Master thread: Make and freeze ahead recipes

[Jodi AKA BostonTeacher]

Everything I've read says I should take some time and stock up on easy meals for once the bby comes. Most lists include frozen casseroles, chili, lasagna, etc. However, since it'll be July I'm not all that into the idea of eating meals that I associate with winter.

Any ideas or easy recipes for things I can make quickly that won't cause my house to go up another 10 degrees?

[Mentul77]

A recipe that is so easy that my DH can make it is lemon pepper chicken on the George Foreman grill.

Get the frozen chicken breasts from your grocery store, thaw 1 or 2 in the microwave or in the fridge. Put some McCormick (or similar) Lemon Pepper on both sides, put on the George for about 11 minutes, turning 1 time about halfway through cooking.

The George doesn't heat the kitchen as much as the regular stove does and this is quick and easy to make. Add a canned veggie on the side or even an instant rice sidedish and you have a good meal.

Hope this helps.

[Jazz]

Do you have a grill?

[bookworm]

What about pasta salads? This is my standby (sorry for the approximations...it's generally mood-dependent).

1/2 to 1 box pasta (whole wheat is good too)
1-2 bags baby spinach
1/2-1 bottle Greek salad dressing
~1 container (or maybe 4-6 oz, crumbled) feta cheese

Cook the pasta, then run cold water over it to cool. Put it in a bowl with everything else :).

Sometimes I add tomatoes or olives. For protein, you could easily add rotisserie or grilled chicken (I buy pre-grilled chicken breasts at Trader Joe's when I'm feeling very lazy or busy. :) ).

It keeps awhile (4-5 days, maybe?) in the fridge--just add dressing if it gets dry.

[soxgirlie]

Another pasta salad suggestion. I usually do mine with bottled Italian dressing, tomatoes, black olives and onion. Than whatever else I have at the time such as frozen broccoli, frozen peas, chicken breast (Purdue and Tyson sell it already grilled and sliced), sliced peppers, cheese.

Also, how about a simple pasta dish with garlic, olive oil and fresh tomatoes.

Here's a recipie:

5 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound angel hair pasta


In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute garlic in oil 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in onion and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Toss hot pasta with tomato mixture. Serve


This aren't dishes you can make in advance but they're quick and easy.

[laura]

If all else fails, you could cook a bunch of meat and freeze it in individual servings to just throw in things (salads, etc) later. I'm horrible at cooking ahead and freezing, though, so I will just second lots of things on the grill!

[BeachBum]

I've started collecting recipes for myself for our September baby.
I think the idea about the freezer meals is that you don't have to have anything "fresh", to cut down on grocery shopping. Plus, I've been told that the leftovers make good lunches.
My friends told me not to make any lasagna for myself because everyone will bring that ;)


Here are some recipes I've gathered--some of them may be "wintery", but I figured you could sort through and see if there was anything you liked.

Oh, I cook almost exclusively from Cooking Light so many of the recipes have come from there.

Rosemary Beef Stew

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 lb beef round or chuck steak, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 to 3 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 (14.5 ounce) cans tomatoes, undrained
2 ribs celery, diagonally cut
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds removed, cut into thin wedges
2 1/2 - 3 cups beef broth
1 cup frozen small whole white onions

1. In a shallow pan, mix together flour, 1/4 tsp of the slat and 1/8 tsp of the pepper. Pat beef dry with paper towels. Toss in flour mixture to coat thoroughly; shake in strainer to remove excess flour.

2. Heat nonreactive Dutch oven over medium-hight heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook beef in batches 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, adding additional oil as needed. Place beef in a bowl.

3. Increase heat to high. Add wine; bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by half, stirring to scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.

4. Stir in tomatoes, celery, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and one tablespoon of the rosemary. Stir in mushrooms, fennel, and beef. Add enough broth to cover the mixure.

