Chicken Parmesan with Noodles

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 and freeze.

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.

Tuscan Style Chicken by Jackie

*adapted from original recipe by Once A Month Mom http://onceamonthmom.com/hellmanns-tuscan-glazed-chicken/

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. diced roasted red peppers

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Assembly:
Trim all fat from chicken breasts.  Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness.  To do this, I lay a large piece of Glad Press 'n Seal on my counter.    Place 4 breasts on top.  Cover with another piece of Press 'n Seal.  Seal well around the edges.  Pound meat with a meat tenderizer.  (I'm sure you can tell - Mine is over 20 years old!)  Move chicken to a tray lined with waxed paper.  I ran out, so I had to use foil.  Foil works, is not ideal for later steps.

Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spread evenly on top of all 6 chicken breasts. 

Place tray in the freezer and flash freeze the chicken.  This means, leave chicken in freezer until each piece is individually frozen.  Place chicken breasts in a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.  Label and freeze.

 

Serving Day:

Take out the number of chicken breasts that you would like to cook.  Place them in a baking dish.  If any of the topping is stuck to bag, try to add it to the top of the chicken breasts.  Thaw completely.  Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. 

 

Layered Enchilada Bake by Jen

Recipe from: www.kraftfoods.com
Servings: 8

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning Mix

6 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1 cup Sour Cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Assembly:
Heat oven to 400ºF.  Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Stir in next 4 ingredients.  Arrange 3 tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover with layers of half each meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers; cover.  Bake 40 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted, uncovering after 30 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving. 
   

Bake from Frozen:

Line 13x9-inch baking dish with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of dish. Assemble recipe in prepared dish as directed. Cover with additional foil. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bake casserole, covered, in 400ºF oven 1 hour. Remove foil. Bake an additional 15 to 20 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve. To decrease the baking time, thaw frozen casserole in refrigerator overnight, then bake, uncovered, 45 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.

 

Serving Day:

Bake 40 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted, uncovering after 30 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving. OR follow bake from frozen directions.

Smoked Sausage Skillet Supper by Beth

Ingredients:
16 oz. smoked sausage (I used turkey), sliced into coins
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. plus 2 T. butter
2 cans green beans (16 oz each), drained
3 c. diced, cooked potatoes
1/4 c. plus 2 T. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. milk
Assembly:
Saute sausage and onion in butter in large skillet until onion is tender and sausage is golden around edges.  Remove from heat.  While cooling sausage slightly, layer green beans and potatoes in gallon size Ziploc bag.  With slotted spoon, remove sausage from pan and add to bag.  In same skillet (with remaining butter), stir in flour and salt until smooth.  Gradually add milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with whisk.  Bring to boil and boil for 2 min.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Pour sauce over contents of freezer bag.  Allow to cool completely before sealing bag.  Lay flat to freeze.
Day of serving:
Thaw completely.  Transfer to large skillet (or stockpot) and heat until heated through.  You may need to add a little milk if mixture becomes too thick.

Beef Fajitas by Amy

Ingredients: 
1.5 pounds of tip sirloin sliced into strips 
1 bell pepper sliced into strips 
1 onion sliced into strips 
1 packet of fajita seasoning 
1 cup of water. 
1 pack of tortillas 
1 bag of cheese 

Assembly: Mix the fajita seasoning and 1 cup of water in a bowl.  Combine this mix and the beef strips in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Put the vegetables in a quart-size Ziploc bag.  Freeze these bags.

Serving Day: Thaw both bags.  Put 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Preheat skillet. Put beef mixture in the hot skillet.  Cook until brown.  Remove beef.  Put 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet.  Put the vegetables in the hot skillet.  Cook until tender.  Add the beef.  Cook for a little longer.  Scoop into tortillas, add cheese if desired.

Veggie Calzones by Wendy

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 loaves (1 lb. each) frozen bread dough, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Assembly:
1. In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and green pepper in oil until tender.  Add tomatoes; cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste; set aside.  Combine cheeses and set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into eight pieces.  Toll each piece into a 7 in. circle.  Spoon a scant 1/2 cup vegetable mixture and 1/4 cup cheese mixture over one side of each circle.  Brush edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal.  Place calzones 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
3.  Whisk egg and water; brush over calzones.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove desired number of calzones from baking sheet and cool.  Bake the remaining calzones 18-22 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.  Place cooled calzones in freezer bags.  May be frozen for up to 3 months.

