Beef & Parmesan Pasta by Mags

Beef & Parmesan Pasta Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 cups uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 cups sliced zucchini, (1/4 inch thick)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Same-Day Cooking and Eating Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium/high heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4 inch pieces. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Pour off the drippings.
2. Return the skillet to the heat and add the beef broth, tomatoes, and pasta. Stir to coat all of the pasta. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
3. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes stirring frequently. Add zucchini and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is tender.
4. Return beef to the skillet and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese; heat through. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each serving.

Preparation & Freezing to Eat at a Later Date:

1. In a large skillet over medium/high heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4 inch pieces. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Pour off the drippings.
2. In a gallon-sized freezer bag, pour in can of broth, can of diced tomatoes, cooked ground beef and UNcooked pasta. Press out air and seal bag.
3. In a separate baggie, place your sliced zucchini.
4. In another baggie, place your 3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese.
5. Freeze baggies.
6. On cooking day, thaw out all pieces. Pour contents of large baggie into your skillet. Add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in zucchini and simmer for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

:) Mags

Kansas City Steak Soup - by Tish

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef (browned and drained of excess fat)
1.5 cups of chopped onion
4.5 cups of frozen mixed vegetables
3 - 3 1/2 cups of water
1.5 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, UNdrained (I also cut mine into bite size pieces)
1.5 cups of thinly sliced celery
2 beef bouillon cubes
1.5 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste (if desired)
I also used Tastefully Simple "Garlic Garlic" to add a little more flavor
1.5 cans of beef broth
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Assembly:
Brown beef and onion in the bottom of your stock pot, and drain of any excess fat. Add veggies, water, tomatoes WITH liquid, celery, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and garlic powder,if desired.
Bring to a boil. Whisk together flour and beef broth in a separate bowl till smooth. Add to beef mixture, stirring constantly. Return to a boil, then drop heat to low and simmer 15-45minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool completely and ladle into Freezer bags and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw and then re-heat in large saucepan, or you could take the frozen soup out of the freezer bag and put it into a slow cooker on low and let it thaw and re-heat that way.
**If the soup seems too thin after it is defrosted, just whisk some more flour into some warm water and stir it into the hot soup till it reaches the consistency you like.**

Yields : 6 servings

Chee-z Ham and Potato Bake by Missy

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1 2lb. bag hash brown potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 stick of butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4tsp onion powder
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 sleeve Ritz crackers and 2 tbs melted butter
for a crunchy topping

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, melted butter, cheese, pepper, and onion powder. Stir in cubed ham and hash brown potatoes. Pour into Ziploc freezer bag or aluminum pan, cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I did not freeze the crackers. =)

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. If in a Ziploc bag, pour into 9"x13" pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 min. Crumble Ritz crackers and melt butter...mix together and sprinkle over top casserole and bake for another 10-15 min (until bubbly and golden). Your total baking time will be 45-55 min depending on how thawed it was going in and how quickly it bubbles and heats throughout...I am finding some of the meals take a little longer to bake than the directions say (including my own frozen and thawed meals)...this may be one of those?!?!?!

!!!ENJOY!!!

Parmesan Chicken Olivia by Jackie

*Recipe from www.FreezerSmarts.com
Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup mayonnaise

Assembly:
Brush each piece of chicken with mayonnaise. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in a work bowl or zipper storage bag. Coat each chicken breast with the crumb mixture. Lay pieces of chicken flat in the bag. This will help it freeze faster, take up less room in your freezer AND will prevent the coating from slipping off. It also prevents having a big pile of chicken pieces stuck to each other when you go to cook them. Remove excess air from bag and seal tightly.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Transfer to baking dish & bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until chicken is done (165F).

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Beef Fajita Burgers by Debbie

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
Several drops of hot sauce, like Tabasco

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine the meat, Worcestershire, spices, thyme, hot sauce, and grill seasoning. Score and divide the meat into 4 sections. Make 2 patties, 1 inch thick, from each section. At this point you can either wrap and freeze, or send them off to the grill.

Serving Day:
Thaw burgers completely. Drizzle them with olive oil. Cook on either a large skillet or grill pan on the stove, or on an outdoor grill. Serve on a large flour tortilla or hamburger bun.

This recipe was taken from Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals cookbook. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Freezer Friendz!

