Freezer Friendz

Li'l Cheddar Meat Loaves by Jen

2012-01-19T17:19:00.001-05:00

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

Directions
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

2012-01-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-14T15:48:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

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

1 bottle of K.C. Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk Marinade

Steps:

1. Place chops into a gallon sized ziploc bag.

2. Pour marinade over pork chops.

3. Freeze.

Day of Serving:

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

Steps: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

2012-01-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
1lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 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

2012-01-12T17:15:00.034-05:00

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:

Noodles
Cottage cheese mixture
1 c. of the shredded mozzarella
Meatballs
3 cups of Ragu
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.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Veggies by Erica

2012-01-10T21:49:00.003-05:00

2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
1 tsp paprika
5 pieces of sliced provolone or swiss cheese cut in half (I did both for my recipe)
8 pieces of ham cut in 2 inch strips
4 cheese Alfredo sauce
1 bag of spring mix veggies (the kind I bought were already seasoned)

To cook:
Place chicken breast tenderloins in a pan
sprinkle with paprika
place sliced cheese on each chicken tenderloin
place two strips of ham on each chicken tenderloin
spoon 4 cheese Alfredo sauce over chicken tenderloin
place veggies in center of pan or around chicken.

To freeze:
Place plastic wrap and foil over dish and place in freezer

To Reheat:
Thaw completely
Heat oven to 375
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done

Breakfast Mini-Frittatas by Jackie

2011-12-28T19:59:00.001-05:00

This recipe is not for the exchange. I just made them and thought I'd share the recipe in case anyone else is looking for something different to make during their time off. :)

makes 24 frittatas

Ingredients:
12 eggs
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
¾ c. milk
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. cooked and crumbled bacon or Italian sausage or diced ham
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

**You do not have to use the whipping cream. I did because I had it leftover from a recipe. You can use all milk or half & half if you want.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray. Scramble eggs with milk and cream. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into muffin tins. I use the large Pampered Chef scoop to measure mine. Cook 15-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

To Freeze:

Cool completely on cooling rack. Place in gallon Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day:

Remove from freezer. Place on microwave safe plate. Reheat in microwave until heated through.

Baked French Toast by Jen

2011-12-08T19:28:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
1 loaf sourdough bread (I used Pepperidge Farm)
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

1. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Tear bread into bite-size chunks and place evenly in the pan.
2. Mix together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours or overnight....it was about 12 hours.
3. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it all looks nice and crumbly (like small pebbles). Place in a ziploc bag and put in fridge.
4. When ready to bake, take pan and bag out of fridge. Remove wrap and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (or 45 minutes if you like it more soft and pudding-like).

Freezing instructions:
Complete tasks 1 & 2 then cover pan of bread and egg mixture in freezer.
Topping should be placed in a small ziploc and freeze until ready to bake.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. When ready to bake, remove wrap and evenly sprinkle the crumb topping mixture over the top. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (or 45 minutes if you like it more soft and pudding-like). You can serve with syrup.

Santa Fe Chicken Bake by Jackie

2011-12-08T14:11:00.001-05:00

We loved this the last time Jackie made it, so we are making it again. You can find the recipe and leave comments at the original post http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2011/06/santa-fe-chicken-bake-by-jackie.html

Thai Beef with Noodles by Erica

2011-12-07T23:04:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 lb of steak for stir fry cut into strips (I used a meat tenderizer on mine)
1/2 cup Sherry
3 tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp dark roasted sesame oil
1 bag of Japanese Udon noodles

Assembly:
Place strips of meat into a freezer bag.
Mix ingredients of sauce together in a bowl and whisk.
Pour into bag and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely
Preheat skillet, cook meat and sauce until warmed and meat is cooked to your liking.
Serve over cooked Udon noodles.

Cincinnati Chili by Jackie

2011-12-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Mel made this in 2010. Find recipe and leave comments at this link: http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/01/cincinnati-chili-by-mel.html

BBQ Meatballs - Wendy's version

2011-11-13T18:34:00.004-05:00

This makes a great appetizer dish too. Make larger meatballs for a meal. This is great when served with baked potatoes.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. Ground Beef
3/4 cup Milk
1 stack Saltines
3 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
3/4 teaspoon Paprika
2 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce (Sweet Baby Rays)

Assembly:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I used my hands to mix. I then use my small cookie scoop to make balls in a 8x11 foil cake pan. This recipe is enough to make 2 pans, so I split it in half for 2 meals. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze.

Pour BBQ sauce in Ziploc bag. Freeze.

To Serve:
Thaw. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until heated through.

Variation:
For larger meatballs, approximately 3 tablespoons per meatball, bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes after allowing them to thaw. Bake potatoes can cook with these at the same time.

Yield: 60 or more small meatballs per 2 meals.

Bistro Ham Twist by Wendy

2011-11-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

This is delicious served with a salad of mixed greens.

Ingredients:
2 cup chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz.) grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 pkgs. (11 oz each) refrigerated French Bread dough
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Assembly:
1. Chop ham. Dice bell pepper, snip basil with kitchen shears. In medium bowl, combine ham, bell pepper, basil, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan Cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic.
2. Place bread dough, seam sides up, on a large cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Using a roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4 inch width, creating a well down center of each loaf.
3. Spoon half of the ham mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam side down, in an X pattern on a piece of parchment paper. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure 8.
4. Combine egg white and Italian seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut a 3" slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

To Serve that Day:
Heat oven to 375 degrees and bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

To Freeze:
Cover with plastic wrap and wrap sides of parchment paper over plastic wrap. Finish with foil over entire twist.