To serve frozen calzones: 
Place 2 inch apart on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Yield:  8 servings

Chicken Penne Al Fresco by Wendy

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, peeled or pressed
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3 cups uncooked mezze penne pasta, (any tube shaped pasta requiring 9-11 min. cook time may be be substituted.)
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay (3/4 cup chicken broth may be substituted.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 oz. Parmesan Cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
2 cups diced grilled chicken breasts

Assembly:
1.  Spray Covered Microwave Dish with olive oil, then add garlic and tomatoes.  Cover; microwave on high 4-5 minutes.  Crush tomatoes and put in gallon size Ziploc bag with broth, wine, chicken, salt and black pepper.
2.  Put pasta in a quart size Ziploc bag. Coarsely chop basil and put in sandwich Ziploc bag with grated Parmesan Cheese.  I then put all 3 bags in another gallon size Ziploc bag.  Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Two options to cook, microwave OR stove top:
Microwave:  Put broth mixture in covered dish with pasta.  Heat in microwave 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 minutes.  Remove baking dish and add Parmesan cheese and basil mixture to dish.  Mix and serve. 
Stove top:  Put broth mixture in pot and heat till boiling.  Add pasta, cook until pasta is tender.  Add Parmesan cheese and basil mixture to pan and serve.

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves by Wendy

(This is a re-do of Jen's Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup saltines, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Assembly:
In a large bowl, whisk egg and milk. Stir in the cheese, oats, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; Pour into sandwich size Ziploc bag.

Serving Day:
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Acorn Squash Soup by Jen

Recipe from: Taste of Home 2002 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Yield: 6 Servings (I doubled this recipe to serve 6 adults)      

        

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon Dill Weed
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 3 cups mashed cooked acorn squash
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Assembly: 

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter. Stir in flour, bouillon, dill, curry and cayenne until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the squash, salt and pepper; heat through.
• In a blender, process the soup in batches until smooth. Pour into bowls; sprinkle with bacon. Yield: 6 servings.

Serving Day:

Thaw, Heat through, garnish with bacon and serve.

Chicken Crescent Squares by Beth

I doubled this recipe for our group.

Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 T. butter, divided into 2T. & 1T., then melted
2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. milk
1 T. onion, chopped (I used dried, minced onion)
8 oz. refrigerated crescent rolls (Recipe Creations works best)
1/2 c. seasoned croutons, crushed

Assembly:
Blend cream cheese and 2 T. butter until smooth.  Add next 5 ingredients and mix well.  With pizza cutter, cut dough into 4 rectangles. (If using perforated dough, divide into 4 rectangles and firmly press perforations to seal).  Spoon 1/2 c. chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle.  Pull four corners of dough to top center of meat mixture and twist slightly.  Pinch edges together to seal.  Brush top with remaining 1 T. melted butter.  Sprinkle with crouton crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 min. or just to the point before they get browned.  Cool completely.  Freeze on cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bag. (If not freezing, bake at 350 for 20-25 min).

Serving Day:
Preheat oven to 350.  Place frozen squares on cookie sheet and bake 35-40 min. until golden brown and filling is sizzling.

Hearty Macaroni Bake by Jackie

adapted from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Hearty-Macaroni-Casserole

Ingredients:1 pkg. (7 1/4 oz.) macaroni and cheese dinner mix + butter & milk as pkg. calls for
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup French Fried Onions

Assembly:
Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add to prepared macaroni. Stir in tomatoes.

Spoon half of the mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Top with remaining macaroni mixture. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Place French's Fried Onions into a pint size freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze.

 

Serving Day:

Thaw completely in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover & sprinkle French's Fried Onions (or 1 cup of cheddar cheese) on top. Bake 10 more minutes, or until heated through.

Breaded Ranch Chicken by Jen

Re-run from Breaded Ranch Chicken by Debbie

 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
8 chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Assembly:
In a shallow bowl, combine corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in corn flake mixture to coat. Place in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. You can freeze at this point.

Serving Day:
When ready to eat, thaw chicken completely. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Southern Living Turkey Chili by Amy

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound of ground turkey
1 Tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
3 cans of kidney (dark and light) and chili beans - 1 of each - rinsed and drained- except for the chili beans
2 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Assembly:
1. Saute chopped onion in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; add garlic - 1 minute.

2. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt , and pepper - cook, stirring often, until meat crumbles and is no longer pink.

3. Stir in tomato paste - 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

*For your meal, I did not put in the chicken broth.  You will need to thaw the chili and add the broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally - 30 minutes.