A year ago, in March, a small group of four friends got together to trade freezer dinner once a month. After a couple of months of writing down recipes, copying them, and passing around the recipe cards, we finally realized that this would be SO much easier on a blog - and thus FreezerFriendz at Blogspot was born!

Now, our small group has expanded into two Teams, making dinners across 6 categories, and managing a blog that gets approximately 2000 hits per month! That's a fabulous birthday gift in and of itself!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

FREEZER FRIENDS!

Many happy returns!

Party Pasta Bowl by Mel

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. Bake 1 hour. Top with remaining cheeses. Continue baking 10 minutes or until bubbly. (Yields 12 servings)

White Sloppy Joe by Katie

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 T. milk
4 T. sour cream
1tsp. liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste
* American Cheese Slices (optional)

Assembly:
Brown meat. Stir in soup, milk and liquid smoke and reduce to a low heat. Stir in sour cream and add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Pour in skillet and reheat. Serve on hamburger bun with American Cheese slice (if desired)

Spaghetti Pie by Missy

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (browned and drained)
10 oz. spaghetti (cooked)
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs (well beaten)
2 cups cottage cheese
1 28 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

Assembly:
Cook spaghetti and drain. To the cooked spaghetti mix in the butter, Parmesan cheese, and eggs and form into a crust that covers the bottom of your 9x13 pan. Spread the cottage cheese over your noodles. Brown the hamburger and add to your favorite sauce then spread over the cottage cheese.

Serving Day:
Bake at 350 for 30 min. Add mozzarella cheese and put back in oven till it melts...yummy!!!

Missy's Yum-O Chili Remix by Mags

I just love Missy's Chili so I tried it myself... with a few small variations based on what I found at the grocery store. It ended up very THICK so in lieu of heating it in a crock pot (which I don't think it will fit in anyway!), you may want to pour it into a 9x13" pan and make it a "Chili Bake!" :) Here's "my way:"

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs of browned, ground beef
16 oz. macaroni noodles (cooked and drained)
1 tsp chili powder (you may want more!)
1/8 cup chopped onion flakes
1 4oz can diced green chilies
1 can Del Monte diced zesty chili tomatoes
1 can chili hot beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can red beans (drained)
1 quart tomato juice (for thick chili-bake). 2 quarts for more soupy chili.

Assembly:
Brown the ground beef.
Cook the noodles.
Combine with chili powder and onion.
Add in green chilies, tomatoes, and all of the beans.
Pour in 1 quart tomato juice.
Add in a 2nd quart of tomato juice if you want this more "soupy"

Freeze in a 2.5 gallon freezer bag OR heat in large pot on the stove OR pour into a 9x13" pan and cook for 1/2 hour at 350F.

Top with cheddar cheese if you want!
Enjoy!
:) Mags

Minestrone Soup by Susan

Ingredients:
3 14 oz cans beef broth
15 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained (I forgot to buy diced so I cut them for the kids)
11 1/2 oz can vegetable juice (V8)
6oz can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 1/2 cup loosely packed frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked pasta (I used small shell pasta, again easier for the smaller kids)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips (I thawed out frozen chopped spinach)
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Assembly:
In a 4-qt Dutch oven combine beef broth, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, undrained tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, and Italian seasonings. Bring to boiling; add mixed vegetables. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

To serve right away:
Stir in spinach and cooked pasta; heat through. If desired, sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

To freeze:
Stir in spinach and allow soup to cool. Stir in cooked pasta and place in freezer container.

Serving Day:
Allow soup to thaw completely. Heat and serve with a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on each serving.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 75th Anniversary Edition, p. 505

Pizza English Muffins by Debbie

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 packages (12 ounces each) English muffins, split
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Assembly:
In a large pot, cook the beef, sausage, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic salt, oregano, and cayenne. Spread over the cut side of each English muffin. Place on baking sheets. Combine the cheese and sprinkle over the meat mixture on each English muffin. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To eat right away, bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serving Day:
Bake from frozen at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Um Um Skillet by Jackie

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned with onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 emptied soup can full of water
1 can petite diced tomatoes
16 oz. frozen, mixed vegetables
2 cups uncooked, bite size pasta
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. cracked pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 cups cheddar cheese, reserved

Assembly:
Mix everything, except cheese in gallon size freezer bag. Freeze flat. Freeze cheese in separate bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Reserve cheese. Empty other bag into large skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled on each serving.