To serve after frozen:
Thaw completely. Bake in a 375 degree oven 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Slice with serrated knife and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken and Stars by Erica

2011-11-09T21:31:00.006-05:00

Serves 10

Ingredients:
One whole chicken
2 bags of trio medley frozen veggies corn, celery, onion
1 box of chicken stock
2 tbs oregano
1 1/2 tbs garlic
4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes.
1 1b of star pasta

Assembly:
Place all ingredients except pasta in a pot to cook. Bring water to a boil and cook until chicken can be removed from the bone with a fork.

Take the chicken out of the pot with tongs and place to the side until cooled. Turn off the burner on the soup.

Remove chicken from bone while boiling water for pasta.

Cook the pasta for 5 minutes, rinse.

Place chicken and pasta into the soup.

To freeze:
Put soup into Ziploc bags and freeze.

Serving day:
Thaw soup completely, place in a pot and warm on stove top, or in the microwave.

Jackie's Angel Chicken

2011-11-09T12:27:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
10 oz. Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Cream
1 box angel hair pasta

Assembly:
Melt butter over low heat, in small saucepan. Blend in golden mushroom soup and chicken broth. Mix in cooking cream. Stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil. Place chicken breasts in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag. Pour sauce on top of chicken. Freeze upright for ease of fitting in crock pot while still frozen.

Serving Day:
Thaw bag enough to pour chicken and sauce into crock pot. Cook on high for 4 ½ hours. Shred chicken. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked noodles.

Party Pasta Bowl (repeat from Mel) by Amy

2011-11-09T07:19:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
1 pkg. uncooked ziti
1 c. chopped onion
1 lb. ground beef
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 jar (48 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 egg
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 c. fresh parsley (I use dried)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, divided

Assembly:
Cook pasta according to package. Cook onion, beef and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes, then drain. Add seasonings, sauce and tomatoes. In small bowl, mix egg, ricotta, 1 c.mozzarella, 1/4 c. Parmesan, parsley and pepper. To assemble, place pasta in 9x13 baking dish (or slightly larger), add 6 cups of meat sauce and mix well. Spread cheese mixture evenly over pasta. Top with remaining sauce.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic and foil. Bake 1 hour. Top with remaining cheeses. Continue baking 10 minutes or until bubbly. (Yields 12 servings)

Beef Vegetable Soup with Potatoes by Amy (repeat)

2011-10-15T21:23:00.003-04:00

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, combine all of the ingredients except for the vegetable juice.

Cooking Day:

1. Thaw completely.

2. Pour into slow cooker and add the vegetable juice. Cook on Low 12 hours or High 4-6 hours.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs by Jen

2011-10-13T15:55:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 bag of Frozen Homestyle Meatballs
1 large can of pineapple chucks and juice
1 jar of Kikoman’s Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
2 cups of frozen seasoning blend (chopped onions and peppers)
1 large bag of egg noodles or Rice

Assembly:
Place frozen meatballs in 9x13 baking dish. Pour seasoning blend, pineapples and juice over the top. Pour glaze on top of that. Freeze until ready to bake. Thaw 24 hours in frig before baking. Bake covered at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Serve alone, with butter noodles or rice

Freezing Instructions:
In a large Ziploc bag: combine the pineapple chunks and juice, teriyaki glaze, frozen vegetables and frozen meatballs together. Freeze and store flat until serving day.

Serving Day:
Thaw meatball mixture Ziploc bag, Prepare egg noodles according to the package instructions. Pour meatball mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, Bake covered at 350 for 30-45 mins. Serve over the hot egg noodles.

Chicken with Marsala Sauce by Erica

2011-10-10T22:30:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
8 tbs butter
4 tbs oil
2 cups mushrooms(sliced)
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic
4 chicken breasts cut in half about 3 pounds.
Garlic pepper, to taste
1 box of angel hair pasta

Assembly:
Mix butter, garlic and mushrooms in the bottom of a sauce pan. Cook until mushrooms are browned. Add the remaining ingredients, minus the chicken, into the pan and cook until boiled. Because of the wine, be sure to boil for at least 10 minutes to cook out alcohol taste.

In a deep baking dish spray bottom of pan with cooking spray. Place half pieces of chicken breasts in pan. Sprinkle with garlic pepper. Pour sauce over chicken.

To Freeze:
Cover uncooked chicken and sauce with foil. Freeze.

Note: I wanted the chicken to cook after thawing, to keep it moist, so the chicken I used was fresh and had not been previously frozen.

Serving Day:
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cook at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Check thickest portion of chicken to be sure it is done. Prepare angel hair pasta as directed. Serve chicken and sauce over the angel hair pasta.

Chicago Style Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches by Jackie

2011-10-10T11:01:00.002-04:00

I made this recipe before and it was a big hit. At the request of my kids, I made it again for you. You can find the recipe and leave comments at this link: http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicago-style-italian-shredded-beef.html

Enjoy!

Creamy Corn & Chicken Soup by Jen

2011-09-14T23:29:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 red pepper, chopped, divided
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

Assembly:
Cook onions and half the red peppers in butter in large saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

Add cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 4 min. or until melted, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken, corn, broth and milk.

Cook 5 min. or until soup is heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with remaining red peppers and black pepper.

Freezing Instructions: Spoon cool soup into a large freezer safe gallon Ziploc bag. Freeze flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw, Heat and Serve. I make this recipe 1 1/2 times for (6) adult servings - makes about 10 cups of soup.

Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Cream Sauce by Erica

2011-09-08T22:24:00.009-04:00

Ingredients:
MEATBALLS (1 batch)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. Ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3 tbs. flour

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 in balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking pan. I placed on cookie cooling racks to keep from sticking.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Drain Meatballs on paper towels, transfer to a serving dish.

