional lasagna, with ground beef. The two things that make it stand out for us, and everyone who's tried it, is 1). Paul Newman Socarooni Sauce (good stuff!), and 2). Dabbed small curd cottage cheese throughout the layers instead of as a full layering on the bottom level. This dish is always a huge hit at our house, and we get a lot of requests from friends and family to make it. msurosey@yahoo.com
msurosey@yahoo.com
Love to freeze "Grandma's Taco Soup" It makes a bunch and it's super easy.
Brown ground turkey and drain. Chop onion
In big pot, combine ground turkey, onion, 1 can Rotel, 1 can stewed tomatoes, 1 can green chilles chopped, 1 can corn, 1 can corn, 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 package of taco seasoning, 1 package of Ranch seasoning, 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil then simmer until warm. YUM!
ame0831@gmail.com
I love to freeze chilli so we can just pop some in the microwave for chilli dogs or frito chilli pie or ........... chilli.
karmen_316(at)yahoo(dot)com
Here's a link to a recipe from my blog!
http://kookycoconuts.blogspot.com/2008/02/good-recipe.html
bettinawelmlaker at gmail dot com
My favorite is ziti - everyone loves it and it freezes beautifully:
* 1 pound dry ziti pasta
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 onion, sliced
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 1/2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
* salt to taste
* 1 (6 ounce) package provolone cheese, sliced
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 3/4 cup cottage cheese
* 1 (6 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in oil until tender. Stir in rosemary and garlic. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Add spaghetti sauce to the onion mixture and mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In the prepared dish, layer 1/2 of the cooked pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese. Then layer the rest of the pasta, mozzarella cheese, remaining meat mixture, and Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheeses are melted.
If you use a glass baking dish, you can bake, freeze, reheat and serve all from the same dish - easy cleanup, too!
I also like to make a variation of Western Beef & Rice from the New York Times cookbook.
1 can pitted black olives, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lb ground beef
3 cups canned whole tomatoes with the juice from the cans
1 cup uncooked rice
2tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
Brown the beef in a saucepan, then take it out. Saute the remaining ingredients, including the rice, until the rice is cooked through.
Bake in a casserole dish at 325 for 45 minutes, or until done. You can sprinkle cheese on top if you like.
You can freeze this before the baking or after.
urchiken at gmail dot com
Any casserole typically makes a great freezer meal, but especially lasagna. We are a small family so I make a big pan of lasagna and we have enough for dinner and lunches the next day and then I freeze the other half for an easy dinner on a night when I work late.
One of my favorite freezer meals is Potato Corn Chowder. So yummy! The recipe is posted here: http://mommasgoneoverthewall.blogspot.com/2009/01/potato-corn-chowder.html
I like to freeze any of my desserts. Especially cookies. I put them in the frezer and have them forever.
jmcharries@cox.net
I freeze EVERYTHING, but I have had very good luck freezing chili and I freeze extra. I also freeze spaghetti and make extra for that reason.
Chipotle Pasta
I buy turkey sausage at the store and put them in the freezer for later use.
The sauce is a combination of BBQ sauce, canola oil, lemon juice mustard, and adobe chili (canned). Blend it up and store in a container in the freezer.
You can even put the remainder of the chilies in it's on container in the freezer and thaw to remove one at a time for the sauce.
When you're ready to have the meal, just take everything out and defrost. Put the sausage links in a pan and get some color on them and then toss in the sauce. (The way I make the sauce, I have enough for two dinners) Just add a dollop of cream to the sauce before taking it off the stove. Serve it up in a big bowl and enjoy!
I blogged here. http://badgermomma.blogspot.com/2009/04/gourmet-mom-on-go-samsung-camera-424.html
I make a bunch of these 'chicken pot pies' and freeze them. Then during the busy week I just pop them in the oven for the kids!
Chicken Chili:
4 boiled & diced boneless chicken breasts.
1 large and 1 small can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato sauce
2 cans of hot chili beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 bag baby carrots
salt, pepper, tabasco or chili powder to taste.
Combine it all and freeze. To heat, I just put it in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours.
My favorite has to be "Get A Husband Brunswick Stew." The recipe makes a huge batch that you can divide into small containers and freeze. It is hearty, filling and just plain yummy. I posted the recipe here: Annulla Cooks
Blather From Brooklyn
Here is an easy one that makes It makes 2 large (9x13) casseroles or 4 small ones
Easy Pizza Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (20 oz)
8 ounces sliced pepperoni
Directions
Brown ground beef, onion, garlic and seasoning in oil.
