Chicken Enchiladas by Beth

Ingredients:
4 c. shredded, cooked chicken
2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
24 oz. tomato sauce
1-1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
6 flour tortillas
Assembly:
In large bowl, combine chicken, 1 c. cheese, soup, onion, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, chili powder, and cumin.  In greased 9x13, pour about 1 c. of sauce on the bottom of the pan.   Lay out tortillas on counter, divide chicken mixture among the tortillas and spread mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Roll each up tightly and place in pan.  Pour remaining sauce over tortillas.  Cover and freeze.  Freeze remaining 1 c. of cheese for later use.
Serving Day:
Thaw completely in fridge.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 min or until heated through.  Top with remaining cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

Crockpot Beef Stew by Beth

Ingredients:
2 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
1 c. chopped onion
1 T. minced garlic
2 pkgs. beef gravy mix
2 c. water
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c. baby carrots
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 c. frozen peas, thawed
Assembly:
Brown meat in small amount of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Once slightly cooled, transfer to gallon freezer bag.  To the bag, add garlic, onion, and carrots.  Whisk together gravy powder, water, and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour into bag and seal.  Freeze.
Serving Day:
Thaw freezer bag in the fridge.  Dump into crockpot and add potatoes.  Cook on high 4 1/2 hours or on low for 9 hours.  Add peas during the last 10 min. 

Crockpot Orange BBQ Chicken by Jen

adapted from: http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/04/crockpot-orange-chicken-recipe.html

Ingredients: 

3 lbs. Boneless Chicken Breasts

1 ½ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

1 ½ cup Sweet Orange Marmalade

4 T Soy Sauce

Assembly: 
Mix together BBQ sauce, orange marmalade, and soy sauce in a large ziploc freezer bag.  Add Chicken and mix well.  Freeze until ready to place in crockpot.   

Serving Day:
Thaw, cook chicken in crockpot on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours {covered}
Cut up chicken into pieces and serve.   

Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin by Beth (originally by Wendy)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground chili powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 pork tenderloins

1 Tbsp. oil

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Assembly:

Combine the first three ingredients; rub over pork.  In a large skillet, brown pork in oil on all sides.  In a large freezer bag, combine the honey, soy sauce and vinegar.  Add cooled tenderloins to the bag, seal, and turn so sauce coats the pork.  Freeze.

Serving Day:

Thaw completely in the fridge.  Empty contents of bag onto an oven safe dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until thermometer reads 145 degrees, basting occasionally with pan juices.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Rerun: Chicken Pot Pie by Jackie

Please see this link for recipe. https://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2016/01/chicken-pot-pie-by-jackie.html

Jackie's Not So Spicy, Spicy Beef Roast

Ingredients:
3 pound top round roast
1 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns (use 2 Tbsp. if you like it spicy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard

Assembly:
Combine pepper and garlic. 
Cut shallow slits in roast. 
Rub with pepper/garlic mixture.
Place roast in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.
Combine remaining ingredients.
Pour over meat.
Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Place in slow cooker.  Pour juices over roast.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  Cut thin slices against the grain. Return to au jus in crockpot until ready to serve.  Place meat slices on platter to serve.  If desired, pour au jus into gravy bowl to be drizzled over meat.

Cracked Out Chicken Casserole by Beth

Taken from www.plainchicken.com

Ingredients:
3 c. cooked chicken breast, cut into cubes
16 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg (3 oz) bacon pieces
3 T. homemade ranch seasoning (see prior blog entry) or 1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 lb. bag frozen tater tots

Assembly:
In large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, soup, bacon, ranch seasoning, and 1c. cheese.  Fold in frozen tots and stir until everything is well combined.  Spoon into greased 9x13 pan.  Cover and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw in the refrigerator.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 min, or until lightly browned and bubbly.  Add remaining cheese on the top.  Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Homemade Ranch Seasoning by Beth

Here is a homemade alternative to buying the packets of ranch dressing seasonings.  It's a lot cheaper and isn't full of preservatives!

Ingredients:
1 c. dry buttermilk powder (found in the baking aisle with powdered milk)
2 T. dried parsley
2 t. dried minced onion
2 t. dill weed
2 t. garlic salt
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. pepper

Mix all ingredients in bowl until combined.  Store in the refrigerator (as well as extra powdered buttermilk).  3 Tbsp is equivalent to 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning.

