Sun Dried Tomato Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing & Marinade
6-8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Assembly:
PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Pour dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; turn to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through (165°F). Set the timer in the kitchen for 5 min. on each side so you don't forget to turn the chicken. Don't overcook the chicken - grill just until the juices run clear. If you choose not to grill outdoors, just place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until cooked through (165°F).

Instructions for Freezer Friendz:
Thaw chicken breasts in the freezer bag. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. GRILL chicken 5 to 7 min. on each side or until cooked through (165°F). Set the timer in the kitchen for 5 min. on each side so you don't forget to turn the chicken. Don't overcook the chicken - grill just until the juices run clear.
If you choose not to grill outdoors, just place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until cooked through (165°F).

Polynesian Turkey Burgers by Tish

**Submitted by Tish from the 30 Day Gourmet Freezer meal site!**
Servings: 6 (8 if you make the burgers smaller)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey (I use the 93% lean, not the 99% lean so they will stay more moist during cooking)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (NOT garlic salt - it would be too salty with the soy sauce)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup of sweet and sour sauce (divided)
1 cup of crushed pineapple, DRAINED

Assembly: Combine turkey, bread crumbs, soy sauce, spices, and 1/4 cup of the sweet and sour sauce. Shape into 6-8 burgers.
For sauce: combine 3/4 cup of sweet and sour sauce with the 1 cup of drained, crushed pineapple.

Freezing: 1. Freezer raw burgers in Ziploc freezer bag to cook later OR 2. Cook burgers on grill, stovetop, or broiler and cool completely before placing into freezer bags.
Sauce: pour into a quart size freezer bag and label and freeze with burgers

Serving: Thaw burgers and sauce and cook OR warm the already cooked burgers. Warm the sauce on the stovetop or the microwave. Serve with or without sauce on top.

The kids can always add a piece of cheese and ketchup and skip the sauce if they want.

****I recommend grilling the burgers SLOWLY over LOW heat to help maintain their moisture****
ENJOY!

Missy's Chili

Heat these ingredients in soup pan and let simmer:
1 can Kroger Diced Salsa Style Tomatoes Fire Roasted
2 cans chili beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 quart tomato juice
1 tbsp chili powder

This time (6-1-10) I used 1 1/2lb hamburger and not the 3 kinds listed below.

Combine the following ingredients in your skillet and cook thoroughly:
I used 1/2 lb. of the following meats:
•hamburger
•turkey
•venison
1/2 onion
1 4oz can diced green chilies
1 tbsp chili powder

To freeze: Follow above directions completely and place into a Ziploc bag and freeze.

Serving day: Thaw, warm on the stove, and serve. I have had problems in the past with my bags leaking while thawing so I place the freezer bag in a large dish for this process.

Extra Notes: My family enjoys chili that's spicy. For this recipe I toned down the use of chili powder so your family can enjoy a more mild meal OR you may heat this in your pan and spice-it-up-a-bit to your liking! I have also stretched this meal by adding cooked elbow macaroni/pasta spirals which the kids really like. Enjoy!!

Bavarian Pot Roast by Mel

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. pot roast

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

3 whole cloves

4 medium apples, cored and quartered

1 small onion, sliced

1/2 c. apple juice

3-4 Tbsp. flour

2-4 Tbsp. water

Directions:

1. Trim excess fat from roast. Lightly rub meat with oil. Dust with salt, pepper, and ginger. Insert cloves into roast.

2. Place apples and onions in crock pot and top with roast.

3. Pour in apple juice. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours.

4. Remove roast and apples to platter.

5. Turn crock pot to high. Make a smooth paste of flour and water and stir into crock pot. Cover until thickened.

Freezer directions:

Thaw completely. Heat thoroughly. This can be done stove top or in a slow cooker. (Meat is already cooked). Remove roast and apples from broth, and thicken broth with flour/water paste on stove. (I did not thicken the gravy before freezing)

Baked Chicken by Mel

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

2/3 c. Bisquick

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4-6 chicken breasts (I prefer to cut them up)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan. Mix Bisquick, paprika, salt and pepper. Wet chicken and coat with dry mix. Place chicken in pan. Bake covered for @ 30 minutes. (optional: soak chicken in salt water overnight before preparing--makes it very juicy)

Freezer directions:

Prepare as above. Thaw completely and bake per instructions.

Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese by Amy

Ingredients:

1 pound short pasta, such as cavatappi or macaroni

Salt

6 Tbs. butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk or half and half (that's what I use)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs

Steps:

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat 4 Tbs butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and 2 tsp salt; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in cheeses until smooth. Pour over pasta; toss to coat.

3. Melt remaining 2 Tbs butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over pasta.

4. Preheat over to 375 degrees. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 40-45 minutes.

Freezer Preparation:

1. Divide macaroni mixture into baking dishes ( 2 - 8x8 pans).

2. Cover with breadcrumbs.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months.

Freezer to Oven:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen dishes on a baking sheet; remove plastic. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 60 to 70 minutes for large dishes, 40 to 50 minutes for small dishes. Remove foil; continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Crock Pot Barbecued Pork (adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It) by Amy

Ingredients:

2-3 lb. boneless pork roast or tenderloin, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

16 oz. bottle barbecue sauce

salt and pepper

Assembly:

1. Place meat in slow cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper over pork. Add onions and sauce.

2. Cover. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

3. Use 2 forks to shred meat.

4. Serve on sandwich rolls with sauce.

Freezing:

1. Allow barbeque to cool completely.

2. Place barbeque in a freezer container (Ziploc bag).

Freezer to Eating:

1. Thaw barbecue completely.

2. Place in sauce pan. Warm up barbecue over medium heat. Add more sauce if barbecue is dry.

3. Serve on sandwich rolls with sauce

Colorado Style Beef Enchiladas by Tish

** This is from a new cookbook I recently found called "Don't Panic-Dinner's In the Freezer"

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion (about 3/4 cup), diced
3-4 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or to taste
1 small can of green chiles, chopped
1 6-8 oz. can of green chile salsa (or any picante or salsa can be substituted)- I used mild picante salsa
1/4 - 1/3 cup water
Vegetable oil, for quick frying
12 corn tortillas
1 pound of grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, divided

Sauce:
1 - 15 oz. can of mild red chile enchilada sauce
1 - 15 oz. can of mild or medium green enchilada sauce ( I used mild)
1/3 cup of sour cream
3 T. milk

yields 6-8 servings

Cooking Day Instructions:
Brown meat and onion in skillet on medium heat. While meat is browning, prepare sauce (see below).Drain meat and return to pan; add dry taco seasoning, salt, pepper, green chiles, green chile salsa (or salsa of your choice), and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water. Mix well, cover, and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes. Check meat mixture to see if most of the water has been absorbed. The meat should remain moist. Adjust seasonings at this point, if desired.
Cover and keep warm.

For sauce:
In a medium bowl, combine red and green enchilada sauces, sour cream and milk. Whisk till well blended and smooth. (you can add more sour cream or milk, if you prefer a less intense sauce)

In smaller pan, add 3-4 T. oil and heat over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, work quickly and dip each side of the corn tortillas in the hot oil (no more than 1-2 sec. per side). Promptly place tortillas on plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Assembly and Freezing:
In a prepared 9x13 dish, pour 3/4 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it. Top with a single layer of tortillas. Top tortillas with 1/2 of the meat mixture, then sprinkle with some of the cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, and cheese layers. Pour remaining sauce over top and top with remaining cheese. Cool completely. Then wrap pan in heavy aluminum foil and place in 2 gal Ziploc bag or wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or till cheese is bubbly and dish is heated all the way through. Can be served with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and/or guacamole.

Family Friendly Fast Stew by Andrea

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can whole corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can beans, drained
1/2 c. ketchup


Assembly: Brown and drain ground beef. Add in rest of ingredients. To eat on assembly day, cook in crock pot or heat through on the stove. To freeze: combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag and freeze.