Drain.
Stir in pasta, spaghetti sauce and 3 cups cheese.
Place mixture in 2 greased 9x13x2 inch baking pans or 4 square pans.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
Top with pepperoni.
Cover and freeze up to 3 months.
To cook now: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.
To bake frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, till hot.
enjoy, ~Cathy~
I like lasagna as a freezer meal. Easy to make and we cut it into serving pieces, freeze and use for a quick meal.
WHITE BEN CHICKEN CHILI
1 medium onion - diced
1 jalapeno pepper - seeds removed and diced
2 gloves of garlic - finely minced
4 cups of chicken broth
1 - 1.25 tsp of Cumin
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 cans of white northen beans - drained and rinsed
2 cups of cooked cubed chicken
1/4 cup COLD water
2 tbsp. corn starch
olive oil for sauteeing the onion, garlic and pepper
sautee your Onion, pepper, and garlic until tender
Add chicken broth, chicken, and beans, bring to a boil and cover, then turn down and let it simmer for about 15 minutes
in a small bowl stir the corn starch with the cold water until smooth, then slowly add to the other ingredients, stir, bring back to a boil, then simmer again for another 10-15 minutes.
Chicken Pot Pie
2 ready made pie shells - available in your grocery dairy section
2 or 3 decent sized chicken breasts - diced and cooked
2 cans of cream of __________ soup - you could use cram of celery/chicken/mushroom whatever YOU like - I personally use 1 can of mushroom and 1 can of chicken
4 small-medium sized potatoes, peeled and par boiled
frozen veggie mix - corn/peas/carrots
pepper
To prepare:
*Take your pie shells from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
*Peel and dice your potatoes and put them on to boil. I boil mine for about 5 - 7 minutes - they will continue to cook while in the oven!
*Cook your chicken - I dice mine prior to cooking, and cook it in a skillet in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. I add some spices at this time (no one spice in particular, I just start grabbing and add just a sprinkle for extra flavor!).
*Mix frozen veggies/soups/cooked potatoes/chicken in a large bowl, add pepper to taste.
*Place 1st pie shell in bottom of pie pan, poke holes with a fork. Pour your filling in pan and then cover with the 2nd pie shell. Pinch the edges of the shells together and then poke holes with fork on top shell. I put my pie plate on a baking sheet in case it boils over.
Bake for 40 minutes at 375.
Easy Cheesy Meat Loaf
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet of DRY onion soudip mix
2 eggs
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 cups of mozarella cheese
mix meats, onion mix, eggs, bread crumbs and 1 cup of cheese. Put 1/2 in your loaf pan, then add second cup of cheese on top, then add the rest of the meat mixture on top. Bake for about 1 hour on 350. It's cheesey and YUMMY!
Hi Mandy:
One of my favorite freezer meals is Lazy Day Beef & Vegetable Soup: http://tinyurl.com/d46kc6
It's easy to make and freezes beautifully. My boys also love the soup so that's a huge bonus.
My favorite freezer meal would my homemade vegetarian and healthy burger patties.
I make a mixture of cooked quinoa and black beans in equal proportions. Add cooked corn, corn starch, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt to it and make patties. I pan fry it with little olive oil and freeze. It makes a great burger patti and just a great snack even without the buns!
It is an extremely versatile dish. I can crumble it and use it in tacos, as a filling in pitas etc. Also so very healthy!!
Wow great blog! I just found you via prizey. My favorite freezer meal is a shepherd's pie I make - basically just a pound of ground beef cooked with one onion, can of green beans, tomato paste to taste, topped with some mashed potatoes again to taste. I'll freeze that and then before it goes in the oven top it with some shredded cheese. It keeps well - thanks for the chance! alicedemske at hotmail.com
Oh I thought of another freezer meal - I also make extra pizza dough and sauce to freeze and it keeps well. The sauce is really just diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and seasoning to taste. And the dough is your typical pizza dough - flour, yeast etc. I was worried the first time I freezed it all but it turned out fine. Thanks! alicedemske at hotmail.com
Oh and soups freeze well too. I made one last week that I froze. It was 2 cups vegetable stock, 5 oz of red lentils cooked in that stock for 30 minutes, add one sauteed onion and one sauteed garlic clove and a bit of thyme (to taste). Worked well - thanks! alicedemske at hotmail.com
This isn't really recipe, but whenever I got to Sam's I buy their rotisserie chicken. Usually I will pick up a few. I will debone them and then freeze it for a quick grab to toss in salads soups, enchildas...etc.