Beth's Beef Broccoli Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. boneless round steak, sliced into thin strips
3 T. cornstarch
3 T. soy sauce
1 t. garlic powder
4 c. cooked spaghetti (12 oz. uncooked)
2 t. dark sesame oil
3 c. broccoli florets
1/2 large onion, sliced vertically
3/4 c. beef broth
2 T. oyster sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. ginger

Assembly:
Combine first 4 ingredients in resealable bag and marinade in fridge for at least 20 min.  If freezing, cook spaghetti noodles for 2-3 less minutes than the minimum time on the box directions.  Drain noodles, run under cold water, then toss with sesame oil until coated, dump into gallon size Ziploc bag.  In large skillet saute onion and broccoli (use a little cooking oil), until crisp tender, dump into freezer bag over noodles.  In the same skillet, cook steak over med-high heat and saute for about 5 min, or until done.  Dump cooked beef strips in bag over broccoli.  Combine beef broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce (1/4 c.), cornstarch (1 T.), and ginger in small saucepan.  Heat and whisk until all is dissolved, pour into bag over beef.  Seal bag and freeze flat.

Day of Serving:
Completely thaw.  Pour into glass serving dish (9x13 works well).  Pour 1/4 c. water into bag to get any residual sauce (plus, the dish needs more moisture).  Heat in microwave for 5 min.  Stir.  Heat another 5 min.  Stir and check temperature (adding additional time, if needed).

Jackie's Creamy Chicken Tortelloni with Peppers

Ingredients:
2 (9 oz.) packages BUITONI Refrigerated Chicken & Prosciutto Tortelloni

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups cooked, boneless, skinless chicken shredded
1 can Progresso Creamy Basil with Parmesan Cooking Sauce
1 (12oz)bag frozen 3 Pepper and Onion Blend

Assembly:
Combine chicken and cooking sauce in a quart size Ziploc freezer bag.  Freeze remaining ingredients in their original packages.  Place all items in a large 2.5 gallon Ziploc bag and lay flat to freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw chicken/sauce packet and tortelloni only.  Keep peppers/onions frozen.  Cook tortelloni according to package instructions.  Keep hot.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook peppers and onions until soft.  Add chicken and sauce until heated through.  Gently stir in tortelloni.  Enjoy!

Baked Mostaccioli by Jen

Adapted from www.food.com
This recipe serves 4 (So I 1-1/2 times the recipe for our freezer group)

Ingredients:

2 cups spaghetti sauce with meat (about 1-1 ½ lb. meat and 1 jar of sauce)
3 cups cooked mostaccioli noodles
3 tablespoons small curd cottage cheese or 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish, cover with Mozzarella.
Cover and freeze or Bake, covered if your cheese is browning too quickly, until browned and bubbly and heated through.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350°F  Bake, covered if your cheese is browning too quickly, until browned and bubbly and heated through.

Lipton Onion Burgers by Jackie

*adapted from recipe on box of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Ingredients:(for 8 hamburger patties)
2 lbs fresh ground beef
1 packet Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix *see recipe below for homemade mix option
1/2 water
8 hamburger buns
Cheese, lettuce, tomato - whatever you like on your own burgers

Assembly:
1. Combine beef, water and seasoning packet in a large mixing bowl.
2. Use your mixer on low to mix ingredients thoroughly.
3. Lay out a pieces of wax paper (or parchment paper) on a cookie sheet.
4. Scoop eight 1/2 cup portions of the beef mixture.  Form into patties and place on lined cookie sheet.
5. Place cookie sheet of burgers into freezer to flash freeze.
6. When frozen solid, remove burgers from cookie sheet and place into a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw patties completely.
Grill or broil.
To broil, put on greased broiler pan for about 6-7 minutes on each side.
To grill, cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Add cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, or whatever you like on your burger!
Enjoy!

Dry Onion Soup Mix

★★★★★

Soups

Prep 5 m ∙ Cook 5 m ∙ Makes 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Stir the onion flakes, beef bouillon granules, onion powder, parsley flakes, celery seed, paprika, and black pepper in a bowl. Use as substitute for a 1-ounce envelope of dry onion soup mix.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 34 kcal 2%
Fat: 1.1 g 2%
Carbs: 4.5g 1%
Protein: 1.6 g 3%
Cholesterol: < 1 mg < 1%
Sodium: 81 mg 3%

Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager

Cheat Chicken and Dumplings by Beth

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Chicken Helper, Creamy Chicken and Noodles
1 c. wide egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. raw chicken, cut into cubes
2 T. butter
1 c. water
2 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg. Grands biscuits

Assembly:
Take out bag of noodles from the Chicken Helper and set aside to use on day of serving.  In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Cook chicken until no longer pink.  Remove from heat and add the water, milk, broth, soup, and sauce packet from the Chicken Helper.  Stir until combined (no need to heat this up if freezing).  Add frozen veggies.  Carefully pour into gallon Ziploc bag.  Lay flat to freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw above bag and pour into large skillet.  Add the noodles (from Chicken Helper as well as an extra 1 c. of wide egg noodles).  Bring to boil and simmer for 12 minutes, or until noodles are tender.  Meanwhile, prepare biscuits as instructed on can.  Serve chicken noodles over an open Grand biscuit.

