Beef & Tortellini Marinara by Andrea

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef stew meat

2 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jar marinara or spaghetti sauce

2 c. beef broth

1 bag frozen green beans, cooked

1 can Italian diced tomatoes

2 envelopes spaghetti sauce mix

1 T. dried minced onion

1 t. coarsely ground pepper

sprinkle of parsley and rosemary

9 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini

Assembly:

Brown Beef in oil until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to crock pot. Stir in rest except the tortellini. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Stir in tortellini. Put in bag to freeze or cover and cook 30 minutes more to heat tortellini through.

From frozen: Defrost and warm until all is heated through about 30 minutes.

Grandma's Sausage Balls by Jackie

Ingredients:
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
10-12 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c. onion
2 1/2 c. Bisquick
1 egg

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients and form into 1" balls.

To eat now: Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 15 minutes.
To freeze:
Option 1: Freeze balls raw in Ziploc freezer bag.
Option 2: Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Cool completely. Freeze in Ziploc freezer bag.
Option 3: Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely. Freeze in Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Option 1: Bake frozen balls at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until brown.
Option 2: Bake frozen balls at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through
Option 3: Thaw completely and reheat in oven or microwave.

Ladies,
I did Option 2 for yours. Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken by Amy

Ingredients:

4 - 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove of garlic (crushed)

3/4 cup bread crumbs (fine - can be Italian)

1/2-3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. of minced parsley

1/4 tsp. ground thyme

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 jar of 3 Cheese Prego sauce

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

Assembly:

1. Mix olive oil and garlic in shallow dish. Mix other dry ingredients in similar bowl for coating. Dip chicken in oil, then in mix. Place in 9x13 baking dish.  Cover

Serving Day:

1. Thaw completely. Remove foil and plastic wrap. Bake - 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn meat and continue baking for 20 minutes more.

2. While chicken is baking, heat sauce in pan. Pour sauce and sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over chicken the last 5 minutes of baking.

3. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Chickaroni (formerly: Chicken Macaroni Bake) by Jackie

My kids renamed this meal after they asked what's for dinner and I accidentally said, Chickaroni instead of Chicken Macaroni. It kind of stuck and we decided Chickaroni is a much more fun name!

I love this meal because you can cook it from frozen if you want.

You can find the recipe and leave comments at this link:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/12/chicken-macaroni-bake-by-jackie.html

Enjoy!

Hope MOPS Presentation

We had a great time today sharing about freezer cooking at the Hope Church MOPS group in Mason. It was so nice to meet all of you! We hope you left with some new ideas to try.

If you have any questions that we were unable to answer at the meeting today, please leave them here in a comment and we will do our best to respond promptly to you.

Mostaccioli by Amy Sauve (Repeat from June)

Ingredients
1 pound of ground beef
1 cup of chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
Salt and pepper for flavor
4 cups of meatless spaghetti sauce (I use 2 jars of Three Cheese Prego.)
1 cup of water
16 oz. of Mostaccioli pasta
1 - 8 0z. package of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Steps:
1. Cook the pasta (2 minutes less than the directions on the box).
2. While pasta is cooking, brown beef, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Drain the mixture.
3. Return the beef mixture to the pot. Add the sauce and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Combine cheeses in a separate bowl.

Assemble:
1. In a 9x13 dish, layer noodles, sauce mixture, and cheese mixture. Repeat layers.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Freeze:
1. Assemble dish in a foil pan.
2. Cover with saran wrap and then heavy duty foil.
3. Freeze for up to 1 month.

From the Freezer to the Table:
1. Completely thaw dish.
2. Remove saran wrap and foil.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover for the last 5 minutes if dish is getting too brown.

Potato Oven Omelet by Wendy

I've made this one before at this time last year and thought it would  be great to have on hand.  Use it the morning of Black Friday so they don't have to worry about breakfast while you're out or use it when company comes in town or when you go out of town for Thanksgiving.  Since it is frozen it travels well.  Please reply to the original post:  http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/12/potato-oven-omelet.html .

Creamy Bow~Tie Pasta with Chicken by Missy

Ingredients:
3 cups (8 oz.) Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) uncooked
4 cups broccoli florets
3 Tbs. Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. minced garlic ( I bought it in the tiny jar.)
2 cups tomato-basil spaghetti sauce
4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

Assembly:
Boil pasta and broccoli about 5 minutes. Drain completely and transfer to freezer bag. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add pasta sauce and cream cheese to chicken in skillet; cook on medium-low heat 2-3 minutes or until cream cheese is completely melted, mixture is well blended and chicken is coated with sauce, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to a separate freezer bag. Freeze both.

I experimented with cooking the chicken. I cooked 1/2 like the recipe and the other 1/2 I placed in the crock pot (already cut in half) with the measured amount of dressing/garlic per meal. I removed the c.breasts as soon as they were cooked through. I placed 6 pieces of chicken in the freezer bag and added the sauce, 1cup of broth (created in the crock pot)and cream cheese into the bag and placed into freezer. All of the breasts looked the same after cooking. The crock pot chicken did cook in a folded and goofy position.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Throw pasta and broccoli into hot water to heat back up. Taste for desired tenderness. Reheat sauce and chicken in a non-stick skillet. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add sauce to pasta, mix well. Transfer to bowls. Cut chicken crosswise into thick slices; fan out chicken over pasta mixture in each bowl. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!!!

Shredded Salsa Beef over Rice by Jackie

**Recipe adapted from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs beef chuck roast
1 Tblsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 c. chunky salsa
2 Tblsp. brown sugar
1 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2-1 c. water

Assembly:
Place oil in skillet and brown beef on all sides. Place beef in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover roast. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours until beef is tender. Remove and shred, using 2 forks to pull apart. Return meat to crockpot and stir to combine meat and liquid. Cool. Freeze flat in Ziploc Gallon-size freezer bag. Freeze enough rice for 6 servings in Ziploc quart-size freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Reheat slowly in pan. Serve over cooked rice (see directions below).