Ravioli is great fast frezer food. I make a huge batch put em in dinner size portions. Every one loves it.
Tator tot casserole: hamburger cooked with onion, cream of chicken or mushroom soup and mixed veggies mixed in, and topped with tator tots. We sometimes add things like green peppers, mushrooms, etc.
These burritos are yummy and great to have on hand not only for dinner, but for a quick lunch or snack:
1 lb. gr. beef
16 oz. can refried beans
2/3 cup enchilada sauce
1/4 cup water
3T minced onion
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t garlic powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t dried oregano
tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Cook beef, drain. Add next eight ingredients and stir. Place mixture on tortilla with cheese, wrap up and eat or freeze!
Pastitisio is my absolute favorite freeze-ahead meal! I actually prefer if it's frozen first, because it slices more neatly when it's not all hot and melty.
I posted the recipe here:
pastitisio
My favorite thing to do is about once every 6 weeks is make a meatloaf for supper, then also make 12 individual meatloafs in a muffin pan, Bake them, let them cool, Freeze them in freezer bags. This way I can pull however many I need out for lunches, or a quick dinner. You can use your favorite meatloaf recipe.
Just adjust the baking time for the ones in a muffin pan as they will cook faster.
thanks!
itsjustmerene2003 at yahoo dot com
I love to freeze my homemade Vegetable Soup. I have found though it is best not to freeze it if I have put macaroni in it(I do this sometimes because the kiddos like it). If I am going to freeze some of it, I take out what I am freezing then add the kids macaroni to the rest. It is great to freeze in small containers, My niece loves a bowl when she gets home from school.
Thanks!
I love to freeze Tortilla Soup.
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts,
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 cans of cream of celery soup,
2 cans of cream of cheddar soup,
1 can of green chilis,1
1 cup of Salsa
1 onion diced,
I like to dice up my chicken and lightly brown it with taco seasoning, Then just dump everything into your crock pot, let it cook a couple of hours, stirring occassionally. Yummy.
I always make this recipe and it makes my crock pot full, We eat it usually on sundays, and then freeze the rest. I have some in the freezer now. Thanks!
All those recipes sound yummy! I don't have a favorite frozen dinner meal, but I do love myself some cranberry sauce frozen.
1 bag of cranberries
1 whole orange
1/2 cup of sugar
blend in food processor and eat or freeze for later. I love it! Allows me to enjoy cranberries not just around the holidays!
This Taco Meat recipe is wonderful frozen, and actually tastes just as good, if not better after it has been frozen.
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
3-4 T chili powder (I use 2 T.)
8 oz tomato sauce
1 lg. can diced tomatoes
2-3 T sugar
1 can black beans
Saute ground beef and onion. Add all other ingredients and simmer.
(You have to say this in an Arnold voice, otherwise it just sounds weird.)
"I leave the chicken in the freezer, pull it out frozen, I nuke it for 30 seconds, and I eat it!"
(Now say it in an Arnold voice... much better. Call me up and I’ll do it with the voice.)
WARNING: Do not try the recipe above. It will be hazardous to your health.
Every other month I buy a family pack of chopped meat. I prepare Lahmajin (recipe to follow) taco meat and 2 types of meatballs (i'll write it for a different entry) Everything gets frozen and it's good for at least 4 meals.
Lahmagin- mini meat pizzas(it's all approx. I'm too lazy for measuring utensils)
Mazors mini pizza doughs
1 pd. chopped meat
juice of 1/2 lemon
a few squeezes of ketchup
3-4 giant spoonfuls of prune butter
1 small onion chopped or onion flakes
1/4 t. allspice
1.4 t. cinn
1/2t. salt
mix ingredients and spread a thin layer on the dough line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake at 350 until brown approx 20-30 min. freeze single layers with parchment paper in between. defrost before heating.
Meatballs are great to store in the freezer. My 2 easiest recipes for the sauce are a can of tomato sauce mixed with a can of cranberry sauce or a can of tomato sauce mixed with marinara sauce. I put bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup, onion powder and garlic powder in the meat and round them into balls and drop them into the pots of boiling sauce. Once cooled they freeze fantastically in freezer bags.