5. Cover; simmer 45 minutes. Add onions; continue simmering 30 to 45 minutes or until beef in tender.

6. Stir in remaining 1/2 tablespoon of chopped rosemary; simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Freezing/Reheating

Place stew in a freezer container; cool. Cover and freeze. Twenty-four hours before serving, place container in refrigerator to thaw. Reheat on stove top or microwave until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

8 servings

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 7.5g total fat (1.5g saturated fat), 27.5g protein, 15g carbohydrate, 60mg cholesterol, 760 mg sodium, 3.5g fiber.


Chicken Noodle Bake

1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup nonfat mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup skim milk
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of garlic powder
6 cooked lasagna noodles
Vegetable cooking spray
3 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; beat at high speed of a mixer until well-blended. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 cup parsley; set aside.
Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Remove from heat; set sauce aside.

Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, half of chicken, and half of sauce. Repeat layers, ending with sauce.

Combine breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons parsley, and paprika; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 321(24% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 2.9g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 26.1g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 91mg; SODIUM 618mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.2g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 1996



Beef Teriyaki Casserole
Serves 8-10
Salt
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
3 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch thick strips
1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
4 pounds sirloin steak tips, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 TB vegetable oil
¾ cup soy sauce
1-1/2 cups mirin
6 TB sugar
2 TB cornstarch
1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated fine
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
6 scallions, white and light green parts minced and dark green parts sliced thin
1 TB sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 7 minutes

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot (with a perforated pasta insert, if available) over high heat. Add 1 TB salt, the beans, and peppers; cook until the vegetables are brightly colored and slightly crunchy, about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the boiling water with a slotted spoon (or by lifting out the pasta insert, if using) and spread out over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Return the water to a boil and add the rice; cook until almost tender but still firm to the bite; about 12 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

2. Meanwhile, thoroughly pat the meat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 TB of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Distribute half of the meat evenly in the skillet and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the meat to a clean plate; set aside. Add 1 more TB oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until just smoking; brown the remaining meat and transfer it to the plate.

3. Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and cornstarch together until the sugar has dissolved; set aside. Add the remaining 1 TB oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the ginger, garlic, and minced scallions; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Briefly re-whisk the soy mixture and add it to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the browned meat and toss to coat.

4. Spread the rice into a 9 x 13 baking dish (or a shallow casserole dish of similar size). Spread the cooked beans and red peppers over the rice. Spread the beef evenly over the vegetables and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake until the beef looks dark and glossy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the sliced scallion greens. Serve immediately.



Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
5 cups sweet potatoes -- peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 1/2 cups onion -- diced
4 garlic cloves -- minced or pressed
1 tablespoon green chile -- minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
3 cans black beans -- 15 oz ea
2/3 cup cilantro leaves, whole -- loosely packed
2 tablespoons lemon
1 teaspoon salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350.

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to
cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, abut 10
minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet and
add the onion, garlic, and chile. Cover and cook on medium-low heat,
stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add
the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring
frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt,
and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. Transfer the sweet
potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and
spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Soon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling
in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down,
in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30
minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Yield:
"8 burritos"

[BeachBum]

Barbecued-Chicken Potpie
This is the kind of homey, dig-in food that we associate with family dinners. But don't worry: There are no frozen peas in the filling.
1 teaspoon margarine or butter
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup diced, seeded poblano chile or 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1 (11.5-ounce) can refrigerated corn bread twists

Preheat oven to 375°.
Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and coriander, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Add the chicken and the next 4 ingredients (chicken through broth), and cook 15 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon chicken mixture into 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Unroll corn bread dough, separating into strips. Place strips in a lattice fashion over chicken mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden brown; let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 394 (27% from fat); FAT 12g (satfat 3.7g, monofat 2g, polyfat 1g); PROTEIN 33.1g; CARBOHYDRATE 40g; FIBER 1.7g; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; IRON 3.5mg; SODIUM 972mg; CALCIUM 49mg;
Cooking Light, JANUARY 1998

Broccoli Risotto Torte (Serves 6)
8 oz. broccoli, cut into very small florets
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
2 T. olive oil
4 T. butter
1-1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-1/2 cups stock/broth
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
4 eggs, separated
Cooking spray

1. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes then drain and reserve.
2. In a large saucepan, gently saute onion, garlic and yellow pepper in the oil and butter for 5 minutes until they are soft.
3. Stir in the rice, cook for a minute then pour in the wine. Cook, stirring the mixture until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Pour in the stock/broth, season well, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, spray a 10" round deep cake pan and line the base with a disc of waxed paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Stir the cheese into the rice, allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks. Stir in broccoli.
7. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and carefully fold into the rice. Turn into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until risen, golden brown and slightly wobbly in the center.
8. Allow the torte to cool in the pan, then chill if serving cold. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and shake out onto a serving plate.

Needs to be lightened—reduce oil and can use egg substitute

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ stick (4 T) butter
1 T flour
1 cup milk (I use skim)
8 oz. brick low-fat cream cheese
1 T garlic salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups wild rice blend or brown rice*
2 pounds cooked shrimp
2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large heavy skillet, saute the vegetables in butter until soft (you can reduce the amount of butter to reduce the fat, possibly even saute in a spray..add a little broth or white wine if a little moisture is needed).

Add the flour and cook to a thick paste. Add the milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and thick.

Remove from heat and add cream cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add remaining ingredients except grated cheese and transfer to a shallow baking dish (2-3 qt. or a 13x9. I make two 8 or 9 inch squares).

Top with grated cheese and bake about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Can be assembled in advance and freezes well. Serves 6-8.

* Use something like Lundberg's Rice Trilogy a brown rice since I like the nuttier texture and flavor. DO NOT use Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice mix because it will be too heavily seasoned. If the mix is unavailable, use either white or brown rice.

*I cook the rice in Swanson’s Natural Goodness chicken broth. I usually add a pinch of Penzey’s Bay Leaf Seasoning and a shake of their California Seasoned Pepper, but plain salt and pepper will get you pretty close.

[BeachBum]

Chicken Divan serves 6
------------------------------------------------------------
3 Cup Rice, cooked white or brown rice
20 Ounce Broccoli, frozen
2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Cup Mayonnaise
6 Cup Chicken, cooked & chopped
3 Cup White Sauce, chicken flavored* or 21 oz. cream soup, canned
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded


Instructions
------------------------------------------------------------
Assembly Directions:
Cook the rice 3/4 the recommended time. Cook broccoli according to package directions. Set aside. Mix lemon juice and mayonnaise, then add chicken flavored white sauce or soup. Spread rice in container. Layer on broccoli, then half the sauce, then the cooked chicken, and then remaining sauce. Top with grated cheese.

Freezing Directions:
Wrap tightly with freezer paper, foil, or 2-gallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Comments:
We don’t recommend pre-cooking this on Assembly Day since it bakes so quickly.
If it's easier, you can mix all the ingredients together except the cheese. Freeze rice, chicken, broccoli, and sauce in one bag and cheese topping in another. When ready to serve, thaw then pour into casserole. Top with cheese and bake.

Nutritional Info: Chicken Divan
Calculations were done with chicken flavored white sauce.
Per Serving: 935 Calories; 60g Fat (57.0% calories from fat); 59g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 168mg Cholesterol; 837mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 7 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 6-1/2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Chicken Divan – Lite
Replace mayonnaise with imitation reduced fat mayonnaise, white sauce with fat free white sauce and cheddar cheese with reduced fat cheddar cheese.
Per Serving: 543 Calories; 11g Fat (18.0% calories from fat); 59g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 142mg Cholesterol; 698mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 7 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.




CHICKEN FLORENTINE CASSEROLE

4 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 ounces less-fat cream cheese, cut up and softened
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound linguine, broken in half
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Heat oven to 375. Lightly oil 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat.

2. Combine chicken, 3/4 cup water, wine and garlic in saucepan. Bring to boiling over high heat; reduce heat; gently simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Measure broth, adding water if needed to make a total of 1 3/4 cups. Tear chicken into about 1/2-inch wide shreds.

