Hope MOPS Presentation

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.

Mexican Dinner Dip Remix by Mags

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:

1. I used a deep square pan for a thicker dip. You can also use a 9x13" pan for a shallow dip -- either works fine!
2. Grease your pan!
3. Spread out the refried beans to be the bottom layer.
4. Brown and drain the ground beef. Add in taco seasoning and water according to taco pkg. directions.
5. Spread out the ground beef on top of your refried beans.
6. Spread the salsa out on top of the ground beef.
   
7. 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!

Pizza Pasta Casserole by Mags

Original Recipe HERE.
*This recipe makes TWO 9x13" pans serving 12; cut recipe in half if you only want to serve 6.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb. ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 jars (28 oz) spaghetti sauce16 oz. whole wheat spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 oz. sliced pepperoni

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet cook meat and onion until the meat is thoroughly browned. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and noodles, stirring well.

2. Divide mixture in half and put one half in each 9x13 pan. Top each with 2 cups cheese, then top with pepperoni.

3. To bake one immediately, preheat oven at 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes or heated through. Serve.

4. To freeze, cover and place in freezer.

5. To thaw and cook, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 35-40 minutes, or until heated through. Serve!

Enjoy!
:) Mags

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

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.

Pasta & Fagioli Soup - Olive Garden-style by Mags

This is a clone of Olive Garden's yummy soup - and you can use your crock pot!
Here's the recipe found here at RecipeZaar.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 can white kidney beans, drained
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta - I used elbow macaroni

ASSEMBLY:
Brown beef in a skillet.

TO EAT TODAY:
Place all of the ingredients into a crock pot.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

*The original recipe said to NOT add the pasta until the last 30 minutes (high heat) or 1 hour (low heat) except I missed that instruction and already had it mixed in. If you make it on your own, you can try it that way.

TO FREEZE FOR LATER:
Place all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the beef broth into a gallon-size Ziploc baggie (the broth won't fit). Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw and put in your crock pot.
Add beef broth and follow the cooking instructions above.

Chicken Spaghetti Bake from Mags

I altered Missy's "Spaghetti Pie" recipe with chicken; recipe below:

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts - cooked
10 oz. spaghetti -cooked
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups cottage cheese
1 28 oz. jar of 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. Add the cooked chicken breasts (I cut mine into thirds), and spread a jar of spaghetti sauce over it all.

Serving Day:
Thaw - then bake at 350 for 45-55 min.
Add mozzarella cheese and put back in oven till it melts (about another 5 minutes).

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Italian Beef Stromboli by Mags

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf frozen bread dough
• 8-10 slices of roast beef
• 8-10 slices of provolone cheese
• olive oil
• Italian seasoning
• garlic powder

Assembly Day:

1. Thaw dough according to directions on package. (I laid out the dough the morning of cooking day on cookie sheets and let them thaw out for about 3-4 hours.)
2. Stretch out thawed loaf into large rectangle shape on a GREASED cookie sheet. Stretch it as wide as you can.
3. Brush with a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
4. Spread out your roast beef slices along bread.
5. Spread out your provolone slices on top of roast beef.
6. Curl in the dough on the two ends.
7. Start rolling the whole thing lengthwise to get a long rolled up "log" of dough (with the seasonings, roast beef, and cheese rolled up inside).
8. Brush with more olive oil and sprinkle more Italian seasoning.

To Freeze:
Bake in 350 oven 15 minutes or just until barely golden. Cool completely on cooling rack. Double wrap in Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly and the inside is not finished, just lay a piece of foil over the Stromboli for the remainder of the baking time. Let cool 10 minutes. Slice in 1 inch slices. Use add mayonaise or honey mustard if you want.

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

Cannelloni Pie by Mags

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 pkg. Pierino frozen cannelloni (or equivelent)
• 1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 bag shredded parmesan cheese

Assembly:

1. Brown ground beef - Drain.
2. In a bowl, mix ground beef, 1/2 the jar of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 a bag of mozarella cheese, and 1/2 a bag of parmesan cheese.
3. Press mixture into bottom of greased 9x13" pan.
4. Boil frozen cannelloni for 2 minutes.
5. Lay cannelloni on top of mixture.
6. Pour rest of spaghetti sauce on top of cannelloni.
7. Spread rest of mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top too.