My favorite easiest chicken recipe (that actually freezes quite well) is salsa mixed with mayo dump it on and bake.
Another easy freezer chicken is apricot preserves with russian dressing and onion soup mix
Holupki or Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Makes 12 – 15, serves 6 - 8
1 large head of cabbage
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1 onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh parley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 10 1/2 ounce can tomato soup
1/2 soup can of water reserved after boiling the cabbage
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Remove core from cabbage by cutting around it with a sharp pointed knife. Put cabbage in a Dutch oven and fill with water to cover about one third of the cabbage. Simmer for ten minutes and remove cabbage to cool.
Cook rice at the same time. While cabbage is cooling mix together ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, parsley and 3 tablespoons of the crushed tomatoes. Peel leaves off cabbage and fill with one heaping spoon full of meat mixture on side closest to stem. Tuck bottom of cabbage over once, then fold sides in towards center. Roll it up and place on separate cookie sheet.
When all the meat mixture is used up, slice enough of the remaining cabbage core to lightly line a 13 by 9 baking dish with deep sides. Place holupki on top of sliced cabbage.
In a saucepan, whisk together remaining crushed tomatoes and can of tomato soup. Heat to the simmer point and then pour the mixture over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.
Can be frozen in the same trays its cooked in and then placed directly in the oven to reheat. WONDERFUL and different meal that can be made in large batches and reheated for guests.
When I am making chicken enchiladas, I love to make a big batch and freeze one tray full for later:
4 Cups shredded chicken
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup salsa
Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper
Stir ingredients in bowl.
In separate bowl mix 1-2 cans of cream of chicken soup (depending on how much you are making) and 1 cup milk. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sauce mixture to shredded chicken. Spoon chicken mixture down center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in greased baking dish. Pour sauce mixture over top and top with shredded cheese and salsa. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
I double this recipe to make two trays at a time!
I love this and I love SAMS!! Here is my Fabulous Freezer Dinner!!
http://onceuponagourmetgin.blogspot.com/2009/04/best-brined-grilled-chicken-legs-for.html
I buy bulk chicken legs at Sams. They are cheap and delicious. I make several batches of these and then freeze. I freeze them with my food saver then all I have to do is pop them in a pot of boiling water. Cheap, delicious, and "Fabulous"
I blogged about your contest:
http://www.theshoppingduck.com/contests/current-contests
I love to make sausage, peppers & onions in big batches & freeze half. It is filling and inexpensive!
brown sausages in a skillet and keep turning so they brown all the way around
take out and add to skillet 1TBS olive oil, sliced peppers, onions and garlic (red pepper flakes to taste)
cook until they are starting to get limp
Cut sausages up into bite size pieces add bakc into pan and continue to cook with veggies.
when sausage is cood through , add pasta sauce and cooked pasta or serve in hero rolls.
YUM!
I am in a hard place right now because I have a husband that is hard working and comes home with a big appettite, a 5 and 2 year old that are very typical little boys, and an 11 month old little boy that is starting to eat table food. So when I think of what I can cook that will satisfy my husband, be something the 5 and 2 year old will eat, and something that the baby CAN eat, one of my favorite's is macaroni and cheese. You can use whole wheat pasta for a little health benefit, put it in a lasagna size pan and freeze it. It freezes wonderfully, is so easy to prepare for dinner, you bake it in the oven just like a frozen lasagna, and voila, something for everyone! For my husband I steam some broccoli to mix in, for the little boys I cook some hot dogs and cut them up to mix in, and the noodles are a perfect size for the baby so I'm not having to cut and mash and put it in the blrnder so he doesn't choke! I have actually given this meal to friends when I've taken meals in, and it's always a hit because it pleases every age group!!!
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
* Salt
* 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it
Directions
Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
(recipe from Rachel Ray)
Our favorite freezer meal is one I make when the relatives come to visit. I always want to spend as much time with them as possible so it is exciting to have this family favorite prepared ahead of time.
Enchiladas
STEP ONE
Brown hamburger then mix in peas and hashbrowns. The proportions are not critical. Just use what you have on hand.
STEP TWO
Spoon the hamburger mix into some fried corn tortillas, roll and place into a baking dish. (To fry the corn tortilla just put the tortilla in some hot oil for just a few seconds. This will help the tortilla not get mushy. If you leave it in too long you end up with some big chips)
STEP THREE
Smother the rolled up corn tortillas with red sauce. You can buy this or can make your own. To make your own simply heat some oil, mix in some flour, stir over heat until it turns tan. Then mix in onion and chili powder to your desired heat level and add water. If you want a really thick sauce only add a little bit of water and if you want a really runny sauce a tons of water.