**This recipe is called "Um, Um" because I first made it when my oldest was a toddler and he would eat it and say "um, um". It was really just an experiment meal, but our kids like it.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole by Tish

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 C. instant rice (raw)
6 boned or boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg. Lipton's onion soup mix

Assembly:
Use 10×15x2-inch baking pan. Put rice into pan raw. Mix 4 cans of soup together and pour over rice. Top with the chicken breasts. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze if desired.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely and bake at 325-degrees till chicken is cooked through (1-2hours depending on the size of the chicken breasts and whether or not they are boneless).

Breaded Ranch Chicken by Debbie

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

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

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

Ravioli and Cheese Bake by Katie

Ingredients:
1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz) reduced sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
18 oz. cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Assembly:
Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, broth and dressing in freezer bag (or in a 9 x 13 pan). Add ravioli. Seal and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until ravioli are tender. Remove foil. Stir. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Enjoy!

*This is a Kraft recipe.

Southwestern Chili Casserole by Tish

Yields : 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 medium onions, chopped
4-6 tsp. chili power (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 (16oz.) cans of diced tomatoes, drained
2 (4 oz.) cans of chopped green chilies, drained
2 cans (16-17oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
8 (soft taco -burrito size) flour tortillas
8 ounces (2 cups) of shredded cheddar (or any) cheese
garnishes: sour cream, cilantro, and/or salsa

Cooking Directions:
Place ground beef in a large skillet along with onions and salt and pepper to taste and brown till meat is no longer pink and onions are soft. DRAIN well. Sprinkle on desired amount of chili powder. (I also use a little bit of Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Blend and some Tastefully Simple Garlic-Garlic seasoning, since my family likes a little more kick to their food.)
Add drained tomatoes, chilies, and corn and bring to a boil. Then remove from heat and let cool.

Freezing Directions:
Place cooled meat mixture in large zip top freezer bag, making sure to get as much air out as possible. Place your tortillas and your cheese in separate freezer bags, if you choose to freeze them.

Serving Day:
Completely thaw meat mixture (and tortillas and cheese, if you froze them)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease your casserole pan.
Line bottom of pan with 2 tortillas.
Spoon on approximately 1/4th of meat mixture, followed by 1/4th of cheese. Repeat layering of tortillas, meat and cheese, ending with meat mixture. Save the last portion of cheese for later.
COVER and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes till hot and bubbly.
Remove foil and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven just long enough to melt cheese.
Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and/or salsa if desired.

Note: I don't recommend assembling this dish entirely and then freezing it due to the potential of the tortillas getting soggy during defrosting!

Chicken Cacciatore by Susan

Ingredients:
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (cut into quarters)
1 can spaghetti sauce (I used the big one from Costco and split between 4 meals)
1 bell pepper (diced)
1 onion (diced)
1/4 cup red wine (I used Merlot)
1 tsp. Italian Seasonings
1 pkg. Spaghetti

Assembly:
Place all ingredients in a freezer bag. Seal and mush.

Serving Day:
Place cacciatore in crockpot, frozen, and cook all day on low. Serve with cooked spaghetti.

I apologize for not noting the website I got this off of. I will remember for next time.

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti from Mags

Ingredients:
1 (7 ounce) package spaghetti, broken
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon diced pimientos
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Optional Add-ins:
garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

Assembly:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, pimientos if desired, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe originally from AllRecipes.com .

Cheese Tortellini Soup by Jackie

*adapted from Tortellini Soup (Souper Freezer Soups from 30 Day Gourmet by Cindy Clark)

Ingredients:
1 cup diced onion
1 clove, garlic
2 Tblsp. butter
4 cup chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian stewed tomatoes, chopped into small pieces - so the kids will eat it. :)
16 oz. frozen cheese tortellini

Assembly:
Melt butter in stock pot. Sauté the onion and garlic in butter until tender. Remove from heat. Add broth, tomatoes and tortellini. Cool completely. Pour into gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag. Label and freeze flat on cookie sheet.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Reheat to boiling. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes until tortellini is tender.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with salad and garlic bread.