Meet The Freezer Friendz!

Looking for a way to simplify dinnertime in your home?
You've come to the right place!
Our freezer cooking recipes are sure to take the headache out of evening meal prep.
We invite you to leave comments after you try a recipe, as well.
We'd love to know what you think!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Teriyaki Chicken by Debbie

This recipe was found at http://www.bigoven.com/

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
6 chicken breasts

Preparation
Mix all of the above ingredients, except the chicken, together. Wisk until well blended.

To Freeze
Place chicken breasts in a freezer container or bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Place in the freezer.

To Use Immediately
Let the chicken marinade for several hours in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, place the chicken in a 9x13 dish and pour the marinade over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. This can be served over rice.

To Cook From Frozen
Thaw chicken completely. Follow baking instructions from above.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tasty Pork Tenderloin by Susan

From: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Ingredients:
2 lbs Pork Tenderloin
12 oz Chili Sauce
16 oz can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
Crock-Pot (Slow Cooker)
Rice

Assembly:
1. Place Pork Tenderloin in slow cooker.
2. Mix together Chili Sauce, Cranberry Sauce, and Brown Sugar. Pour over Pork.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, and then on low for 3-4 hours.

To Freeze:
Allow the Tenderloin and sauce to cool. Place tenderloin in a freezer bag and pour sauce over the top.

Serving Day:
1. Thaw overnight in fridge.
2. Cook Rice as Directed.
3. Reheat Tenderloin in oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until it is warm.
4. When serving pour sauce over tenderloin and rice if desired.

Salsa Chicken by Mel

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
32 oz. picante or salsa
1 c. minute rice
Flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Optional assorted toppings: lettuce, olives, sour cream

Assembly:
Cook chicken and salsa for 10-12 hours on low (or 6-8 on high) in a crock pot. Shred chicken and add rice (uncooked), and cook for 30 minutes on HIGH.

Serving Day:
Serve on flour tortillas with assorted toppings of your choice.

Freezing directions:
Prepare as usual. Thaw completely. Reheat and serve.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Potato Oven Omelet by Wendy

Ingredients:
1lb. 12 oz. Bag Potatoes O'brien
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 oz. Cubed Ham
8 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 Large Tomato (Optional)

To Freeze: Prepare a 9x13 foil pan. Pour bag of potatoes in bottom of pan. Spread shredded cheese over potatoes. Spread ham evenly over cheese. In a 2 quart bowl whisk eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper (I used my mixer). Pour egg mixture over ham and cheese. Cover with foil and freeze.

To Serve: If frozen, thaw completely. Or bake immediately after making. Bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle tomatoes over omelet. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut and Serve.

Yields: 12 Servings. Nutrients per serving: Calories 170, Fat 10g, Sodium 360mg.

Pepperoni Side-by-Side Calzones-submitted by Tish

Ladies,
This is from the Season's Best P.C. Fall/Winter 2005 Recipe Collection - slightly changed.
Please note that this recipe makes 2 calzones (ie. 24 servings). Therefore, each of you are getting 1 calzone each (that is approx. 12 servings). I hope your family enjoys these.

Ingredients:
1 cup of pepperoni
8 ounces of pizza sauce (I use Ragu sauce)
Garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to taste
2 refrigerated pizza crusts (13.8 oz. each)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Spritz or lightly brushing of olive oil
approx 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Assembly and Baking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On lightly floured surface (we used silpat liners on our cookie sheets), roll out one pizza crust into an approx. 10 x 14 inch rectangle.
Spoon sauce lengthwise to form two rows with approx 2 inch gap between the rows down the center. Then sprinkle garlic powder and Italian seasoning to taste over top of sauce. Put mozzarella cheese on top and then top with pepperoni (feel free to add other toppings of your choice - I kept it simple because of the kids). Unroll 2nd crust in same manner and place over top of first crust. Press together edges around sides and down center. Use pizza cutter to cut down center of two calzones and make sure edges are sealed. Spritz or lightly brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut 4-5 slits in top prior to baking. Bake 22 minutes (we slightly under cooked them so they will hopefully turn out just right when you rewarm them:)

Freezing:
Let cool completely and wrap tightly in 2 layers of Heavy duty aluminum foil.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely and on a baking stone or cookie sheet, bake another 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees till hot and golden brown. Can serve with garlic butter or extra pizza sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!!!

Italian Beef Stromboli by Mags

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf frozen bread dough
  • 8-10 slices of roast beef
  • 8-10 slices of provolone cheese
  • olive oil
  • Italian seasoning
  • garlic powder

Assembly Day:

  1. Thaw dough according to directions on package. (I laid out the dough the morning of cooking day on cookie sheets and let them thaw out for about 3-4 hours.)
  2. Stretch out thawed loaf into large rectangle shape on a GREASED cookie sheet. Stretch it as wide as you can.
  3. Brush with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
  4. Spread out your roast beef slices along bread.
  5. Spread out your provolone slices on top of roast beef.
  6. Curl in the dough on the two ends.
  7. Start rolling the whole thing lengthwise to get a long rolled up "log" of dough (with the seasonings, roast beef, and cheese rolled up inside).
  8. Brush with more olive oil and sprinkle more Italian seasoning.