To cook from frozen: Defrost and heat either in crock pot or in a pan on the stove.

Notes: This recipe was given to me for its flexibility and versatility. It can be adapted to suit your family preferences. You can use any flavor of tomatoes, even crushed. You may use 2 cans of creamed corn instead of the whole can, and you may use any kind of beans. It is also fine to leave it in the crock pot all day or heat it through quickly on the stove.

Baked Ziti with Chicken in Queso Sauce by Missy

Ingredients:
2 Cups Shredded Chicken (cooked)
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Mild RO*TEL
2 inches Velveeta "cheese"
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Box Ziti Noodles (cooked as directed on box)

Directions:
Cook chicken and shred. Cook Ziti as directed on the box and drain. Melt the Velveeta cheese in the microwave. Mix cans of soup, RO*TEL, and melted Velveeta cheese together. Stir all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 dish. Bake@35o for 45 min or until bubbling. After serving portions onto the plate, top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. ENJOY!!

Freezing Instructions:
Mix shredded chicken, cooked Ziti, soup, RO*TEL, and melted Velveeta and place wet ingredients into a freezer safe container. Place into freezer. On baking day, thaw completely and place in oven safe dish. Bake as directed and serve.
ENJOY!!!

Rerun: Bisquick Chicken Tenders & Mac-n-Cheese from Mags

Please leave your comments at the original post.
This recipe was first shared back in July:
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/07/bisquick-chicken-tenders-mac-n-cheese.html
You can find cooking directions there as well.

I did pan-fry a batch (instead of baking) - they were DELICIOUS that way too!
Enjoy!
:) Mags

Spaghetti Casserole by Tish

** This meal is from the 30 Day Gourmet freezer meals site. I hope you and your family enjoy it!**
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
12 oz. Spaghetti COOKED (I cook till slightly Under-done) and broken into 2 inch pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 T. butter
12 oz. can of tomato paste
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. sugar
24 oz. cottage cheese (any variety)
3 3/4 c. COOKED and drained ground beef (*1 lb. UNcooked beef= 2 1/2 c cooked beef*)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Assembly Directions:
Cook Spaghetti till slightly UNDER-done. Drain and place in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan. In separate bowl, mix melted butter, beaten egg, and Parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper to taste. (Note: beat egg first, then add melted butter SLOWLY and whisking well, then add the other ingredients. Do this so you don't scramble the eggs)
spread this mixture over the noodles. Layer the cottage cheese over this layer.
In a separate bowl, combine tomato paste, water, oregano, garlic powder and sugar. Add cooked, DRAINED ground beef. Layer tomato mixture over cottage cheese.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
To Freeze: Wrap pan in heavy duty Aluminum foil or put pan down inside a 2 gallon freezer bag. Put mozzarella cheese in a separate freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw casserole and place on a cookie sheet. Bake COVERED at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes,(during last 10 minutes, remove foil and add mozzarella cheese, then return to oven for remaining cook time). Can be cooked from from frozen, just follow same instructions and increase the cooking time to 55-60 minutes.

Chicken Tortellini Soup by Jen

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth or stock
3 cups water
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups chicken breast (this can be 1/2 lb. of chicken or 2 cans of chicken)
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated three cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Assembly:
Bring broth, water, onion, basil, minced garlic to boil in large 3 qt. saucepan.
Add pasta; reduce heat to medium uncovered cook 4 min.
Stir in chicken, peas, soup into the boiling water for the least 5 minutes of the cooking time. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with pepper.

If your soup is too thin, add 2 Tblsp of cornstarch and 1/2 cup water to thicken.

Freezer Friends:
Thaw and Enjoy!