Mexican Chicken with Black Bean Filling by Amy

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
3 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 jar (32 oz) of salsa

Optional Ingredients: To be put with meal AFTER IT IS COOKED! 
1 bag of shredded cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips

Assembly:
1. Make a "rub" with the 4 spices and rub on the chicken breasts - place in a crock pot.
2. Add the other ingredients (except chips and cheese) and mix.
3. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken during the last hour of cooking to give the meat more flavor.

If you want to freeze:
1. Cool chicken mixture.
2. Pour into Ziploc freezer bag.
3. Freeze.

*For our group, you will need to thaw ingredients and then start at #3 under "Steps".

Serving day:
1. Thaw overnight.
2. Heat mixture and serve over rice with shredded cheese on top or just eat with tortilla chips.

More ideas for the chicken filling:
1. Mexican pizza topping.
2. Tacos
3. Taco salad
4. Breakfast burrito

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups by Jen (Re-run)

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:40 min
Makes: 6-9 servings (I make this recipe 1 1/2 times for our freezer meal group to feed 6 adults)

Ingredients:
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Italian Style Chicken Breast Strips or (12oz.) Canned Chicken
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 t. minced garlic (optional)
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain well
Mix chicken, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and seasoning; spread 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each noodle. Roll up tightly; place, seam sides down, in 9-inch square baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over roll-ups; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Note: If freezing place roll-ups in a 9x13 aluminum pan.

Serving Day:
Thaw, Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through.

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole by Beth

Adapted from Katie Pokopac's recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
garlic salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 slices American cheese
26 oz. OreIda frozen fries (I used Seasoned Crinkles)

Assembly:
Brown meat in skillet and drain.  Mix soup and seasonigs with meat.  Transfer to greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Layer cheese on top of meat mixture, breaking cheese to cover entirely, if needed.  Layer frozen fries on top of cheese.  Cover and freeze.

Day of Serving:
Completely thaw casserole.  Bake at 350 for 30 min.  Then, increase heat to 400 and continue to bake until fries are crispy and meat mixture is bubbly (15-20 min).  Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.

Potato and Ham Casserole by Jackie

Adapted from original recipe: http://www.cooken-casseroles.com/potato-ham-casserole/potato-casseroles/

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 Tbsps butter
1/2 c. diced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 c. milk
2 c. diced ham
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bag (32oz.) frozen Southern Style Hash Brown diced potatoes (I have also made this casserole out of cut up leftover baked potatoes.)

Assembly:

In a large saucepan heat oil and butter over medium heat; add onion and cook until translucent.  Add soup, milk, ham, salt and pepper and stir well; remove from heat.  Cover bottom of a 9″ x 13″ aluminum foil baking dish with frozen potatoes and pour sauce evenly over the top.  Cover with Press and Seal wrap and then cover with a layer of aluminum foil.  Label and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Remove all wrap.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Root Beer Pulled Pork by Beth

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork roast
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 liter of Root Beer
Bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

Assembly:
Rinse the roast with water and pat dry with paper towel.  Mix seasonings (brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper).  Rub the seasoning mixture all over the roast.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Sear the pork roast on all sides then place in crock pot.  Completely cover roast with root beer (you will not use the entire 2 L).  Cover and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.  Remove roast from crock pot and allow to cool enough until able to handle.  Shred the pork into pieces, removing fat, and place into large bowl as you work.  When done shredding all the meat, add BBQ to your desired level of sauciness.  I also used some of the root beer broth to help moisten.  This part is dependent on your own taste.  Transfer from bowl to gallon size Ziploc bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Transfer to glass dish and warm up in microwave or in large saucepan on stove top.  Serve on hamburger buns.

*If you use a boneless pork loin roast, the meat will be harder to shred (although healthier).  Fattier cuts will shred much easier.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake by Amy

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 package (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce
2 oz (1/4 of 8 oz. package) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided - 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Assembly Day:
1.  Cook pasta in large pot as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
2.  Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat for three minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and spaghetti sauce; bring to boil.  Simmer on low heat for three minutes or until chicken is done.  Stir in cream cheese.
3.  Drain pasta mixture; return to pan.  Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella; pour into 9x13 foil pan sprayed with cooking spray.
4.  Freeze.