Same-Day Cooking:

1. Bake in preheated 450 oven for 25-30 minutes.
2. You'll want to cover it with foil so your cheese doesn't burn.

To Freeze and Eat Later:

1. Cover tightly with foil (or plastic wrap and foil). Freeze.
2. On Cooking Day, thaw and REMOVE the plastic wrap (if you used it).
3. Follow "Same-Day" Cooking instructions above.

--> Alternate Idea: Use all of the spaghetti sauce for the "pie bottom," and then pour 1 jar of Alfredo sauce over the top with the rest of the cheese.

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Crunchy Onion Pork Chops by Mags

Original Recipe found HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups (2 oz.) FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
• 4 (1/2 inch thick) bone-in or boneless pork chops
• 1 egg, beaten

PROCEDURE:

PLACE French Fried Onions into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or with rolling pin. Transfer to shallow dish.

DIP pork chops into beaten egg; then toss in crushed onions. Place pork chops into disposable foil pan.


TO EAT TODAY:

For GRILL COOKING, prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium-high heat (400°F). Cook pork chops in covered grill 20 to 25 min. or until no longer pink in center.

For OVEN COOKING, place on cookie sheet and cook at 400°F for 20-30 minutes (until done)


TO FREEZE & EAT LATER:
Slide coated pork chops into freezer bag and press out all air. Seal and freeze.
On serving day, thaw completely and follow cooking instructions above.


VARIATIONS:
This can also be done with chicken - and with either, you can add 2TBSP of flour to the crushed onions as part of your coating. Use the Cheddar French Fried Onions for a cheesy alternative.

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Bisquick Chicken Tenders & Mac-n-Cheese from Mags

Bisquick Chicken recipes from back of Bisquick box... :)

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh chicken breast cut in half or thirds length-wise (or use 12-15 chicken tenderloins)
• 1 1/3 cup Bisquick
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. salt OR garlic salt
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 eggs - slightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 boxes of your favorite macaroni-n-cheese.

Assembly:

1. Cut chicken breasts into strips length-wise.
2. Mix Bisquick, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and paprika in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.
3. Crack 2 eggs in a bowl - lightly whisk with the melted butter.
4. Dip chicken strips into egg mixture.
5. Drop chick strips in bag and shake to coat.

To freeze for later:
Line up the strips in a 9x13" pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Or line up in a Zip-lock freezer bag.

Serving Day:
Cook on a sprayed foil-lined or sprayed baking sheet for 12-15 minutes at 450F (or until cooked through).
You can also pan-fry the thawed chicken breasts in a skillet.
Prepare Mac-n-Cheese as directed on box - serve on the side.

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Dijon Pork Chops by Mags

Recipe from Mom's Budget.com

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (can use plain if that's all you have but add a dash of Italian seasoning)

Assembly:

• In a bowl, combine Dijon mustard and Worcesterhire sauce. Lightly season the four pork chops with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
• Use a pastry brush to brush each side of the pork chops with the Dijon mixture. Next, coat each side with the Italian seasoned bread crumbs.

Freezing:

• Option 1 - flash freezing separately - Place on cookie sheet flash freeze in the freezer. After a few hours, place the pork chops in a freezer bag or container.
• Option 2 - Slide 3-4 pork chops into a gallon-size Ziploc Bag. Press out air and freeze flat. If the chops are big, you'll need to put 3 per bag.
  

Serving Day:

• Thaw in refrigerator or cook directly from freezer.
• Set your oven to the broil setting and allow to preheat.
• Place pork chops on a broiler pan (or use a cookie sheet with a baking rack on top to allow the drippings to fall) and broil each side for 10-12 minutes or until pork chops are thoroughly cooked inside. (Adjust time depending on whether you thawed first or took directly from freezer.)

