Creamy Bow~Tie Pasta with Chicken by Missy

Ingredients:
3 cups (8 oz.) Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) uncooked
4 cups broccoli florets
3 Tbs. Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. minced garlic ( I bought it in the tiny jar.)
2 cups tomato-basil spaghetti sauce
4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

Assembly:
Boil pasta and broccoli about 5 minutes. Drain completely and transfer to freezer bag. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add pasta sauce and cream cheese to chicken in skillet; cook on medium-low heat 2-3 minutes or until cream cheese is completely melted, mixture is well blended and chicken is coated with sauce, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to a separate freezer bag. Freeze both.

I experimented with cooking the chicken. I cooked 1/2 like the recipe and the other 1/2 I placed in the crock pot (already cut in half) with the measured amount of dressing/garlic per meal. I removed the c.breasts as soon as they were cooked through. I placed 6 pieces of chicken in the freezer bag and added the sauce, 1cup of broth (created in the crock pot)and cream cheese into the bag and placed into freezer. All of the breasts looked the same after cooking. The crock pot chicken did cook in a folded and goofy position.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Throw pasta and broccoli into hot water to heat back up. Taste for desired tenderness. Reheat sauce and chicken in a non-stick skillet. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add sauce to pasta, mix well. Transfer to bowls. Cut chicken crosswise into thick slices; fan out chicken over pasta mixture in each bowl. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

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!!

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!!!

Stromboli (Jackie's recipe...but better!)

This is Jackie's wonderful recipe and I increased it by 1/2, for the most part. I had a terrible time "braiding" the dough...forgive me for the interesting way your stromboli may look.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 loaf frozen bread dough
3 egg yolks, save whites
2 T. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. parsley
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 T. oil
1 3/4 cup Italian pork sausage
35ish pepperoni slices
8 oz. Mozzarella or Pizza cheese
Italian seasoning

Assembly Day:
Thaw dough according to directions. Mix everything except meat and mozzarella. Roll dough out onto greased surface. Spread spice mixture on top, being careful to leave one inch of dough all the way around with no mixture on it. If the dough has wet mixture it on it, it will not seal. Cover with meat and cheese. Pull sides up, twisting to seal dough. Put on jelly roll stone or baking pan. Seal ends and wrap underneath. Beat egg whites. Brush on top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. The Freezer Chicks have an awesome tutorial on how to make Stromboli at this link: http://freezerchicks.blogspot.com/2009/10/stromboli-step-by-step.html

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 and the cheese is melted. 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. Dip in pizza sauce.

ENJOY!!!

Baked Chicken with Gravy

Ingredients:
6 uncooked chicken breasts
3 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 full can of milk

Assembly:
In a large bowl, combine the 3 cans of soup and milk. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Lay uncooked chicken breasts into soup. I like to wiggle them down into the soup and cover with the mixture. Bake at 350 for 2 1/2 hrs.

Freezing Instructions:
I combined soup and milk and stirred till smooth and added the uncooked chicken breasts then poured into a Ziploc freezer bag. Place into freezer.

Serving Day:
Thaw bag of soup/chicken and pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake @350 x 2 1/2hrs. I gave each of you a box of mashed potatoes to serve with the meal. It is also wonderful over rice.

ENJOY!!

Missy's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

A.K.A. Turkey Noodle Soup this month!!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Shredded Turkey
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 Cans Chicken Broth
2 Cups of Chicken/Turkey Broth from stock
2 Cups Frozen Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Kroger Recipe Beginnings-Mirepoix Style Blend (onions,carrots, and celery)
2 Cups Cooked Noodles

Assembly:
Cook poultry and shred/cube as desired. Cook noodles, of your choice, as directed on the box. Combine all ingredients together into a soup pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 min (or until veggies are to the desired softness). Serve and ENJOY!!! Hope you like it. I made it up and the kids went crazy over it and there were no leftovers that night!!

Freezing Instructions:
If you're preparing this meal to freeze and eat later, you will follow the directions above. I recommend under-cooking the noodles by 2-3 min to avoid mushy and clumpy noodles after thawing. You will then place the soup into a freezer-safe container and place into your freezer.

Serving Day:
When you're ready to eat the meal, let thaw and place into a soup pan on the stove top and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and ENJOY!!!

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?

Chicken Enchiladas by Missy

Ingredients:
8 flour tortillas
2 cups chopped/shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (from your soup can)
1 cup sour cream
1 small can diced green chilies

Assembly to Eat Same Day:
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Split your wet ingredients in half.
Spoon 1/4 of the wet ingredients on the bottom of you baking dish. Fill the tortillas individually with 1/2 of the mixture. Spread the remaining 1/4 on top of the rolled and ready to bake tortillas. Bake @350 for 45 min. Enjoy!

Assembly for Freezing:
I combined the chicken, cheese, soup, milk, sour cream, and chilies and placed them in a freezer safe bag. I counted out the flour tortillas and placed them in a separate freezer safe bag. To keep everything together, I placed the wet ingredients bag inside the tortilla bag...all done!

Serving Day:
Thaw all ingredients, assemble as directed, and ENJOY!!

Taco Bake by Missy

What you need!
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.)Taco Seasoning
Mix 3/4 cup Sour Cream
1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese,
divided 1 cup salsa of your choice

Make It!
HEAT oven to 400°F.
Prepare Dinner as directed on package. While Macaroni is cooking, cook meat with taco seasoning as directed on package.
Stir sour cream into prepared Dinner; spoon 1/2 into 8-inch square baking dish.
Top with layers of meat mixture, 1 cup cheese and remaining Dinner mixture; cover with foil.