Directions for cooking rice on stove top: Pour contents of rice bag into pan with 3 1/3c. water. Add butter and salt if desired. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes.

Directions for cooking rice in microwave: Pour contents of rice bag into microwave safe container with 3 1/3c. water. Add butter and salt if desired. Stir and cover. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) power for 20-25 minutes. Remove from microwave and let stand for 5 minutes.

Optional:
Serve as a filling for tacos, burritos, chalupas. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Chorizo & Black Bean Chili by Andrea

Ingredients:

• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 links Spanish chorizo sausage, browned
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 3 (14-ounce) cans diced
• 1 (8 1/2-ounce) can corn, drained
• 1 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation:

Remove 2 chiles from can; finely chop. (I have put these into a separate bag so you can decide how hot you want your chili.)

Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chiles, 1 3/4 cups onion, bell peppers, garlic, and chorizo; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients (chili powder through corn), stirring to combine. At this point it can be bagged to freeze.

From Frozen:

Defrost and add as much chipotle chilies (from baggie #2) as your family would enjoy.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat;  stir in chocolate (from baggie #3).  Add salt and pepper to taste.  This is good topped with sour cream.

Beef Vegetable Soup with Potatoes by Amy

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

2 - 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 carrots, sliced or cubed

2 onions, sliced or cubed

2 potatoes, diced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz. can V-8 vegetable juice (or more)

1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced celery

2 tsp. beef stock concentrate or 2 beef bouillon cubes

2-3 cups vegetables (frozen)

Assembly:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 12 hours or High 4-6 hours.

*If you want to freeze, cook in slow cooker after soup is thawed.

Cooking Day:

1. Thaw completely.

2. Pour into slow cooker. Cook on Low 12 hours or High 4-6 hours.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll-Ups by Wendy

Found this at Ziploc.com
Ingredients:
6 small (4 oz. each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 pcs roasted red peppers (available in jars), about 2" x 5", ribs and membrane trimmed, patted dry (I substituted 1 orange pepper, cooked to softened, in the microwave and cut into strips.
2 cups canned, plain tomato sauce, divided
18 large, fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, (I substituted Italian cheese mix)

Assembly:
1. Place chicken breast on a cutting board and pound thin until 1/4" thick, with rolling pin, meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy skillet, being careful not to tear meat, until it is the shape of a 4" x 8" rectangle.

2. With long 8" side edge toward you, layer each piece with 3 basil leaves, 1 piece of roasted red pepper (or my 2 slices of orange peppers), and 2 tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella (reserve remaining mozzarella for later). Roll one long edge towards other long edge to enclose fillings - like a wrap - making sure the edges overlap slightly. Fold in the loose ends and secure with toothpicks on each side.

3. Pour 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9 x 12 baking dish that's at least 2 inches deep, and distribute sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Sprinkle with Oregano or Italian Seasoning for a little more flavor.

4. Place the rolled chicken breasts, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top each roll with the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce (about 2 Tablespoons each).

5. Sprinkle the remaining 6 Tablespoons of shredded mozzarella (1Tablespoon each) over the top of each chicken roll. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, then place in freezer.

To Serve: Thaw completely. Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes then uncover and bake until cheese melts and browns on top.

3 Cheese Lasagna by Andrea

This is a repeated recipe.

I did update the directions to recommend keeping this covered while cooking. You may remove foil in the last few minutes to brown the top, if you wish.

3 Cheese Lasagna by Andrea

Apricot Glazed Pork Roast by Mel

Ingredients:

1 can chicken broth

1 jar Apricot preserves

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

4 lb. boneless pork loin roast (I like to slice it first)

Directions:

Mix broth, preserves, onion, and mustard in 31/2 quart crock pot. Add pork. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Sauce:

Mix 2 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch until smooth. Remove pork from cooker. Stir cornstarch mixture into broth. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes, or until boils and thickens.

Freezer Instructions:

Defrost completely. Reheat and serve.

Notes:

A 4 pound roast will serve 12-14 people. I used 2 pounds per family.

Boneless Pork Loin Roast with Herbed Pepper Rub by Jackie

Adapted original recipe from Pork: The Other White Meat

Ingredients:
1 (3lb.) boneless pork loin roast

Herbed Pepper Rub:
1 1/2 Tbsp. cracked black pepper (original recipe called for 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Assembly:
Pat pork dry with paper towel. In small bowl, combine all rub ingredients well and apply to all surfaces of the pork roast. Place in Ziploc freezer bags. Lay flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Place roast in a shallow pan and roast in a 350 degrees F. oven for 1-1 1/4 hours (18-20 minutes per pound), until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 150 degrees F. Remove roast from oven; let rest until temperature reaches 160 degrees F., about 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Freezer Cooking Tips/Ideas From Our Readers

Hello Readers,

We've really enjoyed sharing what we know about freezer cooking with you. Now it's your turn to share. We'd love to hear some of your favorite tips/ideas/recipes that we may not have heard of before. Just for fun, how about you post a comment and teach us a thing or two. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!
Your Freezer Friendz

Mexican Dinner Dip Remix by Mags

Mexican Dinner Dip - by Mags

This was originally posted in June 2008, but is so far back in the archives, I thought I'd just repost it instead of linking.

This works well as a dinner or as an appetizer for a party!

Ingredients:

• Deep square aluminum pan OR deep round Corning Wear dish OR shallow 9x13 pan.
  
• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1 bag shredded cheddar
• 1 can refried beans
• 8-10 oz. of your favorite salsa
  
• sour cream
• large bag of your favorite taco chips (I like "Scoops!")
  