CREAM SAUCE
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
1 can chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and cream. Brig to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

MASHED POTATOES
2 lbs. of potatoes, peeled and cut
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter

Cook potatoes until tender, in a mixing bowl blend potatoes, milk and butter until smooth.

Serve meatballs on top of mashed potatoes with cream sauce on top.

To Freeze: Place potatoes in the bottom of a pan, place meatballs on top. Cover with foil. Put cream sauce in a one quart freezer bag and place flat on top of the foil. Cover entire contents with foil. Freeze

To reheat:
Take off top layer of foil. Remove cream sauce packet. Thaw.
Heat in oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes.
Warm sauce on stove or in microwave.
Pour sauce over individual servings.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sliders by Jackie

2011-09-08T16:11:00.001-04:00

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
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!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie by Wendy

2011-09-05T17:36:00.003-04:00

Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter (1 Stick) melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 cups cooked chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 medium onion
2 cups frozen mixed peas and carrots or other frozen veg. blend
1/2 pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp water

To Assemble:
1. Add butter and flour to 4 qt. pan; whisk until smooth. Cook over med.-high heat 6-8 min. or until mixture is golden brown, whisk occasionally. Add stock, whisking constantly until smooth. Add thyme, pressed garlic, salt and black pepper to pan. Simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and milk.
2. Finely chop onion. Add onion, frozen vegetable and chicken mixture to pan. Mix well. Pour into casserole dish. Top with frozen puff pastry sheet. In small bowl whisk together egg and water, lightly brush over pastry. Cover and freeze.

To Serve that day or from frozen:
Thaw completely. Bake uncovered, at 375 degrees, for 35-40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings.

No-Fuss Lasagna by Wendy

2011-08-31T10:43:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
1 pound Ground Beef
1 Jar (26-32 oz) Spicy or Zesty Spaghetti Sauce
1 can (14.5-16 oz.) Diced Tomatoes
6 Lasagna Noodles-dry(not cooked)
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Divided
1 (15 oz.) Part-skim Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Dried Basil Leaves

To Assemble:
Cook Ground Beef in skillet. Pour off drippings. Add Sauce and tomatoes with liquid to pan. Set aside.

Combine Ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan and Basil in bowl, mixing well.

Assemble layers in a 9x13 Pan. I use a foil pan when giving away to my "Freezer Friendz".
Start with 2 cups Beef Mixture. Top with 3 Lasagna noodles. Pour Ricotta Cheese Mixture on top of noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup Mozzarella. Then add 2 cups of Beef Mixture and top with 3 Lasagna noodles. Pour the rest of the beef mixture over the noodles. Freeze this or put it straight in the oven.

To Cook:
Thaw comepletely. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzerella cheese and tent lightly with foil 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Lemony Flank Steak by Amy Sauve

2011-08-01T21:48:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of beef flank steak or boneless beef top sirloin steak

1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel

1/3 cup of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of oregano

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

Cooking day instructions:

1. Score meat in 1" intervals across steak.

2. Place meat in freezer bags.

3. Stir together lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, oregano and pepper.

4. Pour marinade over meat and close bag.

5. Freeze flat.

Serving day instructions:

1. Thaw completely.

2. Remove steak and place on uncovered grill over medium coals for 12-14 minutes for medium doneness.

3. Turn once during cooking and brush with marinade halfway through cooking process.

4. Always boil marinade 2-3 minutes after removing meat and prior to basting grilled steak.

5. To serve, meat can be thinly sliced across the grain or served in larger pieces.

Hawaiian Luau Chicken on a Stick by Jackie

2011-08-01T18:36:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
McCormick Grill Mates Hawaiian Luau Marinade
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

Assembly:
Mix marinade packet, oil & cider in gallon Ziploc freezer bag.
Trim all fat and icky stuff off of chicken. Cut into similar size cubes.
Place chicken in marinade. Seal and lay flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Soak 6-8 bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes to prevent scorching. Thread chicken pieces on skewers. Discard remaining marinade. Grill until cooked through.

Optional: Add veggies to skewers with meat.

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

2011-08-01T16:41:00.003-04:00

This was a repeat from May 2008. Hope you enjoy again!

Here is the link for the recipe: http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/05/chicken-lasagna-roll-ups-by-jen.html

Basic instructions:
Thaw, add cheese topping. Preheat to 375 and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken and Bows by Wendy

2011-07-31T17:54:00.001-04:00

This was taken from Taste of Home "Freezer Pleasers cookbook", by Danette Forbes, Overland Park, KS.

Ingredients:
1pkg (16oz.) Bow Tie Pasta
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 cans (10 3/4oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups frozen peas
1-1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 garlic clove)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Assembly:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook chicken and red pepper in butter over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
2. Stir in the soup, peas, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in Parmesan Cheese. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.
3. Serve half of the mixture immediately. Cool remaining mixture; transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving Day:
1. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to an ungreased shallow 3 qt. microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 min. or until heated through, stirring once.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Pepperoni Bread by Erica.

2011-07-27T13:57:00.006-04:00

This recipe will make 2 loaves of pizza bread.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of frozen bread dough
1 packet of 3 oz. pepperoni
3 cups of mozzarella cheese
1 egg
dash garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
pizza sauce for dipping

Assembly:
Allow dough to thaw and rise. Split in half and roll out into a large rectangle. On one half of the dough place half of the pepperoni packet. Put 1 1/2 cups of cheese on top of pepperoni. Fold dough over and cinch shut like a calzone. Brush mixed egg on top of bread, dash garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.