Slow Cooker Taco Pasta by Jen

Adapted from: https://kristineskitchenblog.com/easy-slow-cooker-taco-pasta/

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup jarred salsa (I used mild)
• 15 ounce can corn, drained
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning 
• 2 ½ cups water or low sodium chicken broth (I used one 14.5 ounce can chicken broth plus enough water to total 2 ½ cups)
• 12 ounces shell pasta shapes 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Assembly: 
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat, stirring often, until browned. Transfer beef to slow cooker.
Add the bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, salsa, corn, taco seasoning, and broth or water. Stir.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Stir in the pasta. Cook on high for 10-20 minutes. Pasta cook time will vary by slow cooker, begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes.
Stir in the cheddar cheese and serve.

Serving Day: 
From freezer, adjust crockpot settings. 
Bag 1 - Meat Mixture -- Thaw and Cook bag of meat on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Bag 2 -  Pasta -- Stir in the pasta. Cook on high for 10-20 minutes. Pasta cook time will vary by slow cooker, begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes.

Bag 3 - Cheese -- Stir in the cheddar cheese and serve.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole by Jen

adapted from: TheSeasonedMom.com
Ingredients: 

1 lb. uncooked chicken

1 cup uncooked rice

1 (12.6 oz) small broccoli florets

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup water

Assembly: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine and whisk together cream of chicken soup and water to the prepared dish.
4. Stir in uncooked rice, uncooked chicken and frozen broccoli. 
5. Season with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper.
6. Stir again
7. Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through. 

Serving Day:

Remove from freezer, thaw completely and bake covered for at LEAST 1 hour. 

Tator Tot Casserole by Beth

Rerun:  https://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2015/05/tater-tot-casserole-by-beth.html
(the only thing I did different from this above recipe, was add a layer of American cheese between the beef mixture and tater tots)

Baked Potato Soup by Jackie

Ingredients:
1-(2lb.) bag hash brown potatoes, or 6 left over baked potatoes (remove skin and chop)
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth (21 3/4oz. total)
2 c. milk
1 garlic clove, pressed
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. light sour cream
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1-8 oz. package diced ham or 6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon

Assembly:
Mix celery, onion, chicken broth, milk, garlic, sour cream, ham, salt and pepper in a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.  Add  potatoes and mix. Remove all air from bag, seal and lay flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Place cheddar cheese into pint size freezer bag and freeze.

Serving Day:
Place thawed mixture from gallon freezer bag into 6 qt. pan. Simmer for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top of each serving. 

* This recipe is adapted from Pampered Chef "Main Dishes" Cookbook.

Chicken Cacciatore by Tiffany

http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/freezer-meal-recipe-chicken-cacciatore/

I doubled the below recipe, adapted slightly, and used 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash instead of 2 zucchini.

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 {26 oz} jar of spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
salt and pepper
1 clove minced garlic

There are 2 different ways you can make this. You can load all the ingredients into a gallon sized Ziploc bag, lay it flat, freeze, and cook it in the crock pot at a later date or layer the ingredients in a foil pan, seal and pop in the freezer.

Crock Pot Cooking Method: Cook from frozen on high for 8 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked, or thaw overnight in the refrigerator overnight and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Oven Cooking Method: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cook at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles if desired.

Smoked Sausage Chowder by Beth

Ingredients:
1 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage, thinly sliced and halved
1 med. onion, chopped
4 c. potatoes, diced
2 lg. carrots, sliced
1/4 c. butter
3 c. water
2 tsp. parsley
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
8 oz. half and half
Assembly:
In large stockpot, brown the sausage and onion with the butter.  Add potatoes, carrots, and water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 min or until potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Cool.  Pour into gallon freezer bag.  Lay flat to freeze.
Serving Day:
Thaw in fridge.  Heat on stovetop until heated through. 

Loaded Chicken and Potatoes by Beth

Ingredients:
3-4 large potatoes, diced
1-1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, cubed (raw)
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce
1/2 lb. bacon, diced and cooked
1/2 c. green onions
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
Assembly:
In large bowl, combine spices, hot, and BBQ sauces.  Toss with raw chicken and potatoes, until pieces are evenly coated.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 45-55 min. or until potatoes are soft and chicken is done.  Cool.  Cover and freeze.  Freeze green onions, bacon, and cheese in separate bags.
Serving Day:
Thaw casserole in the fridge.  Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 min, or until heated through.  Cover with bacon, green onion, and cheese.  Return to oven to melt the cheese.