• Optional: chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce
• Optional: substitute taco shells for the taco chips

Procedure:

1. I used a deep square pan for a thicker dip. You can also use a 9x13" pan for a shallow dip -- either works fine!
2. Grease your pan!
3. Spread out the refried beans to be the bottom layer.
4. Brown and drain the ground beef. Add in taco seasoning and water according to taco pkg. directions.
5. Spread out the ground beef on top of your refried beans.
6. Spread the salsa out on top of the ground beef.
   
7. Spread out whole bag of cheddar cheese on top of beef.

To Bake Immediately: Bake at 350 for 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Then bake for 10 minutes uncovered until cheese is melted.

To Freeze for later: Cover with a couple layers of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. On cooking day, thaw first, (remove any plastic wrap!), then bake at 350: 10 minutes covered with foil and 10 minutes uncovered until cheese is melted.

Add globs of sour cream on top of dip - or you can have people add this to their own plates. Scoop out big spoonfuls of the meal (be sure to get all of the layers!), and use your taco chips to dip!

You can also add chopped tomatoes, onions, or shredded lettuce to make taco salads. You could scoop up the mixture into taco shells for a fancy taco as well!

This is one of my favorites from growing up - my younger brother was in to cooking in junior high - this was his recipe! Enjoy!

Taco Soup-Submitted by Tish

**This is a good one to save for a crisp Fall or cold winter day!! I used mild reduced sodium taco seasoning, because I was afraid to make it too spicy for the others in the group. My family and I like all things spicy, so we spice ours up more:)**

This recipe is out of the first volume of "Don't Panic-Dinner's in the Freezer", bu Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell and Bonnie Garcia.

Original Recipe yields 4-5 servings (so I increased it by 1 1/2 times)

Ingredients:
1 1/5 pounds of ground beef (I used 85% lean)
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 pkgs. of mild (or choose the spice-level you like) taco seasoning- I used mild reduced sodium type.
2 Tablespoons of Tastefully Simple Garlic-Garlic- or you can use garlic powder to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 (15oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 (15 oz) cans of whole kernel corn
1 1/2 (15 oz) cans of kidney or red beans (you could also use navy beans and/or black beans)
1 (15oz.) can of water

1 small bag of Frito corn chips, shredded cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, and/or hot sauce- if desired as toppings on serving day.

Cooking Instructions:
Place chopped onions and beef in large skillet. Top with garlic-garlic seasoning or garlic powder, taco seasoning, and black pepper. Cook till meat is completely done. Drain well and set aside.
In a gallon size Zip lock Freezer bag, add all canned items (UNDRAINED) and the one can of water. Add drained beef/onion mixture and seal, removing as much air as possible. Also, gently knead bag to mix all ingredients. Lay flat on cookie sheet to freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Then pour into a large saucepan/stock pot/crock pot and simmer for 30minutes-1 hour till hot and bubbly.
Top with Frito Corn chips, shredded cheese, jalapenos/hot sauce, and/or sour cream if desired.

I love serving this with corn muffins and a salad too!
Hope you all enjoy it and remember to spice it up more if you are like us and like your food hot and spicy!

Ground Beef Stroganoff Casserole by Wendy

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Medium noodles, cooked
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. hamburger
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon. black pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup diced mushrooms-fresh or canned-drained
1 (10oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can water
1 cup sour cream
parsley to garnish

Assembly:
In skillet heat hamburger and onion until no longer pink. Drain grease from pan. Add flour, salt, black pepper, garlic, paprika, mushrooms, soup and can of water. Mix well and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat stir in 1 cup sour cream.

To Cook day of:
In a 2 quart casserole dish put in noodles and top with beef mixtures. Garnish with parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

To freeze:
Pour noodles in a square foil pan. Top with beef mixture. Garnish with parsley. Freeze.

To Serve:
Thaw completely and uncover. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings.

Rerun Mustard Marinated Chicken Breasts by Jackie

Please follow this link to the recipe and leave your comments there.
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/04/marinated-mustard-chicken-breasts-by.html

Thanks! :)

Fast Fancy Chicken by Amy Sauve

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup

1 stick melted butter

6 slices Swiss cheese (or 1 pkg. of shredded)

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup white whine

2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb stuffing mix

Preparation:

1. Place chicken in greased 9x13 baking dish

2. Top each piece with a slice of cheese or cover with shredded cheese.

3. Lay mushrooms on top of cheese.

4. Mix soup and wine - pour on chicken.

5. Spread stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter.

6. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch for browning of stuffing - cover with foil.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw dish completely.

2. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch for browning of stuffing - cover with foil.

French Dip Sandwiches by Andrea

Ingredients:

1 1/2- 2 lb. chuck roast

1 can French onion soup

1 can beef consomme

1/2 can beer (can substitute beef broth)

Slices Provolone cheese

Sub rolls or French bread, cut to sandwich size

Cooking day Directions: Pour all liquid ingredients over meat in a crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove and let cool if freezing.

Eating day Directions: Defrost and shred meat. Open French bread and top with meat and cheese. Reheat juices to use as au jus. Broil open face sandwiches on cookie sheet until cheese is melted and sandwich is heated.

Mexican Two Bean Chicken Chili by Wendy

Another delicious Pampered Chef Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Medium Zucchini, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 jar (16 oz.) thick and chunky mild salsa
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2-2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed corn or tortilla chips, sliced green onions and fresh cilantro leaves.

To Assemble to freeze: Chop zucchini. Drain and rinse beans. Drain corn. Add all to a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add chicken broth, salsa, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Freeze flat in freezer. I gave everyone a 2 cup bag of cheese, an 8oz. container sour cream and a 1 cup Ziploc bag of crushed tortilla chips. So there were 4 pcs. total for this recipe.

To Serve: Thaw bag completely. Pour into 4 Qt. Pan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Ladle chili into soup bowls. Top with desired toppings.

Yield: 6 servings (10 cups)

Freshly baked cornbread, cornbread sticks and soft flour tortillas are also nice accompaniments.

