Pesto Chicken by Jen (Re-Run)

http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/08/pesto-chicken-by-jen.html

Ingredients:
6 Frozen chicken breasts
2 jars of prepared Pesto
1 box whole wheat pasta

Assembly:
Place frozen chicken breasts in dish.
Next spoon pesto over the top of each breast.
Freeze until ready to bake.

Serving Day:
Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator
Place entire bag of chicken with marinade in 9x13 dish.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered.
Serve with whole wheat pasta.

Baked Ham & Cheese Sliders by Jen (Re-Run)

http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2012/06/baked-ham-cheese-sliders-by-jen.html

Ingredients :
12 slider buns
1 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
6 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
3/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 T. yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. poppy seeds (I cut back a little bit based on comments)
1 T. dried, minced onion

Assembly:
Line baking pan with buns. Remove tops of buns and set aside. Layer ham evenly on all buns. Layer cheese evenly on all buns. Place tops of buns onto the sandwiches. In small bowl, mix butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds and onion. Pour mustard mixture evenly over buns.

Serving Day: Preheat oven to 350. Place in oven directly from freezer.  Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover. Bake another 5 minutes.

**Can use Kings Hawaiian rolls in place of slider buns.
***This makes a great appetizer for parties too!

Make-Ahead Unstuffed Shells by Jen

Recipe From: Kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:
4 cups pasta shells, uncooked
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef - I used my grass-fed beef ;-)
1 jar (24 oz.) marinara sauce
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Italian Herb Cooking Crème OR 8 oz Cream cheese and added herbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Assembly:
Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain.
Stir in marinara sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min.
Remove from heat. Drain pasta.
Mix cooking crème, basil and Parmesan in large bowl; stir in pasta.
Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce.
Sprinkle with mozzarella; cover with foil.
Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze for later.

Serving Day:
Thaw, Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake casserole, covered, 40 to 45 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.

Shredded Salsa Beef over Rice by Jackie

**Recipe adapted from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs. beef chuck roast
1 Tblsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 c. chunky salsa
2 Tblsp. brown sugar
1 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2-1 c. water

Assembly:
Place oil in skillet and brown beef on all sides. Place beef in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover roast. Cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours until beef is tender. Remove and shred, using 2 forks to pull apart.  Discard fatty pieces.  Return meat to crockpot and stir to combine meat and liquid. Cool completely. Skim solid grease off the top and discard.  Pour into Ziploc quart-size freezer bag. Freeze enough rice for 6 servings in Ziploc sandwich bag. Place both small bags in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.  Freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Reheat slowly in pan. Serve over cooked rice (see directions below).

Directions for cooking rice on stove top: Pour contents of rice bag into pan with 3 1/3c. water. Add butter and salt if desired. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes.

Directions for cooking rice in microwave: Pour contents of rice bag into microwave safe container with 3 1/3c. water. Add butter and salt if desired. Stir and cover. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) power for 20-25 minutes. Remove from microwave and let stand for 5 minutes.

Optional:
Serve as a filling for tacos, burritos, chalupas. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Mexican Chicken Bean Filling by Amy

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
3 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 jar (32 oz) of salsa

Optional Ingredients: To be put with meal AFTER IT IS COOKED! 
1 bag of shredded cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips

Assembly:
1. Make a "rub" with the 4 spices and rub on the chicken breasts - place in a crock pot.
2. Add the other ingredients (except chips and cheese) and mix.
3. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken during the last hour of cooking to give the meat more flavor.

If you want to freeze:
1. Cool chicken mixture.
2. Pour into Ziploc freezer bag.
3. Freeze.

*For our group, you will need to thaw ingredients and then start at #3 under "Steps".

Serving day:
1. Thaw overnight.
2. Heat mixture and serve over rice with shredded cheese on top or just eat with tortilla chips.

Chicken Casserole by Beth

Ingredients:
8 oz. macaroni noodles, uncooked
3 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 c. milk
1 can water chestnuts, sliced and drained
1 jar pimento strips, drained
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 t. pepper
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Assembly:
In gallon freezer bag, dump in all of the ingredients EXCEPT macaroni noodles.  Freeze.

Day BEFORE Serving:
Thaw freezer bag in fridge.  Pour into greased 9x13: stir in uncooked macaroni noodles and stir until all ingredients combined.  Cover and return to fridge for 9-13 hours. 

Serving Day:
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour. 

Garlic Beef Enchiladas by Beth

Ingredients
Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. flour
2-1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. rubbed sage
14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

Sauce:
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. butter
1/2 c. flour
14.5 oz can beef broth
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. sage
1 t. salt
10 flour tortillas (7 in)
8 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese

Assembly
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add flour and seasonings; mix well.  Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 min.  Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in flour until blended.  Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 min. or until bubbly.  Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; mix well.  Pour about 1-1/2 c. sauce in greased 9x13 foil pan.  Spread about 1/4 c. beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 2 T. cheese.  Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce.  (You will probably have to lay a couple on top as they do not all fit side by side).  Top with the remaining sauce.  Cover with foil lid and freeze.