For Freezing:
Wrap individual bread in wax paper and then saran wrap. Place in freezer.

For cooking:
You can either thaw out the bread or place directly in oven from freezer.
From freezer:
Unwrap dough and remove from wrapping. Place on greased cookie sheet or stone.
Cook for one hour on 300 degrees.
or
Thaw bread. Unwrap bread from wrapping and place on greased cookie sheet or stone.
Cook for 40 minutes on 300 degrees.

Use pizza sauce for dipping

Tasty Pork Tenderlion by Amy (repeat from Susan 2009) - Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

2011-07-05T08:57:00.004-04:00

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

Assembly:
1. Place Pork Tenderloin in freezer bag.
2. Mix together Chili Sauce, Cranberry Sauce, and Brown Sugar. Pour over Pork.
3. Freeze.

To Freeze:
Place flat in freezer.

Serving Day:1. Thaw pork overnight in fridge.

2. Place pork with sauce in crock pot for 4-5 hours on HIGH.
3. Cook Rice - put rice in 3 cups of boiling water, cover, reduce heat to LOW, and cook for 20 minutes.
4. When serving pour sauce over tenderloin and rice if desired.

Hamburger Goulash by Jackie

2011-07-02T19:34:00.000-04:00

You can find this recipe at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Hamburger-Goulash

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Pour into a saucepan. Reheat. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Crazy Chicken Marinade by Erica

2011-06-28T23:12:00.006-04:00

Ingredients:

4 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Assembly:
Whisk all ingredients together. Let sit in shallow bowl for thirty minutes. Grill.

For freezing:
Pour whisked marinate into a bag with chicken breasts. Be sure the marinade has covered all pieces. Freeze.

For Cooking:
Thaw completely. Grill.

Sausage Minestrone by Erica

2011-06-28T22:56:00.006-04:00

Makes two batches
Ingredients:

1 pound Bob Evans® Italian Sausage Roll
1/2 cup chopped onions
2(16 ounce) can small white beans
2(14.5 ounce) can beef broth
2(14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes Italian style
1 bag of vegetable soup frozen vegetables
3 cups of water
1/2 cup small uncooked pasta (i.e. elbow or rotini)

Assembly:
Cook onion and sausage together in pot. Mix remaining ingredients (except the pasta) together in pot and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for at least an hour to bring out the flavor. While simmering, cook noodles al dente. Put noodles in soup just before serving or freezing.

For Freezing:
Wait until completely cool to place in bags for freezing. This will fill two gallon size Ziploc baggies.

Serving Day:
Thaw in a dish to prevent leaking. Warm on stove top or in microwave until warm.

Mozzarella Beef Burgers by Jen

2011-06-28T16:48:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground beef
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided
8 hamburger buns

Assembly:
Mix meat, cheese, bread crumbs and 2 Tbsp. of the barbecue sauce. Shape into patties. Wrap each burger in parchment paper or wax paper separately then place in gallon Ziploc bag before freezing for easy storage and serving.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove parchment paper, then place patties on grill; cover grill with lid. Grill 4 to 6 min. on each side or until burgers are cooked through (160°F), brushing with remaining 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce during last 2 min. of grilling time. Fill buns with burgers and lettuce, if desired.

Stromboli by Jen

2011-06-28T16:40:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 tube (11 oz.) refrigerator crusty French bread loaf
6-8 oz. thinly sliced deli ham
6-8 oz. thinly sliced deli turkey
6 green onions, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 - 1 1/2 cups your favorite shredded cheese

Assembly:
1. Unroll dough on parchment paper. Place ham & turkey on dough leaving 1/2 inch to the edge; sprinkle with chopped onions, crumbled bacon & cheese.

2. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting with the long side. Pinch seams to seal & tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking pan.

3. Wrap in aluminum foil before freezing.

Serving Day:
Thaw stromboli, unwrap from aluminum foil and disgard foil. Leave parchment paper on cookie sheet, then Bake at 350 for 26-30 mins. or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing; slice into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Serve warm.

Coke-a-Cola Pot Roast (aka-Pepsi Pot Roast) by Wendy

2011-06-21T12:33:00.004-04:00

***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.

Mexican Chicken and Black Bean Filling by Amy

2011-06-06T22:20:00.006-04:00

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:

1 bag of shredded cheese

1 bag of tortilla chips

Steps:

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

Santa Fe Chicken Bake by Jackie

2011-06-06T22:00:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
2 c. cooked shredded chicken
1 tub Philadelphia Santa Fe Cooking Crème
3 c. cooked rotini (= 2 c. uncooked)
2 c. frozen corn
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, optional (I did not put these in your meals this month.)

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients. Pour into Ziploc gallon size bag. Lay flat in freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Pour into a 9x13” baking dish. Cover. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Sausage Rice Casserole by Wendy

2011-05-18T23:24:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
2 packages (7.2 oz. each) rice pilaf
2 pounds turkey sausage
6 celery ribs, chopped
1 (12oz.) bag frozen carrots, sliced
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Assembly:
1. Prepare rice mixes according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sausage mixture, rice, soups, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Transfer to two greased 11-in x 7-in. baking dishes.

3. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake other casserole shown below:

Day of Cooking: Cover and bake the second casserole at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. or until vegetables are tender.

To Use Frozen Casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6-8 servings each).

Butterfly Walk Update/Etc..

2011-05-17T19:59:00.000-04:00

Hi Friendz!