Pesto Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
6 Frozen chicken breasts
1 jar of Classico Pesto
1 box whole wheat pasta

Place frozen chicken breasts in dish. Next spoon pesto over the top of each breast. Freeze until ready to bake. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator and then bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered. Serve with pasta, risotto or garlic mashed potatoes.

Freezer Friendz:
Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator
Place entire bag of marinaded frozen chicken in 9x13 dish.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered.
Serve with whole wheat pasta.

Note: When I made this for our family, I cooked pasta then removed the chicken breasts on to another plate and mixed the pasta with the pesto sauce and served the chicken on top of pasta.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken-submitted by Tish

**This is one of my favorite easy grilling dishes that I got from my cookbook entitled, "Don't Panic MORE Dinner's in the Freezer"-by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, and Bonnie Garcia.**

(original recipe yields 4 servings, so I followed the instructions for 24 servings and then just divided it up into 4 portions for each of our families)

I am giving you the directions for 8 servings, since most of you need at least 6 servings. I used dried cilantro this time since I forgot to buy fresh at the store. It works just fine, but I do like fresh cilantro the best if given the option.

Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of lime juice
1 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped or 1 T. dried cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. chopped jalapeno peppers

Assembly and Freezing Directions:
Mix all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl. Place chicken breasts in a large zip top bag and pour marinade over top. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Label and lay flat to freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw completely.Discard marinade. Grill over medium heat till chicken is tender and juices run clear.

**Delicious served as a whole chicken breast, but also is awesome when cut into strips and made into fajitas or a southwestern wrap with your favorite toppings!!**

Breakfast Sandwiches by Andrea

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat English Muffins
sausage patties, bacon slices, Canadian bacon slices
scrambled eggs
cheese slices

Preparation:

Open, butter and toast English muffin halves. Cook meat and cool. Mix eggs, season to taste and ladle 1/4c. into greased plastic snack cups. Microwave @ 2 min. each until cooked through. (I did 5 at a time because I had 5 cups.)

Assembly:
Layer breakfast meat, egg, and cheese on English muffin. (You each have 5 of each type of meat. The bag is labeled with which type it contains.) Top with remaining English muffin half. Wrap in foil. Freeze inside freezer bag.

Serving Day:
These can be cooked from frozen.
Option 1: Keep in foil and bake at 350 for about 20 min.
Option 2: Remove foil and wrap in a paper towel to heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes. (Maggie tried the defrost setting for 5 min, also.

Meatloaf by Amy Sauve

Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground beef (or other ground meat - could be a meatloaf mix)

1/2 cup of onion (minced)

3/4 cup of oats

2/3 cup of milk

1/4 cup of ketchup

1 egg

1 minced garlic clove

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 of a bottle of chili sauce (approx. 6 ounces)

Preparation:

1. Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Shape into a loaf and place in lightly greased loaf pan.

3. Wrap with saran wrap and then heavy duty foil.

4. Freeze.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw completely.

2. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees F., and remove from oven.

4. Spread chili sauce on top of loaf.

5. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

6. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Taco Mac by Jackie

*adapted from recipe from Cooking During Stolen Moments

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground beef (= 2 c. cooked meat, if cooking meat in bulk)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 T. cumin
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. salt
• 2 c. elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 c. beef stock or broth
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes (= 2 c. if using Sam's size can)
• 2 c. frozen corn
• 1 c. shredded cheese

Assembly:
1. Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in seasonings.
2. Place in gallon Ziploc freezer bag.
3. Place broth, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes in bag with meat mixture.
4. Place corn in Ziploc sandwich bag.
5. Place uncooked noodles in Ziploc sandwich bag.
6. Place cheese in Ziploc sandwich bag.
7. Place corn, noodle and cheese bags into a 2nd gallon Ziploc freezer bag.
8. Lay both gallon bags flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
1. Thaw all bags, except corn completely.
2. Bring noodle and meat mixture bag contents to a boil in a skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are cooked, about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Stir in corn until heated through.
4. Top with cheese and serve.

Hearty Hamburger Stew by Mel

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/4 c. chopped onions

2 c. carrots, sliced (uncooked)

1 c. chopped green pepper

3 stalks celery, diced

1 can green beans with juice

1 can corn with juice

1 c. sliced mushrooms (canned is fine)

1 46oz. can tomato juice

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown ground beef and drain. Mix beef and remaining ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve or cool and freeze.

Freezer instructions:

Thaw and reheat.

Marinated Pork Chops by Jackie

*This recipe is adapted from The Freezer Cooking Manual from the 30 Day Gourmet

Ingredients:
8 pork chops
2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 c. Italian dressing

Assembly Day:
Place pork chops in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Pour over pork chops. Seal and lay flat on cookie sheet to freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Grill pork chops until no longer pink inside. Discard marinade.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken by Andrea

Ingredients:
chicken tenderloins
Bacon slices


Instructions:
Lay out tenderloins on 1/2 a slice of bacon. Roll up and skewer or use toothpicks to hold together. Freeze for later or grill to desired doneness.


Note: This was hard to determine servings for. I used @ 2 lbs of chicken per entree, which by serving size should feed @ 8. Please let me know if there was enough food so I can adjust if I make it again.

Coke-a-Cola Pot Roast (aka.Pepsi Pot Roast)

***This recipe was originally submitted by Susan Lape. I used Coke a Cola instead of Pepsi simply due to personal preference. Any regular or diet Coke/Pepsi/or generic Coke/Pepsi-type soda will work just fine.***

Ingredients:
(1) 2-3 lb. pot roast (I used 2.5 pound chuck roasts for each recipe)
(1) pkg. of dry onion soup/dip mix
(2) cans of 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
(16 oz.) of regular or diet Coke/Pepsi/generic cola equivalent

Assembly/Cooking/Freezing Directions:
Mix soup/dip mix, both cans of soup, and cola together in a large mixing bowl. Place roast in a slow cooker/crock pot and pour soup mixture over top. Cover and cook on high 6 hours till it is falling apart. Then cool completely and place roast and its gravy into freezer bag, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw completely and re-heat. Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, and/or a salad. Or you can easily shred the beef for delicious sandwiches.
Enjoy.