To Freeze:
Bake in 350 oven 15 minutes or just until barely golden. Cool completely on cooling rack. Double wrap in Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly and the inside is not finished, just lay a piece of foil over the Stromboli for the remainder of the baking time. Let cool 10 minutes. Slice in 1 inch slices. Use add mayonaise or honey mustard if you want.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Loaded BBQ Baked Potato Casserole by Andrea

Ingredients:
4 c. mashed potatoes
1c. shredded pepper jack cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 t. salt & pepper
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. light sour cream
4 oz. can green chilies
3c. shredded BBQ meat
3/4 c. BBQ sauce

Assembly:
Mix potatoes, pepper jack cheese, cream cheese, S&P, and 2 c. cheddar in large bowl. Microwave 4 min. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Spoon into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1 c. cheddar. Arrange meat over top and drizzle with sauce. Cover with foil to freeze.

Serving Day:
Defrost and bake at 350 for 45 min. Although not specified, I would leave covered for most of baking time to keep meat moist. If you like your potatoes more firm, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Chickaroni (formerly called: Chicken Macaroni Bake) by Jackie

The original recipe came from Tricia Callahan @ onceamonthmom.com. I amended the original recipe to give it more creaminess.

Ingredients:
· 1/2 cup onions, chopped
· 4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
· 1/2 cup milk
· 2 - 10.5oz. cans cream of chicken soup
· 2 cups chicken (or turkey), cooked & cubed
· 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
· 4 cups cooked bite-size pasta, any variety (This is the equivalent of 8oz. dry pasta.)
· 1/4 cup buttered bread crumbs

Assembly:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown onion in butter. Stir in soup, chicken, milk, and 1 1/2 cups cheese; heat until cheese melts. Blend sauce with cooked noodles; pour into buttered baking dish. Mix the remaining 1/2 c. cheese and bread crumbs and place on top. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze. Alternate freezing option: Place noodle mixture in Ziploc freezer bag. Place bread crumb mixture in pint size freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze both bags.

Serving Day:
If in baking pan, remove foil and bake.
If in Ziploc bag, pour into buttered baking dish and top with bread crumb topping before baking.

If thawed: Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.
If frozen: Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until hot.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Breasts by Jen

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Assembly:
Preheat to 400 degrees.
Mix cheese, crumbs, and seasoning in shallow dish.
Dip chicken in butter, coat with cheese mixture.
Place in greased 9x13 baking pan.
Bake 20 mins., or until chicken is cooked through.

Freezer Instructions:
Thaw chicken. Preheat 400 degrees. Place chicken in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake 20 mins. or until chicken is cooked through.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Spaghetti Pie by Debbie

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cups fresh grated Parmesean cheese
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
16 ounce sour cream
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 pounds ground beef (or pork sausage)
2 cups water
12 ounce tomato paste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in large bowl. Add eggs and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to 2 greased 9x13 pans. Press mixture onto the bottom to form a crust. Set aside.

In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and Italian seasoning. Spoon into the crusts. In a skillet, cook the sausage/meat over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. At this point you can cover and freeze or you can bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

To Cook From Frozen:
Completely thaw in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed above. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili and Corn Muffins by Debbie K

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 4 oz can of green chilies
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 15 oz can of white beans
1 cup cooked chicken pieces

Assembly:
Cook the onion and add the rest of the ingredients. Leave on the heat until warm.

You can make in a crock pot and cook your own beans with the chicken. If doing so, I'd suggest using bone in chicken, dark meat. I always find that chicken breasts go funny if simmered for a long time, personal preference.

I usually don't freeze this meal. If you freeze cooked, chopped chicken breasts and onions if you desire, ahead of time, this meal can be assembled from items in the pantry in less than 10 minutes. It beats running out for fast food any day.

For Freezing:
I've used Chicken Flavored Better than Bouillon and used only 1 onion for the whole batch...I'm assuming my kids aren't the only ones who will attempt to pick out the pieces of onion.

Serving Day:
Thaw in the fridge or microwave and add 2 cups water. (By using 2 tsp of bouillon per bag instead of broth I could make it a soup concentrate.) Let simmer until warm. Everything is precooked so it can be ready almost instantly, or you can let in simmer to smell up the kitchen.

Since chili wouldn't be a meal without cornbread, I've thrown in some corn muffins.

Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup butter milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Assembly:
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another. Stir together and fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 425 F for 12-15 minutes, mini muffins around 7 minutes.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Missy's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

A.K.A. Turkey Noodle Soup this month!!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Shredded Turkey
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cans Chicken Broth
2 Cups of Chicken/Turkey Broth from stock
2 Cups Frozen Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Kroger Recipe Beginnings-Mirepoix Style Blend (onions,carrots, and celery)
2 Cups Cooked Noodles

Assembly:
Cook poultry and shred/cube as desired. Cook noodles, of your choice, as directed on the box. Combine all ingredients together into a soup pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 min (or until veggies are to the desired softness). Serve and ENJOY!!! Hope you like it. I made it up and the kids went crazy over it and there were no leftovers that night!!

Freezing Instructions:
If you're preparing this meal to freeze and eat later, you will follow the directions above. I recommend under-cooking the noodles by 2-3 min to avoid mushy and clumpy noodles after thawing. You will then place the soup into a freezer-safe container and place into your freezer.

Serving Day:
When you're ready to eat the meal, let thaw and place into a soup pan on the stove top and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and ENJOY!!!