Serving Day
Thaw completely.  Cover and bake at 375 for about 60 min.  Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Return to oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 10 min longer or until the cheese is melted.

White Chicken Chili from Jackie

*Adapted from original recipe by Vanessa Moorman

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast

1 can or 2 cups chicken broth
2 cans pinto beans (with jalapeno optional for extra spicy!)
2 can northern beans (or any other white bean)
1 can diced green chilies
1 packet McCormick's White Chicken Chili Seasoning

Assembly: 

Place chicken breast, chicken broth, and seasoning packet in crock pot and cook oh high 2-3 hours until chicken looks cooked through.  Shred chicken.  Cool completely.  Place in gallon size Ziploc freezer bag.  Add cans of beans and green chilies- but do not drain off the juices.  

 

Serving Day:

Thaw completely.  Cook in crock pot on high for 2-3 hours.  Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings (Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Sliced Jalapenos, Sliced Green Onions, Tortilla Strips, Crushed Tortilla or Corn Chips).

 

 

Easy Stroganoff by Amy

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of garlic
1 - 8 oz. package of fresh mushrooms or 1 - 4oz. can of mushrooms
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt (I used Kosher.)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 - 16 oz carton of sour cream
1/4 cup of ketchup
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 bag of egg noodles

Assembly:
1. Cook ground beef, garlic and onion in a large skillet until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat - drain.
2. Stir in fresh mushrooms - cook until mushrooms are tender.
3. Stir in flour and next two ingredients for 1 minute.
4. Stir in soup - simmer for 2-3 minutes - stirring occasionally.
5. Add sour cream, ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 minutes - stirring occasionally.
6. Completely cool, bag in freezer Ziploc bag and freeze.

Serving Day:
1. Completely thaw.
2. Heat in saucepan - you might need to add a little milk.
3. While sauce is heating, cook noodles.
4. Serve over noodles!

Pork Chops by Wendy

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1 med onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup catsup
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 (10oz.) can Cream of Mushroom

Assembly:
Fry pork chops in skillet until browned on both sides. Let cool and put in gallon size Ziploc.
2. Mix catsup, water, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt and pepper and soup in bowl and pour in Ziploc bag with pork chops.  Add sliced onions and freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw completely. Pour into covered dish and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until tender. You may also put this in a crock pot on high 4-6 hours.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Spiced Pork Chops by Beth

Ingredients:
1/2 c. flour
1-1/2 t. garlic powder
1-1/2 t. ground mustard
1-1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. celery salt
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. dried basil
1/8 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. salt
pinch of pepper
4-6 pork loin chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1-2 T. cooking oil
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
1/4 c. packed brown sugar

Assembly:
In a shallow dish, combine the first 10 ingredients; dredge chops on both sides.  Lay in single layer in a gallon freezer bag.  Combine ketchup, water, and brown sugar; stir until combined; pour into sandwich size bag (double bag).  Lay both chops and sauce flat in freezer.

Day of Serving:
Completely thaw chops and sauce bags in refrigerator.  In a skillet, brown chops in oil on both sides (do not fully cook, just brown).  Place pork chops in greased 9x13 pan.  Pour sauce over chops.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for one hour or until tender.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Amy

Ingredients:
1 package of vermicelli
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
8 oz. package of sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Assembly Day:
1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2.  Saute the mushrooms in the sherry.
3.  Stir together the chicken, mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, soup, sauce and broth.  Stir mixture into pasta.
4.  Pour into a 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheese.
5.  Freeze

Serving Day:
1.  Thaw completely.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Cilantro Lime Chicken by Jackie

*Adapted from http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2011/11/18/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken.html

Ingredients:
One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa

Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
*3/4 tsp. chili powder
*1/4 tsp. garlic powder
*1/4 tsp. onion powder
*1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
*1/4 tsp. oregano
*1/2 tsp. paprika
*1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
*1 tsp. sea salt
*1/4 tsp. black pepper
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat

                                                   

Assembly:
Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Add chicken and coat well.  Freeze flat. 

Serving Day:
Thaw completely.  Place in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 hours. 

Serving Options:
1. Serve as is.
2. Shred and serve over rice.
3. Shred and serve as taco meat.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

Variations:
1. You can substitute a 16 oz. jar of salsa and 8 oz. can of tomato sauce for 24 oz. salsa.
2. You can substitute one packet of taco seasoning for all spices (marked with *).  I used the spices listed in recipe for swap because it is healthier than prepackaged taco seasoning.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup by Jen

Ingredients
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cups water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
20 oz. frozen broccoli
3-4 cups of fine egg noodles
2 T butter 16 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
4 T Milk Salt & Pepper to taste

Assembly
Bring to boil chopped onions, water and chicken cubes. Add frozen broccoli bring back to boil. Add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Add butter, cheese, milk, salt/pepper Soup will thicken as it cools. If making this soup to freeze, let soup cool before putting in large Ziploc bags to go into your freezer. Fills a gallon Ziploc bag full. I would double bag the soup in the freezer.