Serving Day:
1.  Thaw completely.
2.  Remove plastic wrap and foil before placing pan in a preheated oven - 375 degrees.
3.  Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through; top with remaining cheese.  Bake three minutes or until mozzarella is melted.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos by Jackie

adapted from recipe on  Pennies on a Platter
Yield: 10-12 taquitos

Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
10-12 small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Assembly:
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic.  Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions.  Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.  Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.  Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Flash freeze taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet until hardened. 
Place in Ziploc freezer bag and freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Bake from frozen. Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil if browning too quickly.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole, if desired.

Meatloaf by Amy Sauve

This is a rerun.  Find recipe and leave comments at this link:http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/08/meatloaf-by-amy-sauve.html

P.J.'s Chicken by Beth

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. whole chicken, cut up (or use combination of chicken legs & thighs)
Salt and pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly:
Cut skin and fat off of chicken, rinse with water, and place in single layer in greased 9x13 baking dish.  Salt and pepper chicken.  In small bowl, mix the soups.  Cover chicken with the soups and sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Bake, uncovered, at 300 for 3 hrs.  Serve over rice.

*For the rice, bring 3 cups water to a boil.  Add 1 T. butter and 3/4 tsp. salt.  Stir in rice.  Reduce hear, cover and simmer for 20 min.  Let stand covered for 5 min or until water is absorbed.  Fluff with fork.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs by Jackie

*This is Jen's original recipe with a few adjustments to assembly and serving instructions.

Ingredients:
36 - 1 oz. frozen homestyle meatballs (I used Deluxe Meatballs from GFS.)
1 large can of pineapple chucks and juice
1 jar of Kikoman’s Teriyaki Baste and Glaze (Kroger brand works too.)
2 cups of frozen 3 pepper and onion blend
1 bag of  rice

Assembly:
Pour pineapple chunks and juice, teriyaki glaze, frozen vegetables and frozen meatballs into a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Option 1: Cook from thawed:
Thaw completely. Pour meatball mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake covered at 350 for 30-45 mins. Serve over the cooked rice.

Option 2: Cook from frozen:
Pour frozen meatball mixture into slow cooker.  Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours, until done.

Serve both options over prepared rice.

Serving Day ~ Rice:
Stove Top Directions:
Add rice and 3 1/3c. water in a saucepan.  Add butter and salt if desired (I use 1 tablespoon butter and 3/4 tsp. salt).  Stir and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. 

Microwave Directions:
Add rice and 3 1/3 c. water to microwave safe container.  Add butter and salt if desired (I use
1 tablespoon butter and 3/4 tsp. salt).  Stir and cover.  Cook on Meduim (50%) power for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from microwave and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sliders by Jen

(Re-run from Jackie)

Ingredients
12 slider buns
3/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
6 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
3/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 T. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds (I cut back a little bit based on comments)
1 T. dried, minced onion

Assembly Line baking pan with buns. Remove tops of buns and set aside. Layer ham evenly on all buns. Layer cheese evenly on all buns. Place tops of buns onto the sandwiches. In small bowl, mix butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds and onion. Pour mustard mixture evenly over buns.

Serving Day Preheat oven to 350. Place in oven directly from freezer (REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP FIRST). Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover. Bake another 5 minutes.

**Can use Kings Hawaiian rolls in place of slider buns.
***This makes a great appetizer for parties too!

Herb & Garlic Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
12 oz. bottle of Herb and Garlic 30 min. Marinade
3 lb. bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6-7 halves)

Assembly:
Mix marinade and chicken breasts in large Ziploc freezer bag.
Place in freezer until ready to grill. Or thaw chicken, then refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.

Serving Day:
When chicken is thawed, heat grill to medium heat.
Grill chicken 7 min.; turn over.
Grill another 6 to 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF)

Chicken Cacciatore by Jackie

Ingredients:

2 lb. chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. marjoram leaves
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 1/2 cup)
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
spaghetti

Assembly: 
Place raw chicken cubes in gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bag.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Mix, making sure all pieces are coated.   Add all remaining ingredients, except the spaghetti.  Mix well.  Lay flat to freeze. 

Serving Day: 
Thaw completely.  Place in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve over cooked spaghetti.

Freezer Cooking for One or Two

I had a great time sharing about freezer cooking with the West Side Joy Belles tonight.  What a great group of women!  Thank you for the invitation to share with you.

One of the things that came up at tonight's talk was about freezer cooking for one or two.  There are lots of recipes that can easily be divided into portions for smaller families. 