3. Place wet spinach in a large nonreactive pot; cover; cook over high heat until wilted, 3 minutes. Drain, lightly pressing out excess water. Coarsely chop; return to pot.

4. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in reserved 1 3/4 cup broth mixture; cook, stirring until thickened and smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add cheese sauce and shredded chicken to spinach in pot.

5. Meanwhile, add linguine to boiling water; cook until firm but tender, 9-10 minutes. Drain; add to spinach mixture. Turn into prepared casserole. Combine remaining Parmesan cheese, crumbs and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top casserole. Bake in 375 oven about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve.




Ravioli Soup
1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp onion salt
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 28-oz can Italian style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 14 1/2-oz can beef broth
1 c water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 12-oz pkg. frozen ravioli
parmesan cheese

Saute onions and ground beef until browned. Drain. In a stockpot, combine beef and onions with the remaining ingredients except the frozen ravioli and additional parmesan cheese. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool, put in container and freeze.
To prepare for serving: thaw soup base and put in large pot. Bring to a boil. Add frozen ravioli. Reduce heat and simmer until ravioli is cooked. Stir occasionally. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Serves 6
Notes: The recipe calls for cheese ravioli but I usually use a mushroom ravioli. I serve it with salad and garlic bread I keep in the freezer and warm while soup is finishing.

[BeachBum]

Afghani Meat and Noodle Casserole
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef Casseroles
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Cups fat-free yogurt
2 Large Leek -- Chopped
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Pound lean ground beef
2 Large Onion -- Chopped
2 Cups Tomato Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Coriander
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne
12 Ounces Lasagna Noodles -- Broken
3 Cloves Garlic -- Chopped
1 Tablespoon Mint

Saute leeks in butter for 5 minutes. Add meat and brown, add onions and saute until golden, add tomato sauce, salt, coriander, cumin, pepper and cayenne, simmer 30 minutes. cook noodles as directed. combine yogurt and garlic, stir well. Butter a 13x9 inch baking pan, put half yogurt on the bottom, layer with 1/2 noodles, 1/2 meat sauce, repeat ending in meat sauce. sprinkle mint over top and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 564 Calories; 23g Fat (36.4% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 62g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 74mg Cholesterol; 853mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat.

Tomato-and-White Bean Soup
CL,1997
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and next 5 ingredients (tomatoes through pepper), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

Serving Size: 2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese (5 WW Points per serving).




Here's an easy freezer chicken marinade:

1/3 c. teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced or diced

Combine marinade with 4 boneless chicken breast halves or a pound of chicken tenders or bite size pieces. Pour into freezer bag, label and freeze. After defrosting, chicken can be grilled, broiled or cooked on the George Foreman.




Quiche in a Bag serves 6
------------------------------------------------------------
1 Cup Meat, cooked (for quiche) any meat diced or browned and crumbled
3/4 Cup Vegetable (for quiche) raw, blanched; thawed frozen; or canned, drained
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup Onion, diced
2 Cup Milk
4 Each Egg(s)
1/8 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Instructions
------------------------------------------------------------
Assembly Directions:
Combine meat, vegetable, cheese and onion. Place this mixture in a labeled one-gallon freezer bag. With a mixer or blender, combine the milk, eggs, Tabasco sauce, flour and baking powder. Pour into the bag with the meat/vegetable mixture.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw completely. Shake bag well and pour into spray-treated or greased deep-dish pie plate or quiche pan. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, until lightly browned on top and well set in the center. Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
This is one of those dishes that you can get on the table when you haven’t even looked in the freezer until 5:30 (like Nanci usually doesn’t!). Just thaw the bag in the microwave, pour in a dish, and pop it in the oven. *For a vegetarian meal, just leave out the meat and increase the veggies by 1 C. for each recipe.
*See our Blanching Chart on page 133 if you are using fresh vegetables.