Serving Day
Thaw, Heat and Serve.

Note: Made this recipe 1.5 times for 10-12 cups of soup serving 6 adults. If you go by the recipe it makes 6 small bowls. Kids ignore the broccoli because of the yummy noodles. :-) 

BBQ Chicken Cordon Bleu by Beth

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
BBQ sauce of choice
12 slices of ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese

Assembly:
Put chicken breasts in gallon freezer bag; pour in BBQ sauce to cover.  Lay flat in freezer.

Day of Serving:
Thaw chicken; dump contents of bag in greased 9x13 pan.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hr 15 min, or until chicken is done.  Remove from oven; cover each piece of chicken with 2 slices of ham and then 1 slice of cheese.  Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until cheese melts.

Beef & Noodles by Jackie

Ingredients:
2 lb. beef stew meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 bag egg noodles

Assembly:
In large bowl, mix the cans of soup together.  Add meat and mix until well coated.  Place gallon-size freezer Ziploc bag in large can.  Pour  into bag. 

Freeze for 2 hours in can. (If you freeze longer than this, the bag may become stuck in the can.  If this happens, it can be removed by running can under hot water.)

  Remove from can and freeze solid. 

Serving Day:
Remove contents from bag.  May need to use hot water to help release bag.  Place in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 10-12 hours.  If you prefer, you can thaw completely and then cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles.

Mexican Manicotti by Beth

**Take note this recipe requires a little assembly and THEN sitting in fridge overnight**

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, raw
16 oz. can refried beans
1 t. chili powder
1-1/2 t. oregano
8 oz. pkg. manicotti shells, uncooked
2-1/2 c. water
16 oz. jar salsa
16 oz. tub sour cream
1 c. Mexican blend shredded cheese

Assembly:
In a bowl, combine the raw meat, refried beans, and seasonings.  Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells.  Arrange in tray from box and place in gallon freezer bag. 

Day BEFORE serving:
Thaw salsa and cheese baggies.  Do not thaw manicotti.  In bowl, combine water and salsa.  Arrange frozen manicotti in 9x13 pan.; pour salsa/water over shells.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day OF serving:  Remove pan from refrigerator 30 min. before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hr.  Uncover; spoon sour cream over the top.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  Bake 5-10 min. longer or until the cheese is melted.

Grilled Chicken with Pesto Bow Ties by Jackie

This recipe was slightly adapted from the recipe originally made by Debbie in 2010.  You can find her recipe at this link:  http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2009/09/grilled-chicken-with-pesto-pasta-by.html

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Italian dressing
1 box bow tie pasta
1 recipe Pesto (see recipe below)

Pesto (from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed parsley springs with stems removed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup walnuts
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup milk

Assembly:
Combine the chicken breasts and Italian dressing in gallon-size freezer bag.  Freeze flat.

Prepare pesto:  Combine all ingredients, except the oil and milk, in a food processor. 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. Freeze in pint size Ziploc freezer bag.

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).  Slice the breasts into strips. 

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. Place chicken on top of the pasta.

Monterey Burgers by Wendy

Ingredients:
1 med onion
2 lbs. ground round
4 Tbsp. (or 1/4 cup) barbecue sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. (or 2 cups) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
8 hamburger buns

Assembly:
Finely chop onion. Combine onion, ground round, barbecue sauce, cheese, salt and pepper in bowl; mix well. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. Form each portion into a flat patty.
Place 2 levels of 4 patties each on freezer paper or wax paper. Place in gallon size plastic resealable freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer to freeze.

Serving Day:
Heat in pan or on grill over medium-high heat, turning once, until done: 5 minutes per side for well done. Serve on hamburger buns.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin by Amy

Ingredients:
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 small Granny Smith apples, chopped
4-6 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 pounds whole pork tenderloin

Assembly Day:
1.  Combine Coca-Cola, beef broth, vinegar and mustard in large bowl and mix well.  Add apples, onions, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper to Coke mixture and mix well.
2.  Place pork tenderloin in large plastic ziploc bag.  Pour Coke mixture over pork, turning to coat.  Seal bag and marinade in freezer (or in refrigerator for 3 hours if you want to cook it on the assembly day).

Cooking Day:
1.  Thaw completely.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees  Remove pork from marinade, discard marinade.  Place pork in roasting pan.  Cook pork about 25-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
3.  Remove pork from oven and transfer to cutting board.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  Serve with applesauce and your favor side dish.