STEP FOUR
Smother the enchiladas with cheese.
STEP FIVE
Put in the freezer.
When you are ready to bake them simply pop 'm in the oven at 375 until the cheese melts.
STEP SIX
Enjoy!!!!
fun.mom.cheratgmaildotcom
These freeze super well!
Mini Frittatas Florentine
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach
1 small yellow onion
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (dry, not oil-packed)
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried minced parsley
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional: sour cream
Thaw and drain the spinach, squeezing it with a paper towel to remove moisture.
Finely chop the onion and sundried tomatoes.
Dump all ingredients into a mixing, serving, or storage bowl that has a tight-fitting lid. Fasten on lid and shake bowl until all ingredients are combined. (This can all be done ahead of time, and the mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking, or can be cooked immediately.)
Preheat the olive oil in a 10” or 12” nonstick or cast-iron skillet over a medium-high flame. Drop the egg mixture in tablespoons into the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the edges of the frittatas firm up (bubbles should appear and the edges will be dry), then flip. Continue until browned and cooked through, about another 2 minutes.
My family loves funeral potatoes (or cheesy potatoes as some call them) with polish kielbasi on top. One recipe is too much for us so I divide it in half and freeze one for later....yummy! We add a salad and rolls and have a great meal.
I like to make Pizza casserole to freeze. I don't have amounts, I usually wing it, but these are the ingredients:
Pasta (rotini)
Pasta sauce
Mozzerella cheese
Pepperoni
Just cook the pasta, then mix with the rest of the ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or freeze. If frozen, thaw before baking.
khmorgan_00 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Here is my favorite freezer recipe: Enjoy!
Marvelous Minestrone Soup
Serves 10
*1 lb ground sausage
1 quart water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large onions, chopped
2 to 3 carrots, cut up
2 stalks celery, cut up
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (10 oz) cans beef bouillon broth
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TB dried parsley flakes
¼ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can cut green beans
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (I always leave this out)
1 handful dry macaroni (uncooked)
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
•Bring water to a boil in large kettle
•Add sausage by breaking it up and dropping it
into boiling water
•Stir and mash sausage as it cooks, boiling
until it loses its pink color
•Add remaining ingredients, except the canned beans
and macaroni
•Simmer slowly 3–6 hours
•At least 20 minutes before serving, add cans
of beans and macaroni.
•Stir occasionally so macaroni doesn’t stick
•Top with Parmesan cheese when serving
This soup is excellent, even after being reheated.
*I’ve used drained hamburger or no meat at all, and the soup is
still delicious. The hamburger or vegetarian method is much
easier than using the sausage—but I must admit, the sausage
adds a more complex, richer taste.
Pesole! I mix two large cans of hominy, 2 small of tomato paste, 2 small of green chilies, 1 lb ground and browned sausage meat, and seasonings. Cook in a crock pot for a day, overnight, whatever! And serve or freeze!
Great as a side, or a meal with hot tortillas!
Favorite Freezer Dinner is any kind of home-made soup! So easy to freeze -- then heat up in a crock pot!
One of our favorite sides is Cheesy Potatoes. We don't often have any left over to freeze...but on the rare occasion we do, these freeze up quite nicely. Here's the recipe:
CHEESY POTATOES
What You Need:
1 bag frozen Oreida hash browns
1 stick butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
8-10 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
8-10 oz. sour cream
1/4 - 1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
What You Do:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen potatoes in a large bowl. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onions. Combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the soup and sour cream. Pour mixture over potatoes and mix well.
3. Add cheese, mix, and transfer to a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Top with crackers and bake for 30-45 minutes.
Thanks for the generous offer!
Stuffed Shells (or Manicotti)This is a method, not a recipe. I use the cheese filling recipe on a box of extra-large shell pasta most often, but his method also works with meat fillings. Cook the pasta a little less than you normally would when planning to eat right away. For me, the easiest way to fill them is to use a small scoop, slipping one side into the shell, twisting the scoop a little till the whole thing’s inside, then pressing the lever to release the filling. I’ve seen recipes that call for using one of those itty-bitty baby spoons you use when you first start feeding a baby solids--oh, please! I’d be there all day! You could also use a pastry bag without the tip, or cut the corner off a plastic bag and use it to pipe the filling in. Spread the filled manicotti or shells out on plastic-wrap or parchment-lined trays so they are not touching (shells should be open-side up, and manicotti should not have filling spilling out of the ends.) Freeze solid, and pack in gallon zipper freezer bags, removing as much air as possible.
