Tuscan Bean Soup by Andrea

Ingredients:
2 lb. Italian Sausage
3 T. garlic olive oil, divided
3 strips thick bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 bag frozen onion, carrots, celery
64 oz. chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 c. water
3 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 heads garlic, chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cans cannellini beans
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. basil chiffonade
fresh kale

Instructions:

In large Dutch oven, break up and brown sausage in 1 T. olive oil (Squeeze sausage out of casing). Drain. In same pan, cook bacon until crisp, chop.

Saute onion with frozen vegetables in 2 T. olive oil until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth, tomatoes (mashed), water, tomato paste, garlic, thyme and, bay leaf. Simmer 30 minutes.

Next add beans, sausage, bacon, parsley and, basil. Simmer 20-30 more minutes, adjust seasoning and add kale, as desired.

Optional: Top with Croutons: thin sliced Crusty Bread, toasted in oven on both sides till lightly browned then topped with a combo of melted butter and Garlic 00, and good grated Parmesan. Return to oven to melt cheese. Can be held at room temp for several hours.

To Freeze: Prepare to assemble to adding bean, sausage, bacon, etc. Put in freezer bags. Blanch and freeze kale in individual bags to be added to soup later.

Serving Day: Simmer 20-30 minutes. Add kale and heat through.

Tater Tot Casserole by Jackie

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8-10 American Cheese slices
1 bag of tater tots

Assembly Day:
Brown ground beef with onion. Layer beef in bottom of 9x13 foil pan. Spread soup over beef. Layer cheese slices over soup. Top with a layer of tater tots. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Uncover. Bake at 450 for about 22 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and tots are a golden brown color.

Easy Pizza Soup by Debbie

My family really enjoyed this soup that Katie originally made. I made a couple changes, so here's my version. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 cans (26 oz. each) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
3 1/4 cups water
1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 tbs. Italian seasoning
1 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly:
In soup kettle, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add soup, water, spaghetti sauce, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Divide into freezer bags. Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Add additional cheese if desired.

Manicotti by Mel

Directions:

1.) Cook 1 box manicotti shells
(this recipe usually only fills 9-10 shells--some tear in boiling)

2.) Sauce

2 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
2-3 Tbs. brown sugar (I prefer sweeter sauce)
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook onion and garlic in oil about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add sauce and other ingredients over high heat to boil. Reduce to low for up to 30 minutes. (be careful--it can splatter a lot)

3.) Prepare Filling

2 c. ricotta cheese
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 eggs
1 8 oz. package mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
2 Tbs. parsley

Combine all ingredients

4.) Rinse and cool shells
5.) Pour half sauce in 9x13 pan (I just do enough to coat bottom)
6.) Fill shells and arrange in pan
7.) Pour remaining sauce on top
8.) Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees uncovered

Freezer Directions:
Under cook pasta by about 3 minutes. Prepare the rest as above. Thaw completely before baking.

Ground Beef Stroganoff Casserole by Wendy

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) pkg. medium noodles
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. hamburger
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup diced mushrooms-fresh, or canned-drained
1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can water
1 cup sour cream
parsley to garnish

Assembly:
Cook noodles until almost done. Place in foil pan. In skillet cook onion and hamburger. Cook until no longer pink. Drain grease. Then add flour, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, mushrooms, soup and can of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

To eat that day: Pour sauce over noodles. Garnish with parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

To freeze: Pour sauce over noodles. Garnish with parsley. Cover and freeze.

To eat from frozen: Thaw completely and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. I baked it from frozen and it took approximately 2hours covered to cook.

Apple Butter by Katina Peters

Although this was not a Freezer Friendz meal, many people requested this recipe, so I thought I'd post it. It is from a friend from my MOPS group.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 bags unpeeled apples, cored and sliced (enough to fill slow cooker)
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Assembly:
Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Blend in blender. Pour into canning jars. Cool. Freeze. Enjoy!

Hearty Sausage Soup by Katie

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 (1-lb.) pkg. Hillshire Farm® Smoked Sausage (any variety), diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups celery, sliced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. beef flavor instant bouillon
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. marjoram leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 cups water
1/2 (1-lb.) pkg. pasta nuggets, uncooked

Assembly:
In large Dutch oven, melt butter. Add Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage and next six ingredients. Cook until sausage is lightly browned. Stir in bouillon and seasonings. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Prepare pasta nuggets according to package directions; drain. Stir into soup; heat through. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
(This is a Hillshire Farm recipe.)

Freezing Instructions:
Prepare as above, until directed to add water. Reduce water amount to just one cup. Spoon prepared mixture into a freezer bag, squeeze out all air and freeze. Prepare pasta. (I only cook it about 4 minutes when freezing it.) Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow excess water to drain off. Freeze in a separate freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Place soup mixture and 3 cups of water into a Dutch Oven. Bring to a bowl. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir pasta into soup; heat through. Enjoy!
(I actually forgot to add the pepper with the seasonings. So feel free to add it to your bowl of soup, if desired.)