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers by Jen

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp. ranch Dressing, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 American cheese Singles, cut into quarters
4 hamburger buns

Heat grill to medium heat.

Mix meat and 2 Tbsp. dressing; shape into 8 thin patties. Combine remaining dressing and bacon. Spoon onto centers of 4 patties; top with Singles quarters and remaining patties. Pinch edges together to seal.

GRILL 7 to 9 min. on each side or until burgers are done (160°F).

Freezer Friendz:
I usually thaw then grill burgers 7 to 9 min. on each side or until burgers are done (160°F). If you do not defrost burgers, then adjust the cook time accordingly.

Note: I grilled our burgers and was very careful when I flipped them so the burger would not fall apart. Very good flavor!

Serve with buns, lettuce, tomato, etc.

Chicken Enchiladas by Amy (variation of Stephanie Cooksey's recipe)

Ingredients:

12-20 flour tortillas (fajita size)

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

1 small can of green chilies, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

3-4 cups cooked chicken

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup picante or salsa

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Assembly:

Warm tortillas if necessary to be pliable. Blend shredded chicken, Monterrey Jack, chilies, onion, and chili powder. Fill tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased shallow glass casserole dish.

Mix together soup, salsa, and Cheddar cheese. Spoon over enchiladas. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze.

Freezer to Oven:

Thaw completely. Remove plastic wrap and foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (preheated). Cover with foil if top is getting too brown.

Italian Chicken Pasta Toss

Stir-fry cooking is the speedy method used to make this fresh Italian pasta dish. Bow tie pasta adds a kid-friendly touch, but feel free to substitute any favorite pasta shape.
- The Pampered Chef

Ingredients:
6 oz. uncooked bow tie pasta (about 3 cups)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (or 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained)
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Assembly:
Cook pasta, drain and keep warm. Meanwhile dice tomatoes and chop onion. Slice zucchini. Cut bell pepper into thin strips and chicken crosswise into 1" strips.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Press garlic into skillet. Add chicken, stir fry 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, zucchini, bell pepper, peas, seasoning mix and salt; stir fry 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; heat 1-2 minutes, stirring gently until heated through. Remove from heat.
Stir in warm pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pasta. Serve immediately.

To assemble to freeze:
Bag #1: Sandwich Bag - 3 cups pasta.
Bag #2: Sandwich Bag - Chicken, oil and garlic.
Bag #3: Quart Bag - Onion, zucchini, bell pepper, peas, seasoning mix, salt
Bag #4: Sandwich Bag - Tomatoes
Bag #5: Snack Bag - Parmesan Cheese
Place all bags in Gallon Size Ziploc Bag and freeze.

To Cook from Frozen:
Thaw all bags completely. Cook pasta in Bag #1, drain and keep warm. In skillet over Medium-High heat, cook contents of Bag #2 for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add contents of Bag #3 to skillet and cook for 2 minutes on Medium heat. Add Bag #4 to skillet. Heat 1-2 minutes stirring gently until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in warm pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Calories: 190 per serving

Yield: 6 servings

Pizza Pasta Casserole by Mags

Original Recipe HERE.
*This recipe makes TWO 9x13" pans serving 12; cut recipe in half if you only want to serve 6.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb. ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 jars (28 oz) spaghetti sauce16 oz. whole wheat spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 oz. sliced pepperoni

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet cook meat and onion until the meat is thoroughly browned. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and noodles, stirring well.

2. Divide mixture in half and put one half in each 9x13 pan. Top each with 2 cups cheese, then top with pepperoni.

3. To bake one immediately, preheat oven at 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes or heated through. Serve.

4. To freeze, cover and place in freezer.

5. To thaw and cook, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 35-40 minutes, or until heated through. Serve!

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Mostaccioli by Amy

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef

1 cup of chopped onion

2 cloves of minced garlic

Salt and pepper for flavor

4 cups of meatless spaghetti sauce (I use 2 jars of Three Cheese Prego.)

1 cup of water

16 oz. of Mostaccioli pasta

1 - 8 0z. package of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Steps:

1. Cook the pasta (2 minutes less than the directions on the box).

2. While pasta is cooking, brown beef, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Drain the mixture.

3. Return the beef mixture to the pot. Add the sauce and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Combine cheeses in a separate bowl.

Assemble:

1. In a 9x13 dish, layer noodles, sauce mixture, and cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Freeze:

1. Assemble dish in a foil pan.

2. Cover with saran wrap and then heavy duty foil.

3. Freeze for up to 1 month.

From the Freezer to the Table:

1. Completely thaw dish.

2. Remove saran wrap and foil.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover for the last 5 minutes if dish is getting too brown.

Creamy Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli by Jackie

*This is my version of Kraft Foods Creamy Bow-Tie Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:
3 cups bite-size pasta, uncooked
4 cups frozen broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan dressing
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Ragu Tomato-Basil spaghetti sauce
4 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Assembly:

• Cube chicken and place in slow cooker with dressing and garlic. Cook on high for 3 hours or until done. Do not overcook. When finished, cool in juices in refrigerator.
• Place chicken and 1/2 c. juice in gallon Ziploc freezer bag.
• Discard remaining juice.
• Add spaghetti sauce and cream cheese to bag. Seal and lay flat in freezer.
• Place broccoli in quart-size Ziploc freezer bag. Place Parmesan cheese in pint size Ziploc freezer bag. Place uncooked pasta in gallon size Ziploc bag. Add broccoli and cheese bags to the pasta bag. Seal.