Nutritional Info: Quiche in a Bag
Calculated using sausage for the meat.
Per Serving: 369 Calories; 27g Fat (66.1% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 178mg Cholesterol; 626mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1-1/2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: Quiche in a Bag - Lite
Replace sausage with extra lean ham, cheddar cheese with low fat cheddar cheese and 2% milk with skim milk.
Per Serving: 174 Calories; 6g Fat (29.4% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 140mg Cholesterol; 590mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.


California Pilaf serves 6
------------------------------------------------------------
2 Cup Rice, brown, quick, uncooked
1 Cup Celery, diced
1/2 Cup Onion, diced
1/2 Cup Spaghetti Noodles, dry broken into 1" pieces
1/4 Cup Butter or margarine
2 Tablespoon Chicken Broth Powder or 2 teaspoon bouillon granules
1 Teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme, ground
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cup Water

Instructions
------------------------------------------------------------
Assembly Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the rice, celery, onion, and broken pasta in the butter. Stir constantly until the rice and pasta are golden brown. Stir in the parsley flakes, ground thyme and pepper. Cool. Stir in bouillon granules.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
Place cooled rice mixture in labeled freezer bags or rigid containers. Seal and freeze.
To serve, thaw thoroughly. Place mixture in a saucepan or skillet with a lid. Stir in the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
Options: *The water may be added and the pilaf fully cooked on Assembly Day. The pilaf could then be reheated quickly in the oven or microwave.
*This dish could serve as a meatless main entree or 2-1/2 C. of cooked meat may be added for a standard entrée.

[Ohana]

I'm hoping to spend a few hours this weekend making a bunch of food and freezing for those nights I just don't feel like cooking.

Anyone have tried and true recipes for foods that are easy to cook (I confess, if it has a lot of ingredients, I get intimidated and don't make it) and freeze well?

[bookworm]

Here is one from Everyday Food. I've made it several times.

Here is the recipe (from marthastewart.com); my changes are below:

Baked Pasta With Chicken Sausage

Serves 8; Prep time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This recipe makes two pans of pasta. Serve one tonight, and keep the other in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze, prepare the dish through step 4 ; let cool completely before covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing in the freezer.


Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup vodka (optional)

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces baby spinach

12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

6 ounces fontina cheese; 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat; add vodka, if desired. Return to heat; cook until almost evaporated, 1 minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

4. Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes.

5. Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Per serving: (without vodka) 483 calories; 19.9 grams fat; 24.8 grams protein; 52.9 grams carbohydrates; 4.8 grams fiber

Note: If you freeze this dish, do not thaw before baking. Remove plastic wrap, and cover with foil. Cook until heated through, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Remove foil, and continue with step 5.

*********
I do not use the vodka (b/c I didn't have any the first time I made this, and it was good without it). While the sauce is simmering, I throw in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, and pull them out before baking. I use 1 lb of sausage (chicken or turkey), double the spinach, and add ~8 oz mushrooms. I've used both fontina and something called "Italian Blend" from Trader Joe's, and both were good. And I use whole-wheat penne, in a nod to health (before smothering it with cheese ;) ).

[Katy]

Here's one I make quite often (in fact, it's dinner tonight with the leftovers to the freezer)

Sausage and Peppers

* one package of sweet sausage (or if I'm doubling up I add one pack of hot Italian)
* one bell pepper (double if needed)
* half large onion
* one can of diced tomatoes (I use Italian flavored or sweet onion flavored)

Fry or grill the sausage. Slice up the onions and peppers and fry in the pan (either with the sausage grease or with a tablespoon or so of EVOO). When the veggies are done, add the canned tomatoes (drain fluid if you're not putting it over pasta, or just cool off the liquid). Add any other spices you might like (I add some italian seasoning and some red pepper flakes)

I like to slice up my sausages (but the hubby likes them whole) and then add them to the pan letting it all simmer together for about 10 minutes. You can serve them as is, in a sandwhich, or over pasta (like we're doing tonight).

I usually double the recipe, eat once and freeze the rest (it makes about 4 two people servings). My FIL loves when I make this for him and will usually eat the entire frozen supply that week.

[Ohana]

Oh, yum! Thank you ladies!