Sorry I've been so long in posting an update, but life has picked up speed with the end of the school year quickly approaching! I just wanted to thank all of you who supported Jessica's Jackpots for the 2011 Butterfly Walk for Cancer Free Kids. Our team had 114 walkers and surpassed our fundraising goal. We had great weather and a wonderful time spent for a wonderful cause.

Tonight, I'd like to ask you for prayer for Jessica. She is in the hospital with pain in her back. Her mom is at her side and is exhausted too. I pray for strength and endurance for both of them and for a cure for Jessica.

On a freezer cooking related note: I'm getting ready to cook up chicken that I bought on sale so I can freeze it. If you don't already do that, I highly recommend it. I have tips on how to do it in the tip section of this blog. I'm also going to make a yummy freezer recipe for our June swap, using chicken and the new Santa Fe Philadelphia Cooking Creme. Have you tried any of the cooking cremes in your freezer meals?

Meat Sauce for Spaghetti Noodles by Amy

2011-05-04T20:34:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained

1 small sweet onion

2 jars of Prego sauce

Assembly:
1. Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain beef. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add both jars of sauce to beef and onion mix. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Cool completely and then poor mixture into freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze.

Serving day:

1. Thaw mixture completely.

2. Heat sauce. While sauce is heating, cook spaghetti needs - follow directions on the box.

3. Pour sauce over noodles.

4. Top with Parmesan cheese.

5. Serve with garlic bread.

Jackie’s Beefy Burritos

2011-05-03T16:44:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 (10 oz.)can of enchilada sauce, divided
1 can refried beans
8-10 large flour or whole wheat tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly:
Place beef in a bowl.
Mix in just enough enchilada sauce to coat beef.
Spread 1 Tbsp of enchilada sauce on a tortilla.
Spread refried beans (1 med. Pampered chef scoop + 1 sm. Pampered chef scoop for 10 tortillas) and ground beef (1 med. Pampered chef scoop + 1 sm. Pampered chef scoop for 10 tortillas) down center of each tortilla.
Fold tortilla in thirds and place in a greased aluminum foil baking dish seam side down. (I had to use 2 aluminum pans to fit all 10 burritos.)
Cover burritos with remaining enchilada sauce (about 3 Tbsp.) and top with shredded cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
Freeze.

Serving Day:Thaw completely. Uncover. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and inside is warmed through.

Tangy Pineapple Chicken by Jen

2011-05-02T14:27:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups Barbecue sauce
1 1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar

Assembly:
Mix barbecue sauce and brown sugar together. Stir in pineapple chunks. Pour over chicken breasts. Place in 9x13 pan, cover and bake at 350 for 30-40 mins.

Freezer Friendz:
Thaw. Pour bag of chicken with pineapple chunks in 9x13 pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-40 mins.

Chicken Mostaccioli with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto by Erica

2011-05-01T20:17:00.006-04:00

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked mostaccioli or penne pasta
2 cups frozen cut green beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion
1 package of pesto sauce
1/2 tube of sun-dried tomato paste
1 cup of water
1 medium tomato, seeded, coarsely chopped

Assembly:
Cook chicken in dutch oven until able to pull apart with a fork.
Separate chicken.
Cook chopped onions until soft and clear.
Add pesto mix, sun-dried tomato paste, water and oil. Stir with whisk until boiling, reduce heat.
Add tomato, green beans and chicken. Stir.
Cool and place in gallon size Ziploc bag. Lay flat in freezer.
Have uncooked pasta on hand.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.
Cook pasta.
Reheat chicken mixture in a pan.
Combine chicken mixture with pasta or serve chicken over pasta.

Hoping to turn Jessica's rainy days into sunny ones!

2011-04-11T14:02:00.000-04:00

I hope the weather where you are was as nice as it was here yesterday! We had a great family day outside, playing and doing yard work. We had a delicious meal on the grill (from the freezer, of course) and then took our first trip of the season to get ice cream. Today is a much different feel - very rainy!

Our family is excited about many more sunny days ahead. Speaking of which - did you have a chance to read my post about Jessica? If you missed it, make sure you pop over to take a look. http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2011/03/please-consider-helping-jessica.html We'd love your support!

Southern Living's Quick Turkey Chili by Amy Sauve

2011-04-06T09:48:00.001-04:00

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.

Freezing day:

1. Let chili completely cool and place in gallon size bags.
2. Freeze flat.

Serving day:
1. Thaw completely.
2. Heat in a pan or in a crock pot - you may need to add more liquid - broth or water.

Saucey Mexican Chicken by Wendy

2011-04-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

I had done this one in the past and it tasted very delicious, so I thought we'd have it again!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast halves
1-24 oz. Jar Salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

To Freeze: Place frozen chicken in pan. Add salsa and beans. Cover with foil. Place a 1 cup of cheese in Ziploc bag and freeze everything.

To Cook from Frozen: Thaw completely. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees). Top with cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered or until cheese is melted.

To Cook on day of assembly: Thaw chicken, place in pan with salsa and beans and bake uncovered 40 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered or until cheese is melted.

Stove top assembly: Cook chicken in nonstick skillet on med-high heat 4 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Add salsa and beans. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on med.-low heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees). Top with cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Tastes great served over rice! Makes 6 servings.

Steak Fajitas by Erica

2011-04-06T09:42:00.002-04:00

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: Place all ingredients except tortillas and cheese in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day: Put 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Preheat skillet. Pour all ingredients into skillet. Cook until veggies are soft and meat is to your liking. Scoop into tortillas, add cheese if desired.

Ravioli Bake by Jen

2011-04-06T09:14:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce, you may need more sauce depending on your taste.
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated or frozen cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Assembly: Brown ground beef. Combine first 4 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; toss to coat. Cover with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil.