How I serve it: From a 28-32 oz (3½-4 cups) container of homemade, jarred or canned marinara sauce, spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 pan—I use well-seasoned stoneware. A non-stick pan or a pan lined with heavy-duty foil will also work. Sprinkle 1-2 cups chopped frozen spinach on top of the sauce. Top with as many frozen shells as will fit easily in the pan. Pour remaining marinara over the shells, and use a spoon to make sure all the pasta is covered. Cover tightly with a lid or foil. Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes until sauce is bubbly and shells in center of pan are hot. Romove lid or foil and cook 5-10 minutes more to evaporate any excess liquid from the spinach. Serve some of the spinach and extra sauce with each serving.
NOTE: This is the only way my husband will eat cooked spinach. He likes it with the spicy tomato sauce, but refuses it any other way. You can also put the spinach in the filling if you let it thaw and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
We have a few meals that we freeze for later use. My lasagna and my Hamburger soup always freeze great and one of our favorites to freeze is The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti! Yummy!
mandee220(at)aol(dot)com
Here's another inexpensive, kid-friendly freezer meal: Pulled Pork Primavera Sandwiches. They're made in the slow cooker w/ pork loin, onion, carrot, bell pepper, and all-natural BBQ sauce. Pull it out of the freezer, heat up and serve on whole grain burger buns! The original recipe is on my site, MealMakeoverMoms.com http://tinyurl.com/ckvk82
Amazing idea!!!
Stuffed Shells is my recipe!
I buy a a large box of pasta shells, boil to cook and stuff them with ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, italian seasonings then cover with tomato sauce. This not only freezes really well, but thaws and cooks up delicious! Just add garlic bread and a salad and your ready to go!
Stoppin in from SITS.
I love frozen beef ravioli from Walmart topped with spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese. :) So quick and easy. Frozen TX toast goes perfectly with it.
http://730apron.blogspot.com/
Recipes here :) My email addy is there too.
Here's a post I made a while back called Five Freakin' Fantastic Frozen Food Finds :)
http://mya922.blogspot.com/2008/12/five-freakin-fantastic-frozen-food.html
I make my own tomato sauce for pasta, lasagna, parmigiana, etc. Because its homemade sauce I always make sure to cook up much more than I need for the meal I'm making, so that I can freeze the leftovers so I always have some sauce on hand.
My favorite meal to freeze is Manicotti! Thanks for the great giveaway!
I would have to say my Black Bean and Corn Enchilada Casserole, Ole!
http://myplatemyworld.blogspot.com/2008/02/black-bean-and-orn-enchilada-casserole.html
(The link to my blog with the recipe)
Great Giveaway!
SO EASY!!:
Jumbo Pasta Shells
Spaghetti Sauce
Frozen Italian Style Meatballs
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Boil the Jumbo Pasta Shells for 10 min., drain, and run under cool water. Fill each shell With a spoonful of Spaghetti sauce, some shredded cheese, and a meatball. Line up in a greased pan, cover with more spaghetti sauce
and cheese. Cover with foil and Freeze.
I am quite the diva in the kitchen and when I am on a roll Iove to cook large amounts of my family's favorite meals and freeze them. One of our favorites is my grandmother's Cheesy Eggplant Parmigiana and Pasta Recipe. This is tried and true and freeze fabulously! You can thaw it out ahead of time and just reheat it, or you can microwave for about 15 minutes right from the freezer for a quick meal fix! It is baked ahead of time and believe me it melts in your mouth, so so yummy! Here's the recipe:
Cheesy Eggplant Parmigiana and Pasta
2 pounds ziti or rigatoni pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed with press
1 large onion, chopped
1 large (about 2 pounds) eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can(s) (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
1 cups loosely packed, fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 packages (2 pounds) part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions
Heat 8-quart saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook as label directs.