Enjoy!
:) Mags

"Destitute" Chicken by Mags

A while back, I wanted to try Jen's Poor Man's Chicken recipe, but I was lacking the key ingredient of the fancy cream cheese mixture... Not one to be deterred, I did find a new package of STRING CHEESE sticks in our fridge and decided to get creative.... Poorer-Man's Chicken didn't sound as good, so today, I bring you "Destitute Chicken!" (Never mind that my husband noted that string cheese may cost more than a block of cream cheese... details...details...!) :)

Ingredients:
6 boneless chicken breasts
6 sticks of string cheese
6-12 strips of uncooked bacon
garlic salt

Optional add-ons: shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

Assembly:
Pound out the raw chicken breasts flat with your meat hammer.
Roll the flat chicken breast around an UNWRAPPED stick of string cheese.
Wrap/Tie 1 or 2 pieces of uncooked bacon around the whole thing.
Sprinkled with garlic salt (and any other seasonings you want).

Freezing Instructions:
Carefully place each roll in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. You can fit 6-8 chicken rolls in one bag.
Press out the air, seal, and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw out your frozen rolls.
Lay your chicken rolls in a 9x13" pan (spray it first with PAM!).
Back for 1 hour at 350.

With 10 minutes to go, you can sprinkle extra mozzarella or Parmesan cheese over the top of it and continue cooking if you want. (If you sprinkle the cheese at the beginning of the hour, your cheese will burn.)

Enjoy!
:) Mags

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

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

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 .

Lipton Gourmet Burgers by Mags

Ingredients (for 8 hamburger patties):

• 2 lbs fresh ground beef
• 1 packet Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 water
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 8 hamburger buns
• Cheese, lettuce, tomato - whatever you like on your own burgers

Assembly:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Use your mixer on low to mix ingredients thoroughly.
3. Lay out four 6"-wide (approximately) pieces of wax paper (or parchment paper).
4. Scoop two mounds of mixture onto each sheet (about 1/2" apart). Use up all of your ground beef mixture making each mound an even amount.
5. Lay out four more 6"-wide sheets of wax paper over the top and press down to form patties.
6. Slide in each wax layer into a Ziploc freezer bag. You can fit all 8 patties in one gallon-size Zip-loc.

Serving Day:

• Thaw patties completely.
• Grill or Broil. To broil, put on greased broiler pan for about 6-7 minutes on each side.

Add cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, or whatever you like on your burger! Enjoy!

:) Mags

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops from Mags

Ingredients:

• 6 pork chops (bone-in or out - doesn't really matter)
• 6 strips of uncooked bacon
• garlic salt
• pepper or crushed peppercorns

Assembly:

1. Rinse pork chops and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Wrap bacon strip around chop and tie in loose knot (so it will stay) or fasten with toothpick.
3. Sprinkle with garlic salt on each side.
4. Sprinkle with pepper or crushed peppercorns on each side.

Freeze for later in freezer bag or cook today.

Serving Day:

1. Thaw completely.
2. Lay pork out on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Broil 6-7 minutes on one side.
3. Flip them over. Broil 6-7 minutes on the other side.

Enjoy!
:) Mags

Smoky BBQ Chicken by Mags

Still testin' out the marinades at the grocery store...! We've tried the Kroger-brand "Traditional" Barbecue sauce, the "Honey" Barbecue sauce, and now the "Smoky" Barbecue sauce! Amazingly enough, they DO taste different!

Ingredients:
4-6 fresh chicken breasts
1-2 bottles of Kroger Smoky Barbecue sauce

Assembly:
Rinse your chicken. Poke holes through your chicken breasts with a fork. Drop in a good quality Zip-loc Freezer Bag. Pour in 1-2 bottles of Smoky Barbecue sauce. Push out the air from the bag and seal shut. Freeze the bag flat on its side.

Serving Day:
Thaw bag completely - I stick it in a large bowl of hot tap water for a few hours to speed up the process.
Put in a greased 9x13" pan and cook at 350F for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Enjoy!
:) Mags