I didn't cook the pasta the entire time, b/c of the reheating process.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Amy

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package of thin spaghetti
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. of butter or olive oil

1 (8 0z.) package of sliced Bella mushrooms

1 cup diced onions

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (16 oz.) jar of Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup of Marsala cooking wine
1/4 tsp. of pepper


Assembly:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, saute onions and mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. of butter or olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and onion/mushroom mixture.
4. Stir together last 5 ingredients into the chicken mixture.
5. Stir in pasta.
6. Spoon mixture into 9x13 slightly greased baking dish.
7. Top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.


*If freezing, place mixture in a slightly greased 9x13 foil pan. Cool completely and then place plastic wrap and then foil on top. Seal tightly. When you are ready to eat the tetrazzini, thaw dish completely and then top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.


Serving size: 6 servings

Easy Beef Stroganoff by Wendy

Make-Ahead Ground Beef
1 med. onion
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 garlic clove, pressed

1. Chop onions.
2. Place onions, beef and garlic into a 12" skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 15-18 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles.

Prepare and Freeze:
To ground beef, add:
8oz. Sliced mushrooms
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Combine in large resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up to three months.

Defrost
Microwave packet on Defrost (30% power) 8-10 minutes or until softened. Pour into 10" Skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (If cooking immediately, combine ingredients in 10"Skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat).

Finish and Serve

• Stir 8 oz. sour cream into beef mixture.
• Cook 1 lb. egg noodles; drain. Toss with 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley and 2 tbsp melted butter.(Optional)
• Spoon stroganoff over noodles and sprinkle wit additional paprika and parsley, if desired.

Yield: 6 Servings

Nutrients per serving (excluding optional ingredients): Calories 400, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Carbohydrate 27 g, Sodium 660 mg, Fiber 2 g.
This is a Pampered Chef Recipe.

Pesto Chicken Pasta by Andrea

This is a freezer recipe from TOH Simple & Delicious. The recipe makes 2 casseroles so I made an extra recipe and split it among all 4 families to make sure there was enough for each family.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) pasta
• 6 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
• 1 jar (10 ounces) prepared pesto
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
• To bake immediately: Pour into 2 greased 8" pans. Mix bread crumbs, Parm. cheese with oil and sprinkle over the top. Cover and bake the casserole at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
• To freeze: Transfer to 2 ziplock bags. In a small baggie, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil, mix.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pour into well greased pan. Sprinkle with topping mixtures. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Stubb's Chicken - by Mags

My husband chose our chicken marinade this month: Stubb's Chicken Marinade - "a special blend of citrus, herbs, and sesame." Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 bottle Stubb's Chicken Marinade

Preparation:

• Poke holes in your chicken breasts and place 6 in a Zip-Loc Freezer Bag.
• Pour in 1/2 a bottle of the marinade.
• Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and squoosh around so the chicken breasts are coated.
• Freeze Flat.
• If you are eating this on the same day as you prepared it, make sure your chicken breasts sit in the marinade for 2-6 hours.
  

Cooking Day:

• Thaw and cook, bake, or grill to your liking.

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, FREEZER FRIENDZ!

How is it possible that our little group has been exchanging meals for 2 YEARS?!! Wow!!



We'd LOVE to hear from YOU...

Do you have a favorite recipe from the last two years?
Have you and your friends started your own freezer group?

Post a comment with your favorite overall dish - either the title or link.
Your favorite may be something we need to make again!!

:)

Baked Potato Soup

This is one I've made before and posted in October 2008. It was such a big hit, I thought I would repeat this one again. Please reply to original post.
http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/10/baked-potatoe-soup-by-wendy.html

Slow Cooker Pizza Chicken by Jen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, sliced
2 medium bell peppers, cut into strips
2 cups tomato pasta sauce (from 26 oz jar)
1 package (16 oz) rotini pasta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Assembly:
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place chicken. Top with onion and bell peppers. Add pasta sauce.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours.

3. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Place pasta on platter. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Freezer Friends:
Option 1: If you decide to thaw, cook on low heat setting 4-6 hours. Our crock pot cooks very fast, so it only took 3 hours for our meal.

Option 2: Cook from frozen. Remove plastic bag from frozen meal. Place meal in crock pot. Cook on low 6-10 hours. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.