And here are some recipes I've made and frozen:
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
For 2 casseroles

4-5 chicken breasts
1/2 bell pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into chunks
shredded cheddar cheese
2 jars salsa
tortillas

1. Poach chicken breasts, cool, and shred
2. While chicken is cooling, saute peppers and onions in a little oil. Once the veggies are tender, add the chicken
3. Add cream cheese, a few handfuls of shredded cheese, and 1 jar salsa.

For the one you're freezing, put half of the mixture into a large Ziplock baggie, let all the air out, and freeze. I've found that making the casserole and freezing it leads to icky tortillas. To cook, thaw the chicken and follow directions below. Based on tricks I learned from one of those make dinners to take home and freeze places, you can also put tortillas in another baggie, and put salsa and cheese in smaller baggies and combine everything into a big baggie. Label and freeze the whole shebang so you don't have to scramble for tortillas and salsa when you make this one. But since I always have those ingredients on hand, I just freeze the chicken part.

For the one you're eating that day, layer tortillas (cut to fit the dish), half of the remaining chicken mixture, some salsa, and a handful of cheese into a greased casserole dish. Repeat until everything is gone. Top with a little extra cheese and bake at 350 until top is bubbly.

[Ohana]

Yumgetti
I think this was posted several times back on WC, and it is yum!
To make 2 casseroles

2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2-3 stalks celery, minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I make a cream sauce instead)
2 cans tomato soup
1 large bag egg noodles
shredded cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain (see note below)
2. Brown ground beef and add onions and celery
3. Once veggies are tender, add the soups (undiluted). Stir well.
4. Add pasta and stir well. Divide into 2 casserole dishes, freeze one and top the other with a little cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly.

To make the frozen casserole, thaw, top with cheese, and bake as above.

Note: I found that freezing the casserole with the pasta in it cause the finished dish to be a bit dry, and for the pasta to be mushy. So I've started putting half of the meat mixture into a Ziplock baggie and freezing like that, adding the pasta when we're ready to eat it.

[mierin]

Chili freezes really well. This is my favorite recipe from Cooking Light.

All-American Chili

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.

Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 375(29% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 4.6g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 28.9g; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; CALCIUM 165mg; SODIUM 969mg; FIBER 8.2g; IRON 5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.7g

Also, any kind of stuffed pasta freezes well, like stuffed shells or lasagna. Just don't cook it. Take it out of the freezer, put it directly into the oven and bake until bubbly. I don't have any recipes handy, but you could use any recipes you like.

[cgmom313]

A receipe that I freeze is Chicken Tetrazzani. I don't have the recipe on me, but it is on the back right now of the Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup. I always make 2 batches and freeze one before it is baked. Then you take it out and thaw. Sometimes it is a little dry, so I just add a can of Cream of Mushroom soup mix it and bake and that works everytime.

[LILRTL]

I know that with lasagna, I can make it, put it in the fridge, and then take it out to bake it. Would I do the same with freezing? Or would I bake then freeze? TIA!!

[boilermaker]

I always bake first then freeze. But I have never tried it the other way around to tell you if it would work or not.

[looch]

hmm, i usually par boil the noodles, and then assemble the lasagne. I then freeze it.
when i am really ambitious i bust out the home made pasta, and that doens't need to be parboiled.
hope that helps! hey, i always make the same version of lasagne and would love some suggestions to make it another way! sorry to hijack!

[mierin]

You can absolute freeze it without baking it. You want to cook the noodles a little bit (as already advised), but other than that, it doesn't need anything. Then, when you're ready, just pull it out, pop it in the oven and bake until bubbly.

[happy1nuv]

Anyone do this? I'm on maternity leave now, and would like to experiment with it and find a good recipe stash that works well so i can start doing this in earnest when i go back to work... Having an hour commute, if i dont do something, I forsee a bunch of takeout dinners... and i would like to eat healthier - and cheaper - than that.

TIA

[mrsfromage]

How about once a week? I find that if you cook on Sundays you can freeze some food for the week like lasagna plus you can make a meal for Sunday night and have leftovers for Monday/Tuesday.