Serving size: 6-8 servings

Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf by Susan

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

Assembly:
In a large skillet, heat the oil then stir fry onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper for about 2-3 minutes or the onions are translucent but not turning brown. While stir frying, beat the egg in a large bowl. Then add onion stir fry mixture, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Add ground turkey and bread crumbs, kneading with your hands until completely combined.

To Eat Now: Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees

To Freeze: I didn't have disposable loaf pans on hand, so I lined my loaf pan with foil and shaped the meatloaf in it. Wrapped the loaf in the foil, placed it in a labeled Freezer bag and froze it raw.

Serving Day:
Thaw meatloaf completely. Place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.

Adapted from : www.momsbudget.com/freezerrecipes/rosemaryturkey.html

Holladay Chicken by Mags

This is a recipe I got from my friend Michelle (Holladay) - they call it "Special Chicken" - regardless of what it's called, it got rave reviews from my family! :)


INGREDIENTS:

• 6 chicken breasts


• 6 slices Colby-jack cheese


• 6 slices deli ham (I used the thin-sliced Deli Selects Ham)


• 1 can cream-of-broccoli soup


• milk


• toothpicks

PROCEDURE:
1. Pound out chicken breasts flat.
2. Wrap chicken around a slice of Colby jack cheese.
3. Wrap slice of ham around the chicken rolls and secure with toothpicks. (Putting the ham on the outside helps keep it rolled. You could put it inside with the cheese if you want.)

SAME DAY COOKING:
Lay rolled chicken breasts in baking pan (spray with Pam!)
In a small bowl, mix the can of cream-of-broccoli soup with 1 can of milk.
Pour soup/milk mix over chicken.
Bake at 375, uncovered, for 45 minutes (or until cooked through)

TO FREEZE & EAT LATER:
Lay rolled chicken breasts in Ziploc Freezer Bag.
Press out air (watch out for those toothpicks!).
Freeze.
On cooking day, THAW out chicken breasts and follow the cooking instructions above.

This great with steamed broccoli on the side.

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Steele Style Sloppy-Joe Sandwiches by Missy

WHAT YOU NEED
3 cups cooked hamburger
1/3 cup diced onion and green pepper (mixed together)
1 can Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce

ASSEMBLY DAY
Brown hamburger with onions and green peppers in a skillet. Mix in one can Manwich Sauce and stir together. Serve warm with buns. ENJOY!!

TO FREEZE
Follow assembly day instructions and place cooled mixture into a Ziploc Freezer Bag.
Smooth out to freeze flat.

TO EAT ONCE FROZEN
Thaw, warm on stove ,and serve on buns...pretty easy, eh?

Pizza Mac-N-Cheese by Tish

What You Need!
1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce, divided ( I just use 1 cup of Ragu spaghetti sauce)
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, prepared as directed on package (I used Kraft shells and cheese dinner for this recipe)
1 lb. extra lean ground beef, cooked, divided ( I always season my ground beef with a little salt and pepper)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves (I used 1 tsp of Italian seasoning)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I used same amount of Tastefully Simple Garlic, Garlic)
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Assemble and Freeze:
Remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce for later use. Combine already prepared mac-n-cheese Dinner, two-thirds of the meat, the remaining pizza sauce, egg and seasonings.

SPOON evenly into baking dish or aluminum pan. Top with the remaining meat and reserved 1/4 cup pizza sauce;(I left the shredded cheese off and put it in a separate bag for folks to add at last 5 minutes of baking.) Wrap tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil or heavy duty aluminum foil and place inside extra large freezer bag if desired.

Prepare:
Remove from freezer and thaw COMPLETELY! Then preheat oven to 400 degrees F and remove foil from pan. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes till hot. Then remove and add shredded cheese to top of dish and return to oven just till melted. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Santé Fe Soup by Jen

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. Ground chuck, beef or turkey
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel’s chilies & tomatoes
1 pkg. Of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing Mix
1 pkg. of Taco seasoning mix

Assembly:
Brown meat, drain as needed, place in crock pot add dry pkg. mixes; add each can – including juice. Cook on low overnight or on high for 6 hours.

Optional: Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, taco chips or cornbread.

Serving Day:
Freezer Friends – Thaw soup, heat and enjoy!

Southwest Chipotle Pork Roast by Jackie

Ingredients:
1 4-pound boneless pork loin roast
Tones Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (I buy this in a big bottle at Sam's Club.)

Assembly:
Pat pork dry with paper towel. Rub seasoning onto all surfaces of the pork roast. Place in Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely (this will take at least 24 hours).

Option 1: Place roast in slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. This is my preferred method because the meat comes out so tender. Don't be intimidated by not adding any liquid. The meat and condensation provide plenty of liquid.