While pasta is cooking, prepare eggplant sauce: In deep 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add celery, garlic, and onion, and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender and golden. Add eggplant; cover skillet and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until eggplant softens slightly, stirring frequently. Stir in crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375° F. In medium bowl, with fork, mix bread crumbs, parsley, grated Parmesan, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Drain pasta. Return pasta to saucepot or place in large bowl; stir in eggplant sauce to coat. Add mozzarella and toss to combine. Divide pasta mixture between 2 ungreased 13" by 9" baking dishes and spread evenly; top each with half of bread-crumb mixture. Bake 1 casserole, uncovered, 30 minutes or until top browns and sauce bubbles. Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving. Meanwhile, prepare second casserole for freezing by cooling, uncovered, at least 30 minutes in refrigerator. Cover container tightly and freeze.
It really is worth making and having it in the freezer for future use, it is a real crowd pleaser, great for Sunday nights!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter.
joannaonthelake@gmail.com
Of course I would love to win, but I'm also loving all these great ideas in the comments! Here's another yummy casserole that freezes well and is healthy:
La Bamba Casserole
1 5.25 oz can whole green chiles, drained
1 lb. ground turkey breast (or lean gr. beef)
1 cup chopped onion
2 T chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
16 oz. can refried beans
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cut chilis in half and arrange on bottom of greased 8 inch square pan.
Cook turkey, onions, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook til liquid evaporated. Put mixture over green chiles. Layer with corn, beans and cheese. Freeze, or bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
I ALWAYS MAKE ENOUGH HOMEMADE LASAGNE TO FREEZE FOR SEVERAL EXTRA MEALS. LADYHIGHTOWER@LIVE.COM
PEANUT BUTTER ICEBOX PIE! GREAT FOR FREEZING! I ACTUALLY LIKE A FROZEN SLICE! LADYHIGHTOWER@LIVE.COM
I have been doing freezer meals with friends for a while and I think one of our favorites is "pork burritos." Pork roast cooked for at least 6 hrs. in corckpot then shredded. One large can green chili enchilada sauce, 3/4 cup brown sugar. Can freeze from this stage. When ready to eat, put on tortilla with black beans and shredded cheese. Bake in oven for 15-20 min. to warm up. Serve with lime wedge, fresh salsa and sour cream. My family loves this and it is easy for us busy moms.
My favorite frezzer recipe is this awesome pasta sauce it makes a ton and I always freeze the left overs because I always have some kind of noodles on hand http://doughgirlz.blogspot.com/2009/04/super-yummy-italian-pasta-sauce.html
I make freezer food all the time for my boyfriend to take home after he leaves me for the weekend. This is one of my favorites that he also really loves:
Lasagna
Brown ground beef in pan; drain excess grease.
Layer baking pan with raw lasgna noodles; spoon on sauce, browned meat, ricotta cheese, more sauce, shredded mozarella cheese, then more sauce again..make about four layers this way criss crossing raw noodles in opposite directions for each layer. Bake at 350 for about one hour; cool. Wrap individual pieces in plastic freezer wrap. Voila!
madamerkf at aol dot com
These are great recipes... I will have to try them all at least once !!!
I make quadruple batches of cookie dough and freeze them to be baked later. Saves lots of time and work :)
Katie Brown
showbizkp[at]gmail[dot]com
I like to buy fresh ground beef and season it to my liking. Then I will make burger patties and freeze them. It's so convenient for a quick dinner or BBQ!
This is not the best recipe in the whole world, but it is one of the easiest. The reason I like it is bec it makes two batches, so I cook it up and have a meal for tonight and then another meal ready to go in the freezer for later when I don't want to, have time to cook. It really does not take any longer to make two of them, than one. Having that casserole in the freezer keeps us from spending money going out to eat. That has always been a good thing, but now it is huge with the economy in the toilet!
Golden Chicken Casserole
2 pkgs any brand chicken flavored pasta mix with seasoning*, prepared according to pkg directions
3 cups cooked, diced chicken OR 4 (5 oz) cans chunk white chicken, flaked
2 (4 oz) cans mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Stir all ingredients together in a huge bowl, except breadcrumbs. Divide between two buttered, one quart casserole dishes. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs on top of each casserole. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Each casserole serves 4 to 6 people or one teenage boy.
*Instead of the prepackaged mix, you can use a huge bag of egg noodles and two packets of the seasoning mix from Ramen noodles. You can also add a bag of frozen, mixed veggies. I say, the more the merrier. Others say, Less is more. Whatever.