Tuscan Chicken by Jackie

*adapted from original recipe by Once A Month Mom http://onceamonthmom.com/hellmanns-tuscan-glazed-chicken/

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. diced roasted red peppers

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Assembly:
Trim all fat from chicken breasts.  Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness.
Here is a method I've found successful for flattening chicken.

1. Lay a large piece of Glad Press 'n Seal on the counter.   
2. Place 6 breasts on top. 
3. Cover with another piece of Press 'n Seal.
4. Seal well around the edges.  
5. Pound meat with a meat tenderizer.  Move chicken to a tray lined with parchment paper. 

Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spread evenly on top of all 6 chicken breasts. 

Place tray in the freezer and flash freeze the chicken.  This means, leave chicken in freezer until each piece is individually frozen.  This usually takes 3-4 hours.  Place frozen chicken breasts in a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.  Label and freeze.

Serving Day:

Option 1:  Take out the number of chicken breasts that you would like to cook.  Place them in a baking dish.  If any of the topping is stuck to bag, try to add it to the top of the chicken breasts.  Thaw completely.  Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Option 2:  Cook from frozen.  Bake on 425 for 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165-170 degrees. 

Lawnmower Taco Casserole by Tiffany

https://lifeasmom.com/freezer-cooking-with-ground-beef-and-turkey/

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 to 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 9 ounces tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 cup grated cheese
• For day of serving: shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, black olives

Assembly:

1. In large skillet, brown ground beef. Stir in taco seasoning. Sprinkle flour over top. Stir to combine.
2. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens.
3. Once cooled freeze.

Serving Day:
On serving day, thaw.

Grease 9×13 inch baking pan. Place 1/2 of crushed chips across bottom of dish. Layer with half the meat sauce and then half the cheese. Repeat layers: chips, meat, cheese.

Place in 325° oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly, adding up to 10 to 15 minutes baking time, depending on how cold or frozen the casserole is at the start. Serve with toppings.

Ravioli Bake by Jackie

Ingredients:
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jar (26-28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 (25oz.) pkg. of beef ravioli
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
16 (1/2") slices of French baguette
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Assembly:
Heat oil in skillet.  Sauté onion, peppers and garlic until veggies are tender.
Stir in spaghetti sauce and ravioli.
Place one layer of mixture in 9x13 baking dish.
Add layer of mozzarella cheese.
Add layer of remaining ravioli mixture.
Cover, label and freeze.
Place bread in quart size Ziploc bag.  Place Parmesan in snack size Ziploc bag.  Place both of these bags and butter into a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.  Label and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw.  Bake covered pan of ravioli in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until ravioli is warm.  Uncover.  Melt butter.  Toss bread in butter to coat evenly.  Arrange bread slices standing up around the outer edge of pan.  Press them slightly into ravioli mixture.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over entire pan, including bread.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the bread is crisp and golden brown.

Crockpot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak by Tiffany

http://newleafwellness.biz/2015/05/06/crockpot-chicken-philly-cheesesteak/

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 large onion; sliced
• 3 bell peppers (the more colorful the better), cut into strips
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 6 slices of provolone cheese

Assembly:

1. Add all ingredients to freezer bag, except cheese. (You can add broth and cornstarch.)
2. Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze for up to three months.

Serving Day:

1. Place all ingredients EXCEPT for cheese and rolls in crockpot.
2. Cook on “low” setting for 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and peppers are soft.
3. Lay cheese over mixture.
4. Cook on “low” for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Serve on a fresh, hot roll.

Taco Bake by Jen

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 cups corn chips 
1 ½ pound lean ground beef
1 taco seasoning mix packet (from 1-oz package)
15 oz. tomato sauce
8 oz. sour cream
4 oz shredded cheese

Assembly:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 9x13 inch pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.

Sprinkle with 1 cup corn chips.
In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix; simmer 5 minutes.
Spoon meat mixture in pan over chips.  Sprinkle with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Served topped with lettuce and tomato.