Serving Day:

• Thaw completely.
• Cook pasta for 7 minutes.
• Add broccoli to pasta water with pasta and boil for 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat chicken and sauce until cream cheese has melted completely and chicken is warmed through.
• Add pasta and broccoli to sauce and mix well.
• Sprinkle each portion evenly with cheese.

Beef Noodle Casserole by Andrea

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 bag frozen Mirapoix (onions, peppers)
1 1/2-2 c. ketchup
1/2 stick butter
1 12oz. bag egg noodles
1 pkg cream cheese
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom
garlic powder & salt to taste
3 c. shredded cheddar

Instructions: Brown ground beef and salt to taste, drain. Saute green pepper and onion in small amount of butter or oil @ 10 min. Combine with beef and add ketchup. Simmer in large pot for 15 min.
In a separate pot, cook noodles according to pkg. directions and drain. Return to pot and add 1/2 stick of butter, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, soup, and seasonings.

Grease 9x13 pan and place noodle mixture in pan. Layer the ground beef mixture over noodles. Cover with foil and bake or freeze.
To bake on assembly day, cook covered at 350 for 20 min. Add cheese and cook uncovered until cheese melts.
To cook later, defrost and cook same as above. (May take longer if straight from refrigerator.)

Creamy Chicken and Spaghetti by Mel

Ingredients:

4 c. chopped chicken

8 oz. spaghetti cooked

3 stalks celery chopped

1 can cr. of mushroom soup

1 can cr. of celery soup

1 can chicken broth

1 lb. Velveeta cut up

Directions:

Mix all together and add cut up cheese. Put in 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 min.

Freezer Directions:

Thaw completely. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing & Marinade
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Assembly:
PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Pour dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through (165°F). Set the timer in the kitchen for 5 min. on each side so you don't forget to turn the chicken. Don't overcook the chicken - grill just until the juices run clear. If you choose not to grill outdoors, just place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until cooked through (165°F).

Instructions for Freezer Friendz:
Thaw chicken breasts in the freezer bag. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through (165°F). Set the timer in the kitchen for 5 min. on each side so you don't forget to turn the chicken. Don't overcook the chicken - grill just until the juices run clear.
If you choose not to grill outdoors, just place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until cooked through (165°F).

Polynesian Turkey Burgers by Tish

**Submitted by Tish from the 30 Day Gourmet Freezer meal site!**
Servings: 6 (8 if you make the burgers smaller)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey (I use the 93% lean, not the 99% lean so they will stay more moist during cooking)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (NOT garlic salt - it would be too salty with the soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup of sweet and sour sauce (divided)
1 cup of crushed pineapple, DRAINED

Assembly: Combine turkey, bread crumbs, soy sauce, spices, and 1/4 cup of the sweet and sour sauce. Shape into 6-8 burgers.
For sauce: combine 3/4 cup of sweet and sour sauce with the 1 cup of drained, crushed pineapple.

Freezing: 1. Freezer raw burgers in Ziploc freezer bag to cook later OR 2. Cook burgers on grill, stovetop, or broiler and cool completely before placing into freezer bags.
Sauce: pour into a quart size freezer bag and label and freeze with burgers

Serving: Thaw burgers and sauce and cook OR warm the already cooked burgers. Warm the sauce on the stovetop or the microwave. Serve with or without sauce on top.

The kids can always add a piece of cheese and ketchup and skip the sauce if they want.

****I recommend grilling the burgers SLOWLY over LOW heat to help maintain their moisture****
ENJOY!

Missy's Chili

Heat these ingredients in soup pan and let simmer:
1 can Kroger Diced Salsa Style Tomatoes Fire Roasted
2 cans chili beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 quart tomato juice
1 tbsp chili powder

This time (6-1-10) I used 1 1/2lb hamburger and not the 3 kinds listed below.

Combine the following ingredients in your skillet and cook thoroughly:
I used 1/2 lb. of the following meats:
•hamburger
•turkey
•venison
1/2 onion
1 4oz can diced green chilies
1 tbsp chili powder

To freeze: Follow above directions completely and place into a Ziploc bag and freeze.

Serving day: Thaw, warm on the stove, and serve. I have had problems in the past with my bags leaking while thawing so I place the freezer bag in a large dish for this process.

Extra Notes: My family enjoys chili that's spicy. For this recipe I toned down the use of chili powder so your family can enjoy a more mild meal OR you may heat this in your pan and spice-it-up-a-bit to your liking! I have also stretched this meal by adding cooked elbow macaroni/pasta spirals which the kids really like. Enjoy!!

Bavarian Pot Roast by Mel

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. pot roast

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

3 whole cloves

4 medium apples, cored and quartered

1 small onion, sliced

1/2 c. apple juice

3-4 Tbsp. flour

2-4 Tbsp. water

Directions:

1. Trim excess fat from roast. Lightly rub meat with oil. Dust with salt, pepper, and ginger. Insert cloves into roast.

2. Place apples and onions in crock pot and top with roast.

3. Pour in apple juice. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours.

4. Remove roast and apples to platter.

5. Turn crock pot to high. Make a smooth paste of flour and water and stir into crock pot. Cover until thickened.

Freezer directions:

Thaw completely. Heat thoroughly. This can be done stove top or in a slow cooker. (Meat is already cooked). Remove roast and apples from broth, and thicken broth with flour/water paste on stove. (I did not thicken the gravy before freezing)

Baked Chicken by Mel

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

2/3 c. Bisquick

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4-6 chicken breasts (I prefer to cut them up)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan. Mix Bisquick, paprika, salt and pepper. Wet chicken and coat with dry mix. Place chicken in pan. Bake covered for @ 30 minutes. (optional: soak chicken in salt water overnight before preparing--makes it very juicy)

Freezer directions:

Prepare as above. Thaw completely and bake per instructions.

Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese by Amy

Ingredients:

1 pound short pasta, such as cavatappi or macaroni

Salt

6 Tbs. butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk or half and half (that's what I use)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs

Steps:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbs butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and 2 tsp salt; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in cheeses until smooth. Pour over pasta; toss to coat.