To Eat On Assembly Day: Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef then combine first 4 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; toss to coat. Cover. Bake 50 min. or until ravioli is tender. Top with cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

Special Extra: You can also use frozen ravioli - no need to thaw. For a delicious flavor twist, stir 1 Tbsp. pesto or 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil into the hot baked ravioli before topping with cheese.

Freezer Friendz: Thaw, bake covered 50 mins. Top with cheese and let stand 5 mins. or until cheese is melted.

Freezer Friendz has a space on Facebook!

2011-04-06T09:05:00.004-04:00

Hey Chefs!
It's Mags - your background Tech Support! I may not be cooking with the group anymore, but I'm still snagging the recipes!
Just letting you all know that we've got our Facebook Page for Freezer Friendz all set up! You can LIKE us on Facebook and view the recipes there too! We hope you'll tell your friends about us - we appreciate the publicity!
Happy Cooking! :) Mags

Marinated Pork Chops by Jackie

2011-04-02T20:56:00.004-04:00

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

Ingredients:
8 pork chops (I buy center cut half boneless pork loin and ask the butcher to cut it into chops)
2 c. pineapple juice (takes 2-46oz. cans to make 6 meals)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 c. Italian dressing (takes 1-16oz. bottle to make 6 meals)

Assembly Day: Place all ingredients, except pork chops, in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag. Mix well. Place pork chops in bag. Seal and lay flat on cookie sheet to freeze.

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

Please Consider Helping Jessica

2011-03-29T16:03:00.033-04:00

Today I’d like to share with you about a family friend who needs our help. Her name is Jessica Elam (pictured on the left with my daughter). Jessica was diagnosed with Ependymoma (a form of childhood cancer) in 2001. Jessica is 16 years old and has been battling cancer of the brain and spine since she was 6 years old. She is currently in her 6th relapse, yet she still fights hard and is a voice of hope for kids with cancer. Jessica is truly is an inspiration to all who know her. She is strong in her faith in God and continues to seek out ways to encourage others even when times are tough for her. Two days ago she began a new round of chemotherapy. Jessica will receive chemo for the next 40 days. She is experiencing pain in her spine. We are praying for strength, endurance, pain relief and a cure for Jessica. I would be thankful if you would join our family in prayer for her.

I came to know Jessica through our church, when she selflessly took time out of her summer to babysit my daughter while I volunteered at our church VBS. She and my daughter Abby (then 11mos. Old) had an instant connection. Toward the end of the week, Jessica's doctor told her that she should stay home and rest, but Jessica told them that Abby needed her at VBS. She was trying to teach her to walk. The doctor agreed to let her come because he knew it would be good for her spirit. Ever since that week, Jessica has been an important part of our family. She has helped Abby through every transition at church and visits her every Sunday in her Sunday school class. Abby just loves her and so do we!

On May 7th, our family will be participating in The 5th Annual Butterfly Walk for CancerFree KIDS. We will be walking on the team, Jessica’s Jackpots, to support Jessica in her battle against this disease. I am hopeful that our team will raise over the $6,147 that we raised last year to help fund pediatric cancer research. All of the money raised for the walk goes directly to cancer research in our home town at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the #3 hospital in the country for childhood cancer research.

Has Freezer Friendz been a blessing to you and your family? We have been so excited over the last three years about being able to provide you with lots of freezer tips and recipes at no cost to you. If you have been blessed by Freezer Friendz, would you consider paying it forward by being a blessing to Jessica by supporting her team for the 2011 Cancer Free Kids Butterfly Walk?

If you would like support us in the Butterfly Walk you can do so in 4 ways:

• Pray for the success of the walk.

• Join us in person! Register to walk with us on the team Jessica’s Jackpots in the 5th Annual Butterfly Walk and Fun Festival for CancerFree KIDS. Bring your whole family. What a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend!

• Join us in spirit! Want to be a part of our team but can’t join us in person? Register as a virtual walker for our team – Jessica’s Jackpots.

• Support our team! Consider making a personal donation online at: http://www.active.com/donate/2011butterflywalk/AElam5 (note that you are a Freezer Friendz reader (ex. Your name/Freezer Friendz) All donations are tax deductible. Just print off your email confirmation for your donation for your tax records.

by mail: you can make a check payable to CancerFree KIDS and mail it to: CancerFree KIDS, Attn. Butterfly Walk, P.O. Box 575, Loveland, OH 45140. Please indicate on the memo line our team name Jessica’s Jackpots.

We hope you will share Jessica’s story with others and help raise awareness for CancerFree KIDS. Together we can change lives!

For more information on our walk visit http://www.butterflywalk.com/

For more information on CancerFree KIDS visit http://www.cancerfreekids.org/

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this note. We appreciate anything you can do to help raise awareness and support for CancerFree KIDS.

Your Freezer Friend,

Jackie

Happy 3rd Birthday Freezer Friendz!

2011-03-14T16:25:00.004-04:00

I couldn't let this month pass without acknowledging our 3rd birthday! I can't believe it's already been that long!

This has been a fun year. We have gone up and down in the number of gals in our group, due to sports, etc., but we continue to swap meals monthly and love it!

This year we had the opportunity to share about freezer cooking with the MOPS group I used to be involved with and we had a great time doing that. We would love to share with more groups, so let us know if you are interested.

We continue to be amazed at the number of readers we have and at the fact that we have readers all over the world. It's funny since, when we started the blog, it was just to share our recipes and comments with each other. We LOVE being able to help other families have a more peaceful mealtime. :)

We love to hear from our readers, so please comment if you'd like.

