Meet The Freezer Friendz!

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

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Baked Mostaccioli by Jen

PhotoAdapted 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.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

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%

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

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.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

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