3. Melt remaining 2 Tbs butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over pasta.

4. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 40-45 minutes.

Freezer Preparation:

1. Divide macaroni mixture into baking dishes ( 2 - 8x8 pans).

2. Cover with breadcrumbs.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months.

Freezer to Oven:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen dishes on a baking sheet; remove plastic. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 60 to 70 minutes for large dishes, 40 to 50 minutes for small dishes. Remove foil; continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Crock Pot Barbecued Pork (adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It) by Amy

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. boneless pork roast or tenderloin, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

16 oz. bottle barbecue sauce

salt and pepper

Assembly:

1. Place meat in slow cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper over pork. Add onions and sauce.

2. Cover. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

3. Use 2 forks to shred meat.

4. Serve on sandwich rolls with sauce.

Freezing:

1. Allow barbeque to cool completely.

2. Place barbeque in a freezer container (Ziploc bag).

Freezer to Eating:

1. Thaw barbecue completely.

2. Place in sauce pan. Warm up barbecue over medium heat. Add more sauce if barbecue is dry.

3. Serve on sandwich rolls with sauce

Colorado Style Beef Enchiladas by Tish

** This is from a new cookbook I recently found called "Don't Panic-Dinner's In the Freezer"

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion (about 3/4 cup), diced
3-4 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or to taste
1 small can of green chiles, chopped
1 6-8 oz. can of green chile salsa (or any picante or salsa can be substituted)- I used mild picante salsa
1/4 - 1/3 cup water
Vegetable oil, for quick frying
12 corn tortillas
1 pound of grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

Sauce:
1 - 15 oz. can of mild red chile enchilada sauce
1 - 15 oz. can of mild or medium green enchilada sauce ( I used mild)
1/3 cup of sour cream
3 T. milk

yields 6-8 servings

Cooking Day Instructions:
Brown meat and onion in skillet on medium heat. While meat is browning, prepare sauce (see below).Drain meat and return to pan; add dry taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, green chile salsa (or salsa of your choice), and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water. Mix well, cover, and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Check meat mixture to see if most of the water has been absorbed. The meat should remain moist. Adjust seasonings at this point, if desired.
Cover and keep warm.

For sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine red and green enchilada sauces, sour cream and milk. Whisk till well blended and smooth. (you can add more sour cream or milk, if you prefer a less intense sauce)

In smaller pan, add 3-4 T. oil and heat over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, work quickly and dip each side of the corn tortillas in the hot oil (no more than 1-2 sec. per side). Promptly place tortillas on plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Assembly and Freezing:
In a prepared 9x13 dish, pour 3/4 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it. Top with a single layer of tortillas. Top tortillas with 1/2 of the meat mixture, then sprinkle with some of the cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, and cheese layers. Pour remaining sauce over top and top with remaining cheese. Cool completely. Then wrap pan in heavy aluminum foil and place in 2 gal Ziploc bag or wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or till cheese is bubbly and dish is heated all the way through. Can be served with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and/or guacamole.

Family Friendly Fast Stew by Andrea

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can whole corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can beans, drained
1/2 c. ketchup


Assembly: Brown and drain ground beef. Add in rest of ingredients. To eat on assembly day, cook in crock pot or heat through on the stove. To freeze: combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag and freeze.

To cook from frozen: Defrost and heat either in crock pot or in a pan on the stove.

Notes: This recipe was given to me for its flexibility and versatility. It can be adapted to suit your family preferences. You can use any flavor of tomatoes, even crushed. You may use 2 cans of creamed corn instead of the whole can, and you may use any kind of beans. It is also fine to leave it in the crock pot all day or heat it through quickly on the stove.

Baked Ziti with Chicken in Queso Sauce by Missy

Ingredients:
2 Cups Shredded Chicken (cooked)
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Mild RO*TEL
2 inches Velveeta "cheese"
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Box Ziti Noodles (cooked as directed on box)

Directions:
Cook chicken and shred. Cook Ziti as directed on the box and drain. Melt the Velveeta cheese in the microwave. Mix cans of soup, RO*TEL, and melted Velveeta cheese together. Stir all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 dish. Bake@35o for 45 min or until bubbling. After serving portions onto the plate, top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. ENJOY!!

Freezing Instructions:
Mix shredded chicken, cooked Ziti, soup, RO*TEL, and melted Velveeta and place wet ingredients into a freezer safe container. Place into freezer. On baking day, thaw completely and place in oven safe dish. Bake as directed and serve.
ENJOY!!!

Rerun: Bisquick Chicken Tenders & Mac-n-Cheese from Mags

Please leave your comments at the original post.
This recipe was first shared back in July:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/07/bisquick-chicken-tenders-mac-n-cheese.html
You can find cooking directions there as well.

I did pan-fry a batch (instead of baking) - they were DELICIOUS that way too!
Enjoy!
:) Mags

Spaghetti Casserole by Tish

** This meal is from the 30 Day Gourmet freezer meals site. I hope you and your family enjoy it!**
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
12 oz. Spaghetti COOKED (I cook till slightly Under-done) and broken into 2 inch pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 T. butter
12 oz. can of tomato paste
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. sugar
24 oz. cottage cheese (any variety)
3 3/4 c. COOKED and drained ground beef (*1 lb. UNcooked beef= 2 1/2 c cooked beef*)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Assembly Directions:
Cook Spaghetti till slightly UNDER-done. Drain and place in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan. In separate bowl, mix melted butter, beaten egg, and Parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper to taste. (Note: beat egg first, then add melted butter SLOWLY and whisking well, then add the other ingredients. Do this so you don't scramble the eggs)
spread this mixture over the noodles. Layer the cottage cheese over this layer.
In a separate bowl, combine tomato paste, water, oregano, garlic powder and sugar. Add cooked, DRAINED ground beef. Layer tomato mixture over cottage cheese.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
To Freeze: Wrap pan in heavy duty Aluminum foil or put pan down inside a 2 gallon freezer bag. Put mozzarella cheese in a separate freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw casserole and place on a cookie sheet. Bake COVERED at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes,(during last 10 minutes, remove foil and add mozzarella cheese, then return to oven for remaining cook time). Can be cooked from from frozen, just follow same instructions and increase the cooking time to 55-60 minutes.