[Ohana]

I don't do OMAC per se, but every other weekend or so, I get busy and cook a whole bunch of meals to freeze. A few weekends ago, I spent 2 hours and got 8 dinners in the freezer. Talk about time well spent!

Whenever possible, I try to use common ingredients and do the prep work for all the meals at once. For example, a lot of the recipes I like call for chicken breasts, so I just poach a fat ton of them while I'm chopping veggies and so on. Typically, I'll have all 4 burners on my stove going.

Have you heard about these places cropping up all over the country where you go and assemble meals to freeze? They do all the grocery shopping and prep work, you show up and put it all together. I did one of those once and got a bunch of good ideas, as well as recipes. If there's one of those near you, it may be worth checking out.

I'd be happy to share recipes, tips, and other ideas.

[BuffaloBlondie]

~Ohana~I would love to hear more about your tips, & recipes! I am also pregnant and was thinking about making some dinners that I could freeze ahead. I just don't even know where to begin.....Hope to hear some ideas from everyone! :)

[Ohana]

Last time I did a massive cook ahead, I made the following recipes:

Chicken Tetrazzini
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Yumgetti
Taco Spaghetti

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 small whole chicken, boiled (3-4 chicken breasts would also work fine)
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup mushrooms
4-5 ounces spaghetti noodles (about ½ package)
Parmesan cheese

1. Boil chicken until done and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Melt butter; add flour and chicken broth to make a cream sauce. Add cream, cheese, mushrooms and chicken to sauce and simmer.
3. Cook and drain spaghetti, Place in a large, buttered baking dish.
4. Spread sauce mixture on top of spaghetti noodles; top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
*To freeze* I stopped at #2, divided the chicken misture into 2 and put each in a Ziplock baggie. I then labeled each and froze flat. When it was time to eat, I boiled the pasta and just mixed it into the thawed chicken mixture and cooked the whole thing on the stove until hot.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 chicken breasts, poached
1 small onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
8 ounces cream cheese (low fat is fine, but not the kind in a tub)
couple of handfuls of shredded cheese
2-3 cups salsa
pinch of cumin (optional)
Tortillas (I used whole wheat)

1. Poach chicken breasts and shred
2. Saute onion and peppers in a little cooking spray until tender, add chicken, cream cheese, cheese, salsa, and cumin. Stir until cheeses are melted.
3. Layer chicken mixture with tortillas in a greased casserole dish. Top with a bit of extra salsa and shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 350 until casserole is heated through and top is bubbly.
*To freeze* Stop at step 2 and divide chicken mixture into 2 Ziplock baggies. Freeze flat. I generally have tortillas and such around, so I didn't freeze them. If you don't keep them around, put tortillas in one large baggie, mix cheese and salsa together in a small baggie, and put that all together in one large baggie with the chicken and freeze as flat as possible.

Yumgetti
This recipe has been posted several times over on the other site, this is my rendition of it.

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, minced
3-4 ribs celery, minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (low fat is fine, or I have a recipe for a great sauce that will work just as well that is much healthier)
2 cans tomato soup
shredded cheese
1 large bag egg noodles

1. Brown ground beef with onions and celery
2. Add soups and cheese
3. Add cooked egg noodles
4. Place in casserole dish, top with a little extra cheese, bake at 350 until heated through
*To Freeze* Yep, you guessed it, I stopped at step 2, placed the meat mixture in a baggie and froze flat. When it was time to eat, I cooked the pasta, drained it, and added it to the thawed meat mixture and heated through right on the stove. I just don't like how thawed pasta tastes.

Taco Spaghetti

10 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine or fettuccine, broken
2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
2 (11 ounce) cans corn mixed with chopped peppers, drained
1 1/2 cups colby-monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup favorite salsa
2 (4 1/2 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers, drained
4 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped

1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions, drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion until meat is brown, in a dutch oven. Drain off fat.
3. Stir in water and taco seasoning mix. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in cooked pasta, corn, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salsa and chili peppers Divide mix evenly between 2 lightly greased 2 qt casseroles.
5. and bake in a 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with lettuce and chopped tomato.
If desired, pass broken tortilla chips and dairy sour cream as additional toppings.
*To freeze* Yep, I skipped the pasta and divided the meat into 2 baggies. I also didn't bake this one and just reheated it on the stove with the pasta.