• If you make soup, divide it into a few quart size freezer bags or flash freeze it in muffin tins. 
• Sloppy Joes can be flash frozen in muffin tins as well. 
• Shredded meat for sandwiches can be frozen in pint or quart size bags. 
• As you look at the recipes you enjoy making, think about if you could divide it into two smaller casseroles instead of one big one.  Eat one and freeze one for later.  You may need to lessen the baking time if you use more shallow dishes. 

I am so excited about tonight's discussion!  The possibilities are endless.  You could start a freezer swap with other women who have one or two to cook for as well.  A swap could add lots of variety to your meals and allow you to cook some of those favorites that you may have decided are too big for just one or two.  Perhaps a swap is not your thing.  You could share the smaller portions you make with others.  What a great way to provide meals to someone who lives alone and is unable to cook for him/herself!

Let us know if you find ways to include freezer cooking for one or two in your life.

Saucy Beef Tips by Beth

Ingredients:
2 lbs. stew meat, raw
10.75 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
10.75 oz.  can tomato soup
1 envelope Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix

Assembly:
Place all ingredients in gallon size freezer bag.  No need to mix up.  Lay flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Pour in crock pot and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve poured over noodles.

Pork Noodle Casserole by Wendy

This came from Taste of Home, Freezer Pleasers Cookbook.  The recipe is by Barbara Beyer of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.  This is great served with warm rolls.

Ingredients:
3 cups cubed cooked pork
1 can (14 3/4 oz) cream-style corn
1 cup chicken broth
4 oz. process cheese (Velveeta), diced
2/3 cup chopped green pepper
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) whole mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons diced pimientos
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz. uncooked egg noodles

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine the pork, corn, broth, cheese, pepper, onion, mushrooms, pimientos, salt and pepper.  Add noodles;  gently toss to coat.  Pour into Gallon Freezer Bag and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until noodles are tender, stirring every 20 minutes. 

Yield:  6 servings

Slow Cooker Country-Style Pork Ribs by Amy

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds country-style boneless pork or beef ribs (I used pork with a small bone in some of the pieces.)
• 1 (16 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce (I used 2 cups of Montgomery Inn sauce.)
• 1 large onion - sliced
• 6 garlic cloves - minced
• 1/4 cup of honey or to taste
• Salt and pepper

Assembly:

1. Place ribs in Ziploc bag and sprinkle salt and pepper over ribs.
2. Mix barbeque sauce, honey, onions, and garlic in bowl.
3. Pour over ribs.
4. Freeze bag.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw bag.
2. Place contents in slow cooker.
3. Cook in slow cooker for 7-8 hours or until tender.
4. Serve with mashed potatoes or hash browns - Enjoy!

Repeat of Chicken Tetrazzini by Amy

You can find this recipe and leave comments at this link:  http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-tetrazzini.html

Potato Bacon Chowder by Beth

Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon, cut up
2 c. onion, chopped
4 c. potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, grated
can of corn, drained
2 c. water (use part bacon grease for extra flavor)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
pepper, to taste
2 t. parsley

Assembly:
Fry bacon in stockpot and drain.  Pour water in the same pot (to get flavor from the bacon).  Add potatoes and onions and cook until potatoes are tender.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into gallon size bags (2 bags works best).  Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Heat up in stockpot, but do not bring to boil. Or, pour in crock pot and heat slowly throughout the day.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss by Jen

from: Kraftfoods.com (4 servings, 2 cup each - I did this recipe 1 1/2 times for our group)

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, broken into quarters
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Assembly:
Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.
Add next 5 ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Note: Substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces, for the oven-ready noodles. Increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 min., stirring occasionally.

To Freeze:
Prepare meat mixture and pour into ziploc bag. Make sure you add 2 cups of water if you use regular lasagna noodles. In another 2 ziploc bags, place broken lasagna noodles and cheese.

Serving Day:
Thaw, pour bag of meat mixture into a large skillet. Bring to boil. Stir in noodle pieces; cover. May need to add 1 more cup of water if skillet is too dry. Cook on medium-low heat 30 mins or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Scrumptious Beef by Jackie

This recipe is adapted from the original recipe in Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. stew meat, raw
8 oz. canned mushrooms, drained
1 1/3c. beef broth
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. Lipton dry onion or beefy onion soup mix

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients, except stew meat in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Add meat and mix.  Lay bag flat to freeze.

Serving Day:
Option #1:
Thaw completely.  Place in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Option #2:
Thaw enough to remove contents from Ziploc and place in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Freezer Friendz:  The rice that I gave you is regular long grain rice.  I put instructions on your bag about how much water to add.  Bring to a brisk boil.  Turn heat down very low.  Cover.  Simmer 15-18 minutes.