Chicken Tortellini Soup by Jen

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth or stock
3 cups water
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups chicken breast (this can be 1/2 lb. of chicken or 2 cans of chicken)
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated three cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Assembly:
Bring broth, water, onion, basil, minced garlic to boil in large 3 qt. saucepan.
Add pasta; reduce heat to medium uncovered cook 4 min.
Stir in chicken, peas, soup into the boiling water for the least 5 minutes of the cooking time. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with pepper.

If your soup is too thin, add 2 Tblsp of cornstarch and 1/2 cup water to thicken.

Freezer Friends:
Thaw and Enjoy!

I didn't cook the pasta the entire time, b/c of the reheating process.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Amy

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package of thin spaghetti
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. of butter or olive oil

1 (8 0z.) package of sliced Bella mushrooms

1 cup diced onions

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (16 oz.) jar of Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup of Marsala cooking wine
1/4 tsp. of pepper


Assembly:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. of butter or olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and onion/mushroom mixture.
4. Stir together last 5 ingredients into the chicken mixture.
5. Stir in pasta.
6. Spoon mixture into 9x13 slightly greased baking dish.
7. Top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.


*If freezing, place mixture in a slightly greased 9x13 foil pan. Cool completely and then place plastic wrap and then foil on top. Seal tightly. When you are ready to eat the tetrazzini, thaw dish completely and then top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.


Serving size: 6 servings

Easy Beef Stroganoff by Wendy

Make-Ahead Ground Beef
1 med. onion
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 garlic clove, pressed

1. Chop onions.
2. Place onions, beef and garlic into a 12" skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 15-18 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles.

Prepare and Freeze:
To ground beef, add:
8oz. Sliced mushrooms
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Combine in large resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months.

Defrost
Microwave packet on Defrost (30% power) 8-10 minutes or until softened. Pour into 10" Skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (If cooking immediately, combine ingredients in 10"Skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat).

Finish and Serve

• Stir 8 oz. sour cream into beef mixture.
• Cook 1 lb. egg noodles; drain. Toss with 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley and 2 tbsp melted butter.(Optional)
• Spoon stroganoff over noodles and sprinkle wit additional paprika and parsley, if desired.

Yield: 6 Servings

Nutrients per serving (excluding optional ingredients): Calories 400, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Carbohydrate 27 g, Sodium 660 mg, Fiber 2 g.
This is a Pampered Chef Recipe.

Pesto Chicken Pasta by Andrea

This is a freezer recipe from TOH Simple & Delicious. The recipe makes 2 casseroles so I made an extra recipe and split it among all 4 families to make sure there was enough for each family.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) pasta
• 6 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
• 1 jar (10 ounces) prepared pesto
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
• To bake immediately: Pour into 2 greased 8" pans. Mix bread crumbs, Parm. cheese with oil and sprinkle over the top. Cover and bake the casserole at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
• To freeze: Transfer to 2 ziplock bags. In a small baggie, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil, mix.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pour into well greased pan. Sprinkle with topping mixtures. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Stubb's Chicken - by Mags

My husband chose our chicken marinade this month: Stubb's Chicken Marinade - "a special blend of citrus, herbs, and sesame." Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 bottle Stubb's Chicken Marinade

Preparation:

• Poke holes in your chicken breasts and place 6 in a Zip-Loc Freezer Bag.
• Pour in 1/2 a bottle of the marinade.
• Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and squoosh around so the chicken breasts are coated.
• Freeze Flat.
• If you are eating this on the same day as you prepared it, make sure your chicken breasts sit in the marinade for 2-6 hours.
  

Cooking Day:

• Thaw and cook, bake, or grill to your liking.

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, FREEZER FRIENDZ!

How is it possible that our little group has been exchanging meals for 2 YEARS?!! Wow!!



We'd LOVE to hear from YOU...

Do you have a favorite recipe from the last two years?
Have you and your friends started your own freezer group?

Post a comment with your favorite overall dish - either the title or link.
Your favorite may be something we need to make again!!

:)

Baked Potato Soup

This is one I've made before and posted in October 2008. It was such a big hit, I thought I would repeat this one again. Please reply to original post.
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/10/baked-potatoe-soup-by-wendy.html

Slow Cooker Pizza Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, sliced
2 medium bell peppers, cut into strips
2 cups tomato pasta sauce (from 26 oz jar)
1 package (16 oz) rotini pasta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Assembly:
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place chicken. Top with onion and bell peppers. Add pasta sauce.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours.

3. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Place pasta on platter. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Freezer Friends:
Option 1: If you decide to thaw, cook on low heat setting 4-6 hours. Our crock pot cooks very fast, so it only took 3 hours for our meal.

Option 2: Cook from frozen. Remove plastic bag from frozen meal. Place meal in crock pot. Cook on low 6-10 hours. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

Teriyaki Beef by Andrea

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. flank steak

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. white wine

1 T. sesame or olive oil

1/2 c. soy sauce

6 T. sugar

1/2 t. pepper

1 green onion, chopped

1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables

rice

Assembly:

Cut thin strips of steak against the grain. Mix all other ingredients in gallon bag. Add meat and marinate for 1 hour or freeze.

Serving Day:

Defrost meat and vegetables. Discard marinade. Stir fry 2-4 min in hot wok or skillet turning to brown on each side. This works best if you do a few pieces at a time. Next stir fry veggies to desired doneness, then return meat to pan to mix and heat through. Serve over rice.