Also, thanks for having the giveaway. Someone took my digital camera from the park last year, so I would love to win. (I'm sure everyone would love to win.)
i freeze beef stew. I also take and make bbq pork and I will freeze small portions for when my husband is in the mood for bbq.
Frozen Chicken stock is the best...
http://wineandfoodtube.com/forum/index.php/topic,12.0.html
I notice veggies like beans, carrot, cabbage willnot stay fresh longer in the fridge. I cut all those veggies and put it in the zip lock in the freeze and use as and when required.
I used to buy one packet of Indian cottage cheese(Panner) to keep longer in the freezer for later use. You can view my recipe in
http://rajikitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-to-need-1.html
If I find one lb of roma tomatoes in 99 cents or few bucks, then I'll puree them and put them in the ice cubes tray and use it when required.
My family loves the Quick and Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe I got from allrecipes.com (I get the best recipes from this site)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Green-Chile-Chicken-Enchilada-Casserole/Detail.aspx
Popped in form SITS to say hi!
One of my favorite freezer recipe is Santa Fe Chicken from about.com
"Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
9 oz. pkg. frozen fully cooked diced chicken
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
24 oz. jar thick and chunky salsa
1 cup taco sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Cojack cheese
Preparation:
In medium microwave safe bowl, cook onion and garlic in olive oil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes until tender. Stir in frozen chicken, black beans and salsa. (If freezing, cool onion and garlic mixture before adding frozen chicken.)
In 2 quart glass baking dish, pour taco sauce. Lay four corn tortillas over sauce. Top with half of chicken mixture. Spoon on half of sour cream in small dollops. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, sour cream and cheese. Cover with foil. At this point, you can wrap the casserole well and freeze up to 3 months.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until bubbly. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted. If frozen, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator, then bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until bubbly; uncover and bake 5-10minutes longer until cheese melts. Serves 6"
Easy and delicious!
My favorite freezer meal is soup! Just about any soup there is I freeze! They are easy to defrost and taste the same as the day I cooked it!
Grandmothers Hash
1 Chuck Roast
3 onions
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of Sage
Boil roast in a large pot untill it starts to fall apart. Add finely chopped onions, sage, salt and pepper.Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 hours making sure that enough water stay in to prevent scorching. Serve on toasted buns!
This can be made ahead and frozen for quick meals.
I make a simple casserole. Brown a pound of hamburger with some onion and put hamburger in a casserole dish. Add a cup of cooked rice (I use Minute Rice some times), a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of chicken noodle soup, and mix. Crumble crackers on top and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or to taste...Can be frozen and reheated.
Lasagna is my favorite to freeze dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees .
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Now here is where I make mine different.....take 1 noodle lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with enough of the ricotta cheese mixture to cover noodle. Top with mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Now roll the noodle and insert a toothpick, now repeat with each of the remaining noodles, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Hey! Gourmet awesome little snackies!
1 lb. ground beef.
1/4 lb. Velveeta Cheese.
1 cup homemade or canned Salsa!
1 package Melba Toast.
1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown 1 pound ground beef in skillet. Drain grease into grease can and make sure to give to someone recycling it!!!
3. Melt cheese in separate pot or in microwave, whatever your fancy!
4. Mix cheese, salsa, and beef together.
5. Put a dab, a tablespoon, or whatever your fancy on each Melba toast or as many toasts ya' have!
6. Place meated toasts on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt again!
7. You can throw the baked toasts into a freezer bag after baking, and rebake again at any time!!
A viola!!
My FAVORITE recipe to make then freeze is hamburger soup! Soups freeze super easy and warm back up super easy too!! Try it!!
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 (2 ounce) package onion soup mix (for 3 or 4 servings)
6 cups boiling water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup celery leaves
1 cup sliced carrot
1/3 cup dried split peas
1 cup elbow macaroni
grated parmesan cheese
Directions
1)In a large saucepan, brown meat, drain excess fat.
2)Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil, seasoned salt, and onion soup mix.
3)Stir in boiling water, tomato sauce, and soy sauce.
4)Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
5)Meanwhile, prepare celery, celery leaves, and carrots; Then add to simmering mixture with split peas and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
6)Add macaroni and simmer for 30 minutes longer, adding more water if necessary and stirring occasionally.
7)Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese over individual servings.
8) To freeze: place soup in a rigid container and freeze. To reheat: remove from freezer and thaw. Place soup in saucepan and heat, stirring, until hot.
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