Pepsi Pot Roast by Amy Sauve

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. pot roast
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
12 oz. can Pepsi or other cola

Assembly:
1. Place meat in ziploc bag.
2. Top with onio soup mix, mushroom soup and Pepsi.
3. Freeze.

Serving Day:
1. Completely thaw bag.
2. Pour content of bag into crock pot.
3. Cover. Cook on High for 6 hours.

*You can peel and cut potatoes to put in the crock pot during the cooking time.

Chicken Tortellini Casserole by Beth

Ingredients:
1 pkg (18-19 oz) frozen cheese filled tortellini
8 oz.  Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
2-3 c. cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
¾ c. onion, chopped
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 T. chicken bouillon granules
1 ¾ c. chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can (4 oz) mushrooms, drained
½ c. sour cream

Assembly:
Put frozen tortellini in boiling water for about 3-5 min, drain.  Place in bottom of greased 9x13 pan.  On top of noodles, sprinkle ½ c. cheese and then chicken.  Cook onion in saucepan with butter until tender, add flour.  Gradually whisk in bouillon and chicken broth and bring to boil over medium heat.  Boil for 2 min.  Add soup, mushrooms, sour cream and 1 c. cheese.  Pour sauce over chicken/noodles, sprinkle with remaining ½ c. cheese.  Cover pan with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.  Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until golden and bubbly.

Taco Soup by Jen (Rerun)

via Julie Clark's Taco Soup

This is a rerun from 2008. See the following link for cooking instructions:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/07/julies-taco-soup.html

Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Pork Chops by Jackie

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Kraft Fresh Take Cheese & Breadcrumb Mix, Rosemary & Roasted Garlic flavor
1 egg, beaten
6 pork chops, 1/2" thick *

Assembly:
Dip pork chops in egg.  Coat both sides with Fresh Take mix.  Place flat in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag, so that no pork chops are stacked.  Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Bake on 375 for 28-30 minutes or until cooked through.  DO NOT turn during baking. 

*If pork chops are thinner, cook for less time.

Chicken and Broccoli Dinner by Wendy

Ingredients:
1 pkg. stuffing mix, chicken flavor
1 cup water
10 pcs. chicken tenders
4 cups broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked
4 Tablespoons Ranch dressing

Assembly:
Combine stuffing mix and water.  Pour in 8x8 Pan.  Top with seasoned chicken tenders.  Top chicken with broccoli.  Top broccoli with cheese.  Crumble bacon over cheese.  Drizzle with Ranch dressing.  Cover with foil.  Freeze or bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

To Serve from Frozen:
Thaw completely.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

How Freezer Friendz Conducts Their Freezer Swap

One question that I get a lot is, "What does a freezer swap look like?"   We captured our swap with our camera this time so you could see for yourself.  This is the swap we just had on Friday.  There are currently five members of our group.   Each member cooks the same meal five times.  She keeps one and brings one for each of the other four members to the swap.  You may notice that the person on the end did not get the buns.  That is my pile.  I made the meal with the buns, so I already had my meal in the freezer. 

As you can see in the photo, we have a tent card for each member.  When a member arrives for the exchange, she brings her cooler inside and starts placing a meal next to each member's name card.  After all members have passed out their food, we all start to pack our coolers.  The whole exchange takes about ten minutes if everyone arrives on time.  Most of the time we all leave and go on with our day.  Occasionally, we may make it a bit more of a social time. 

Our swap occurs once a month.  It is always held at the same house, on the same day of the month (2nd Friday) and at the same time.  Keeping things consistent helps to eliminate confusion and ensures that no one will get frustrated by constant changes to the schedule.  We have 2 full time teachers in our group.  They cannot attend the exchange because we hold ours during the school day.  No biggie!  They just drop off their meals to one of our members to bring for them.  They then arrange to pick up their coolers full of food at a later time.  It works beautifully. 

Do any of you do a meal swap?  Is yours similar?  We'd love to know how you conduct yours!

Parmesan Chicken by Amy

You can find the recipe and leave comments at this link: http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/12/parmesan-chicken-by-amy.html

Enjoy!

Rerun: Sloppy Joe Muffins by Jackie

You can find the recipe and leave comments at the following link.  Enjoy!
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/05/freezer-sloppy-joes.html#comment-form

Spice Rubbed Pork Loin by Erica

Ingredients:
3-4 pound pork loin
4 tbs. brown sugar
8 tsp. sweet and smoky chipotle powder
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp. dried thyme
3 teaspoons garlic pepper

Assembly:
In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients. Place pork evenly on plastic wrap. Rub spice mixture evenly on pork. Bring up the sides of the plastic wrap to enclose pork. Freeze.