Happy Birthday Freezer Friendz and Happy Freezer Filling to the rest of you!

Chicken Tortillini Soup by Jen

2011-03-04T14:03:00.001-05:00

This is a rerun. You can find original recipe and leave comments at the following link:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-tortelllini-soup-by-jen.html

Hamburger Macaroni Casserole by Wendy

2011-03-04T13:40:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup macaroni
1 cup diced potatoes, frozen
1/2 cup diced carrots, frozen
1/2 cup diced peas, frozen
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cu grated cheese

To Serve Day of Making: Cook macaroni in pot and drain. Saute hamburger, onion and green pepper in skillet and drain. Cook potatoes, carrots and peas until almost tender. Combine all ingredients in a 2 Qt. greased casserole dish except cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

To Freeze: Cook macaroni in pot and drain. Saute hamburger, onion and green pepper in skillet and drain. Mix everything but the cheese in a bowl. Pour mixture in a gallon size plastic resealable bag. Freeze.

To serve from frozen: Thaw completely and warm up on stove top. Add a 1/2 cup water if needed. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Serves 6 - 8 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Roll-ups by Jackie

2011-02-27T19:13:00.006-05:00

Ingredients:
2 c. cooked chicken (shredding or diced)
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz. chopped green chilies
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1 pkg. small soft tortillas (10ct.) or large soft tortillas (8ct.) I use whole wheat.

Assembly: Mix soup, green chilies, chicken and 1 cup cheese in bowl. Divide mixture evenly between tortillas. Spread mixture on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Place roll ups in a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag. Place 1 cup cheese in pint-size Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day: Option 1 - Thaw completely. Place seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle tops cheese. Bake on 350° for 20 minutes. Option 2 - To cook from frozen: Place seam side down in baking dish. Sprinkle tops cheese. Bake on 300° for 40 minutes.

Cheese Sausage Strata by Erica

2011-02-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of bulk pork sausage
9 eggs lightly beaten
3 cups of milk
9 slices of bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound of sliced bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard

Assembly:
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, drain.
Add the eggs, milk, bread, cheese bacon and mustard. Transfer to a greased shallow 3 qt. baking dish. Cover and freeze.

Serving Day:
Allow to thaw, Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

(for making five meals at a time, I cooked sausage in my largest pot and mixed only eggs, milk and mustard together in a very large bowl. I put the rest of the ingredients in the greased pan and poured the egg mixture over it and mixed in the pan.)

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole by Amy

2011-02-26T09:40:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 package of medium-wide egg noodles

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 package of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1" thick chunk of Velveeta cheese

2 cans of all white chicken (in water) or cooked shredded chicken breasts (4)

1/2" thick slices of Velveeta

1/2 cup of milk

*Salt and pepper to taste (put in soup mixture)

Steps:

1. Cook noodles according to directions - drain.

2. Mix soup, chicken and milk in saucepan - cook until warmed through.

3. Add Velveeta in chunks - cook until cheese is melted.

4. In a large bowl, combine noodles, soup mixture and broccoli.

5. Pour into a lightly, greased 9x13 baking dish - top with sliced cheese.

6. Place plastic wrap and heavy duty foil on top of dish and freeze.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw dish completely.

2. Uncover dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes.

Two Mustard Chicken by Erica

2011-02-03T19:23:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:
6 breasts of chicken
1/2 cup of Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. of sweet and hot mustard
2 Tbs. of honey

Assembly:
Mix ingredients together and spread on chicken

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 min or until chicken is done.

Sloppy Joes and Pot-Luck Potato Casserole by Amy

2011-02-03T12:31:00.005-05:00

Sloppy Joes:

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef

1 small onion (diced)

1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 of a green and 1/2 of a yellow for this recipe.) - diced

1 can of Sloppy Joe mix (name brand in a can)

Steps:

1. Saute onion and bell pepper. Remove.

2. Brown ground beef.

3. Drain beef and return to pan.

4. Return sauteed vegetables to beef.

5. Add Sloppy Joe mix and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Serve on hamburger buns.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw Sloppy Joel mix.

2. Heat in pan and serve on buns.

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

Steps:

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.

Freezer Friendz Inclement Weather Procedure

2011-01-31T15:07:00.003-05:00

In the event of school delays or closings due to weather, we will follow the plan below:

If any district involving one of our swappers is delayed, we will meet at 11:00 on the originally scheduled swap day. Currently those schools include Mason and CHCA.

If any district involving one of our swappers is closed, we will meet the following Thursday at the originally scheduled time. Currently those schools include: Mason & CHCA.

Rerun: Um Um Skillet by Jackie

2011-01-31T15:04:00.003-05:00

Go to this link for serving day instructions and leave your comments there.
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/01/um-um-skillet-by-jackie.html

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken & Broccoli by Jen

2011-01-28T16:41:00.003-05:00

Serves 4, so I made it 1 1/2 times.

1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (~2 cups)
1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. flour
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz.) cream cheese, cubed
3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups chopped cooked broccoli before serving.
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 7 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Mix broth and flour in same skillet. Stir in cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. parmesan, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min. or until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in chicken.

DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture and chopped cooked broccoli before serving, toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

FREEZER FRIENDZ: Cook pasta. Cook broccoli. Thaw or simmer chicken/cream sauce mixture over low heat. Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken/cream mixture and chopped cooked broccoli before serving, toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Chicken Taco Quiche by Andrea

2011-01-13T08:14:00.004-05:00

This month I repeated a favorite Katie made for our group. I used all mild ingredients, so if you like more spice or heat, you can add it to your liking. Enjoy!