BAKE
15 min.;top with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 35 min Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each

As you can see...i did not layer this dish. I mixed the noodles, seasoned meat, and sour cream together. After baking that for 30 min (or until warmed and bubbling) you will then add the salsa, cheese, and crushed tortillas chips until the cheese is melted (5-10 min.)...Enjoy!!

When freezing this meal I under cooked the pasta by about 3 min and added the seasoned/cooked hamburger and sour cream together. I then placed that into a freezer bag. I separately bagged the salsa and cheese and crushed tortilla chips and combined all bags into a large freezer bag. Just to let you know, if you taste the tortilla chips after the thawing process they may seem a bit chewy and stale...the baking process crisps them up...no worries!

Spicy Sausage and Pepper Stew by Missy

from Kraft Foods
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 9 servings, 1 cup stew and 5 crackers each

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) reduced fat hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (I found it much easier to open the sausage up and brown is like hamburger.)
1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 Tbsp. flour
1 can (14 oz.) reduced sodium beef broth
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (15-1/2 oz. each) kidney beans, drained, rinsed

Assembly:
COOK sausage, pepper and celery in large saucepan on medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, stirring frequently; drain.
ADD flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes with their liquid and beans.

Freezing Instructions:
I made this meal as directed and froze it in 1 gallon sized Ziploc Freezer bags...doesn't get much easier than that!! If you're preparing this meal in large #'s that you will divide, I recommend cooking your meat, pepper, celery, flour mixture (for all your meals) and measuring it out in 2 1/2 cup servings per freezer bag, then dumping your canned ingredients into each bag separately. I find that much easier than making the meal separately over and over again.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with crackers.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Substitute
Prepare as directed, using your favorite variety of canned beans.
Serve with crackers or bread.
Cooking Know-How
The secret to a quick-cooking stew is having all your ingredients cut small enough to cook quickly. If you have trouble cutting the sausage into 1/2-inch slices, just remove it from the casing and break it up as you brown it. Be sure to drain the excess fat after browning.

Cheesy Texan Casserole by Missy

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can diced tomatoes in juice (undrained)
1 tbs green chile peppers (add to your liking)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp of both salt and pepper
6 cups cooked Piccolini Mini Pasta
The pasta box serves 8 so I scooped out 6 cups of cooked pasta, stirred, and added a few more as I gauged the sloppiness of everything mixed together.

Assembly:
Cook chicken and pasta and set aside. Mix together in a separate bowl the soup, sour cream, tomatoes, green chile peppers, onion pwd, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked chicken. Finally add the 6 cups of cooked pasta (feel free to add more if you think it's too sloppy). If you are planning to freeze this dish you will need to under cook the pasta a bit, add all of the wet ingredients, and place in the freezer safe container of your choice. I gave this to our group with all of the wet ingredients mixed together in a gallon freezer bag and the box of pasta to cook on the day of preparation.

Serving Day:
On cooking day you will cook the pasta as directed and add the bag of wet ingredients to 6 cups of cooked pasta. You can warm the wet ingredients in a skillet and add pasta to that or combine all ingredients in an oven safe dish and place it in the oven at 350 for 30 min or until warm and bubbly. Either way, you will have a warm and yummy meal to ENJOY!

Variations:
I got the main idea for this recipe from www.kraftfoods.com and loved what they had to offer! They did this meal using a box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese (it only served 4). If you did this, you would not use the pasta and can of cheese soup, as in my recipe.

Also you can substitute the can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup for Campbell's Nacho Cheese soup which is a bit spicier and makes the dish zesty delicious.

You can also substitute the tomatoes and green chile peppers for 2 cups of the salsa of your choice.

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!!!

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

Italian Chicken by Missy

Ingredients:
Chicken cut into strips
1/2 bottle of Kroger's Zesty Italian Dressing

Assembly:
Mix ingredients in a freezer safe bag and freeze. It doesn't get much easier than that!!

Serving Day:
Thaw and grill, bake, or fry and serve on a salad or as you find most appetizing.

Nacho Mama's Meatloaf by Missy

Ingredients:
2 lbs. hamburger (uncooked)
1 Ortega Hot and Spicy seasoning packet
1 Ortega regular taco seasoning
1 small can diced green chilies
3 eggs
a little milk with the eggs
3/4 sleeve crumbled crackers (saltines)

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients together, place into baking dish, and bake @350 for 2 hours or freeze in Ziploc bag.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Bake @350 for 2 hours.

*I like to serve this with a spoonful of salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and shredded cheese sprinkled on top of the slice of meatloaf. You can keep with a Mexican theme and serve with a side of rice or the typical mashed potatoes. Enjoy!!

Chicken Dinner Casserole by Missy

Recipe found in HOPE Taste of Mops Cookbook 2007-2008

Ingredients:
14½ oz can green beans (drained)
10¾ oz can cream of chicken soup
2 c. chicken (cooked and cubed)
6 oz box of stuffing mix (and ingredients to prepare)
½ c. – 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
French Fried onions (optional)

Assembly:
Spray 2-quart casserole or deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. Prepare stuffing according to directions. While stuffing is cooking, combine green beans, soup, French fried onions (if desired), and chicken in casserole or pie pan. Combine stuffing and cheese. Place stuffing mixture on top of chicken mixture. Double wrap and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350. Bake approximately 30 minutes (until hot and bubbly). Serves 4-6 adults.

Chili by Missy

Heat these ingredients in soup pan and let simmer:
1 can Del Monte diced zesty chili tomatoes
2 cans chili beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 quart tomato juice
1 tbsp chili powder


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

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 also sent a home canned jar of tomato juice to add when you choose to eat this meal (it wouldn't all fit in the freezer container). I have also stretched this meal by adding cooked elbow macaroni/pasta spirals which the kids really like. Enjoy!!