Option 2: Place roast in a shallow pan and roast in a 350 degrees F. oven for about 1.5 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.

***Important*** Do not baste the meat with the juice unless you want it VERY spicy. The juice is HOT!

Note:
This made a TON of meat! I shredded the leftovers to use as taco meat in another meal.

3 Cheese Lasagna by Andrea

Ingredients:
8 oz. lasagna noodles
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 T. butter
1 can cream of chicken
1/3 c. milk
1 6oz. can mushrooms, drained
1/4 c. pimento, chopped
1/2 t. basil
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese, creamed
3 c. shredded chicken
2 c. shredded cheddar
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

Assembly:
Saute onion and pepper in butter. Stir in soup, milk, mushrooms, pimentos, and basil.

Layer noodles, sauce, cottage cheese, chicken, cheddar. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or cover with foil and freeze.

Serving day:
Defrost and bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes.

Quick Sweet and Sour Pork by Wendy

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork loin
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium green and/or red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges (I only used 1/4 of an onion)
1 - 15 1/4 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or regular vinegar)
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Hot cooked rice

To make and eat same day:
Partially freeze pork. Cut across the grain into 2 1/2 x 2 1/4 inch strips; set aside. Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat; add oil. Stir-fry pepper and onion in hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from wok. Add more oil, if necessary. Add pork; stir-fry until browned. Keep warm.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small saucepan, combine the juice, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Return peppers and onion to wok. Stir in pineapple and thickened pineapple juice mixture. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve with rice, if desired.

To freeze and eat later:
Cut across the grain into 2 1/2 x 2 1/4 inch strips; set aside. Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat; add oil. Add pork; stir-fry until browned. Let cool and place in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a quart size Ziploc bag, add cut peppers and onions and pineapple chunks. No need to cook. Place bag in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.

In a small saucepan, combine the juice, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Let cool and pour into Ziploc sandwich bag. Place bag in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.

To eat from frozen:
Thaw all bags completely. Combine all bags in skillet or wok and heat until warmed. Serve over rice.

Serves 6.

For other dishes that cook in less than 30 minutes, visit TheOtherWhiteMeat.com/PorkRecipes .

Grilled Chicken with Pesto Pasta by Debbie

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
Italian dressing
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
1 recipe Pesto (see recipe below)

Pesto
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed parsley springs with stems removed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
1 large clove garlic, quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil
1/4 cup milk

Assembly:
Combine the chicken breasts and Italian dressing. Let this marinate for several hours, or freeze at this point.

To prepare the pesto, combine all ingredients, except the oil and milk, in a food processor or blender. Cover and process until a paste forms. Gradually add the oil and process until the consistency is like soft butter. Transfer the pesto to a mixing dish and whisk in about a quarter cup of milk. Cover and set aside, or freeze at this point.

Serving Day:
Thaw chicken breasts and pesto in the refrigerator. Leave the pesto covered until you are ready to use it, or lightly coat it with olive oil (this keeps the pesto from turning brown).

Grill the chicken breasts (or bake in the oven).

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the cooking pot. Add the pesto directly to the pasta and stir until the pasta is completely coated. When the chicken is cooked, slice the breasts into strips and place on top of the pasta.

Note: When making my pesto, I use Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and olive oil. The pesto recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book. Our family LOVES pesto - I hope your family enjoys it too!

Meatloaf by Andrea

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce (divided)
1 c. Ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 c. water
2T. each brown sugar, vinegar, & yellow mustard

Assembly:
Mix meat and onion with 4 oz. tomato sauce, bread crumbs, egg, S&P. Form in loaf shape and place in greased loaf pan. For sauce, mix remaining 4 oz. tomato sauce with remaining ingredients. Mix well with whisk or fork. Pour over meatloaf. (Can be frozen here.) Bake uncovered at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours.

To prepare frozen:
Defrost both meatloaf and sauce. Remove loaf from alum. pan and place in a larger loaf pan. Pour sauce over top and bake uncovered 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Breaded Ranch Chicken (resubmitted by Mel)

See earlier post by Debbie for recipe:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/search?q=Breaded+Ranch+Chicken

Chicken Lasagna Roll-ups by Jen

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, Preheat to 375 and Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Cheesy Salsa Chicken & Pasta by Katie

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. mini penne pasta
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 jar Thick & Chunky Salsa-we use med/hot, but I made this with mild for the faint of heart :)
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 large green pepper , cut into short strips
1 c. Mexican style shredded cheese

Assembly:
Cook pasta as directed on package. (If freezing, only cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and freeze in Ziploc freezer bag.)
Heat nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on med-high heat. Cook chicken. Stir in salsa, corn and pepper. (If freezing, spoon into Ziploc freezer bag.) Freeze. If not freezing, follow directions below.

Serving Day:
Thaw. Bring chicken mixture to a boil. Simmer on med-low heat 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Drain pasta. (or warm up frozen pasta) Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!