Chicken Taco Quiche by Katie

French Dip by Jen

2011-01-12T11:49:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed
2 cups beef broth
1 envelope of dried onion soup mix
6-8 French rolls, split

Assembly:
Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the beef broth and onion soup mix packet. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender or on low for 8-10 hours
Remove meat from broth; shred with forks and keep warm. Strain broth; skim of fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls. Yield: 8 servings.

Freezer Friendz:
Thaw meat. Place in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours.
Remove meat from broth; shred with forks and keep warm. Strain broth; skim of fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls.

Yield: 8 servings.

Chicken and Rice Casserole by Amy

2011-01-11T17:51:00.005-05:00

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts, boiled or baked - then cut in small pieces or shred

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 - 8 oz. carton sour cream

1 cup of uncooked rice

1/2 cup of sauteed onions or onion powder to taste

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers - crushed

1 stick butter - melted

Steps:

1. Cook rice according to directions.

2. Combine soup and sour cream then stir in the chicken and sauteed onions/onion powder.

3. Put the mixture in a buttered/greased casserole dish.

4. Mix butter and crackers - sprinkle on top of the chicken mixture.

5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serving day:

From the Freezer to Your Table

1. Thaw casserole completely.

2. Uncover casserole bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Chicken Shells by Wendy

2011-01-10T14:24:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
1 box Large Shells (for stuffing)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing
1 Stalk Celery Chopped
2 cups Chicken chopped or 1 large can of chicken
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Water
1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Assembly:
Cook shells according to directions on box. Prepare Stuffing Mix according to directions on box. Add celery, chicken and mayo to prepared Stuffing Mix. Mix well. Fill shells with the Stuffing Mix using a Medium Scoop (2 Tbsp size). Put stuffed shells into a 9x13 pan (approx. 34 shells).
To make Soup Mix, pour soup and water into a bowl and mix with a whisk. Pour soup mix over Stuffed Shells. Top with the Parmesan Cheese. Cover with foil and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw completely. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

This recipe makes enough for 1-1/5 servings. I only make this recipe 5 times to get 6 dinners.

Sirloin Tip Roast with Carrots and Potatoes by Wendy

2011-01-10T14:18:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
1 sirloin tip roast (3 1/2 to 4 lb.)
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lb. baby carrots or 8 large carrots cut into pieces
2 lb. potatoes (about 6 med. size cut into quarters)

Assembly:
Pat roast dry and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over roast and use your hands to spread it out and pat it evenly over meat.

Melt butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in a large pan over medium-high heat on top of stove. Add roast and cook, turning with togs, until browned on all sides, about 15 min. total. Place in gallon size Ziploc bag and freeze.

Place carrots and potatoes in a large Ziploc bag and toss with 1 Tbsp. of oil. Freeze in freezer.

To serve: Thaw completely. Place roast in roasting pan placing vegetables in pan all around roast. Roast, stirring vegetables often, until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 140 degrees, or cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice roast and serve warm with carrots and potatoes.

Serves: 10 Per Serving: 533 Cal., 25g Fat (10g Sat.), 146mg Chol., 4g fiber, 49g Pro., 24g Carb., 236mg Sod.

Chicken Enchilada Soup by Jackie

2011-01-09T23:06:00.006-05:00

My sister recommended this recipe. It is slightly modified from the allrecipes.com Chicken Enchilada Soup III recipe. Warning: It looks like mush, but it is very tasty!

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (= 3c. cooked)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 c. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 qt. (32oz.) chicken broth
1 c. masa harina
3 c. water, divided
1 c. enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 c. corn

Assembly:
1.In a large pot over medium heat, cook chicken breasts in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. (Or use left-over rotisserie chicken to save time.)
2.Cook onion and garlic in remaining oil until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth.
3.In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, Cheddar, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil.
4.Shred cooked chicken and add it to the pot. Add corn to pot. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until thickened.
5. Cool completely.
6. Pour into gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.
7. Freeze flat on a cookie sheet.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.
Reheat on stove or in microwave.

Optional:
Top with sour cream and/or crushed tortilla chips.

Beef & Tortellini Marinara by Andrea

2010-12-17T15:40:00.005-05:00

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.

Missy's Chili

2010-12-08T18:43:00.003-05:00

http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/05/missys-chili.html

Grandma's Sausage Balls by Jackie

2010-12-08T10:41:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-06T22:19:00.003-05:00

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

Steps:

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. 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.

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

2010-12-05T13:40:00.004-05:00

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

2010-11-16T12:23:00.005-05:00

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)

2010-11-02T22:07:00.001-04:00

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

2010-11-01T22:09:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-30T21:08:00.005-04:00

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

2010-10-28T13:02:00.007-04:00

**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

2010-10-24T19:45:00.020-04:00

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

2010-10-04T23:12:00.005-04:00

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

2010-10-04T22:16:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-04T10:44:00.003-04:00

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

2010-10-04T09:29:00.004-04:00

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

2010-09-21T14:45:00.004-04:00

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

2010-09-10T21:56:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-07T07:54:00.004-04:00

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:

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

2010-09-06T20:40:00.003-04:00

**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)

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

2010-09-06T17:19:00.001-04:00

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

2010-09-05T19:26:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-04T09:12:00.004-04:00

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

2010-09-02T22:32:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-30T13:39:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-12T21:28:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-10T19:04:00.004-04:00

**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

2010-08-10T17:20:00.005-04:00

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

2010-08-09T22:46:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-09T20:24:00.004-04:00

*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

2010-07-12T11:24:00.003-04:00

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.