Serving Day:
Defrost completely.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil and coat foil with nonstick cooking spray. Unwrap pork and place on baking sheet. Coat pork evenly with non stick cooking spray.

Cook loin for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Internal thermometer should read 160 degrees.

Remove from oven, cut and serve.

Rerun: So You Forgot to Defrost Chicken! by Jen

The original recipe is from Fix-it and Forget-It Cookbook and was written by Mary Seislstad. I have made slight adjustments for freezing.

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (original recipe calls for frozen chicken)
2 10 3/4oz. cans cream of chicken soup
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, or 1/2c. sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Egg Noodles or Rice

Assembly:
Place chicken in gallon Ziploc bag. Mix remaining ingredients in separate bowl and pour over chicken. Freeze standing up, so it will fit in the crock pot when you are ready to cook.

Serving Day:
Cook from frozen. Remove plastic bag from frozen meal. Place meal in crock pot. Cook on low 10-12 hours. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

Freezer Friendz: I included egg noodles.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder by Wendy

Ingredients:
4 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped carrots
2 stalks celery
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 cups chicken broth
4 large potatoes
1 pkg. (12 oz) Polish sausage (or chicken)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
1 1/3 cup milk
4 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese

Assembly:
Saute in butter-onions, carrots, celery until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flout with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk, broccoli and cook until broccoli is tender and soup is heated through, about 30-45 min.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt and serve or cool and freeze in gallon Ziploc bags.

To Serve from Frozen:
Thaw bag and reheat until hot.

Yield:  8 servings

Li'l Cheddar Meat Loaves by Jen

Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Assembly:
In a large bowl, whisk egg and milk. Stir in the cheese, oats, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Freezer Friends:
Thaw, Bake at 350 for 45 mins.

Internet Explorer Issues

Hi Friendz,
Our site and many others are experiencing issues with Internet Explorer.  This is not something that Freezer Friendz can fix, but hopefully IE will fix it soon.  If you are clicking on a recipe and it disappears after a brief appearance, you may need to temporarily access the site through another browser.  You can download Firefox or Google Chrome for this.  So sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused.

Thanks,
Jackie

Pork Chops with Caribbean Jerk Marinade plus Pot-Luck Potatoes by Amy

Ingredients:

6 Pork Chops (pork tenderloin sliced 1 1/2" thickness)

1 bottle of K.C. Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk Marinade

Assembly:

1. Place chops into a gallon sized Ziploc bag.

2. Pour marinade over pork chops.

3. Freeze.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw pork chops.

2. Grill chops and enjoy

3. Serve with the potatoes!!!

Pot-Luck Potato Casserole:

Ingredients:

2 pounds of frozen hash browns (I used the shredded kind.)

1/4 cup of melted butter

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1 can of cream of chicken soup

16 ounce container of sour cream

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly:
1. Defrost potatoes.2. Combine potatoes and melted butter in large bowl.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix carefully.

4. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan. (I split this recipe and place the mixture into two 8x8 pans. I freeze one pan.)

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw completely.

2. Remove covering.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Jackie's Homemade Meatballs

Ingredients:
1lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in bowl until well blended.  Form 1 1/2 inch balls.  I use the medium Pampered Chef scoop.  Place on baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. 

Place on cooling racks lined with paper towels to catch grease.  Once completely cooled, place into Ziploc freezer bags.  Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw and reheat.

Meatball Lasagna by Jackie

Ingredients:24 meatballs *(see recipe for Jackie's Homemade Meatballs)
4 3/4 cups Ragu**
6 cups cooked bite-size pasta
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint cottage cheese
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
Parmesan Cheese

Assembly:
Run cottage cheese through the blender to give smooth consistency. 
Combine cottage cheese, eggs, and Italian seasoning. 
Spoon 1 3/4c. Ragu on bottom of 9x13" baking dish. 
Layer remaining ingredients in this order: 

1. Noodles
2. Cottage cheese mixture
3. 1 c. of the shredded mozzarella
4. Meatballs
5. 3 cups of Ragu
6. 2 cups mozzarella cheese 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.   Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil.  Label and freeze.
Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Remove plastic wrap and aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Notes:
*You could use store bought meatballs, but you would need to add more if they are small.  I feel like the homemade recipe provides a more flavorful meatball, which makes a more flavorful lasagna.

** This is more than a regular size jar of Ragu, but less than 2 jars. I felt like 1 jar wasn't enough, but 2 was too much. I would just use the leftover sauce for dipping garlic bread, or freeze it for later.