When I did the cooking, I actually boiled the whole chicken for the tetrazzini in the morning while we were putzing around the house and running errands. It's a bit of a PITA, so I think I'll just do chicken breasts next time.

I poached the chicken breasts for the enchiladas while I was chopping all the veggies for all the other recipes. You can put everything into bowls to hold for later.

Once the chicken was cooked, I let it cool while I made the yumgetti. Then I moved onto the taco spaghetti, then the enchiladas, and finally the tetrazzini. It took me 2 hours, not counting the time the whole chicken was boiling.

I have other recipes that freeze well, let me know if you need more ideas.

[BuffaloBlondie]

~Ohana~ Thank You for all of the great recipes. I am overdue and getting induced on Monday, so I have some time to cook and freeze. Everything looks delish!

[Surftraitor]

I'm in full nesting mode and have been preparing meals to freeze for once my baby is born. Thus far I've made spinach lasagne, mac & cheese and chicken pot pie. My concern is how long to bake these items once we're ready to eat them. All the recipes I'm using are indicating a cook time/temp based on it being room temperature. Should I defrost these meals and then bake based on original instructions? Will this make them soggy? Or, should I take it from freezer to oven and simply cook longer? Thoughts?

[KarenS]

When I freeze casseroles, I put them straight from the freezer to the oven. I really can't tell you a time since I just check and know when it "looks" right. I'm sorry ... I know that's not helpful. I'm one of those cooks who eyeballs things rather than measuring and timing (drives DH insane). I'd guesstimate maybe half again as long to cook something frozen as something thawed. Another way to estimate is to check boxes in your freezer section. For example a Stouffers frozen lasagna takes 70 minutes to cook. A Marie Calendar's pot pie takes 45 minutes to cook. That kind of thing. So maybe start there and adjust the time as needed?

Karen

[bethnjim]

Does anyone do this?? I have heard about it quite a bit and wonder how it all ended up working out.

Any info would be great...or seeing a monthly menu would be great. Do you really cook for one day and have enough for an entire month??

[lawyergirl25]

http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=5310

There weren't many hits, but I browsed the forum and found a couple of "cook and freeze" threads as well - for casseroles, lasagnas, etc.

HTH!

[bethnjim]

Thanks!!!

[Hello Kitty]

You could also check out sample menus at places like this (http://www.dinnerstogether.com/index.htm). This has been a big trend lately - they do all the prep, you come, cook things up, and then take it home. I don't see why you couldn't do that all by yourself. They have lots of different menu ideas - so much more original than the things I think to freeze.

There's also an old thread from the other site. (http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=401546&start=0&tstart=0)

Good luck - it's something I'm thinking of doing for the winter, so maybe we can keep a thread going here.

[looch]

I have a whole binder full of stuff that I printed out a while ago, but as I search google, i can't find those sites. Wonder what happened to them.

The traditional menus focused on quick and cheap foods, which is fine, but it tends to rely a lot on condensed soups and ground beef. Not sure if that is what you are looking for.

It's just me and B, so I don't do the traditional OAMC, but I do prep fish, chicken, pork and beef that I buy from costco. I usually spend a day shopping and cutting down the food, and then vac sealing it for freezing. If I have a menu in mind, i even go as far as stuffing the chicken with spinach and cheese. I also steam veggies and freeze them, mainly so they don't go to waste.

[StClaire]

I do www.supersuppers.com. It costs $109 to make 6 meals. Since it is just DH & I, we split them in halves and go home with 12 meals for around a hundred bucks!! They are a franchise and might have locations near you. It's really good stuff. And fun- they serve wine & appetizers. I usually go with a couple of friends and make a night of it.

[lawyergirl25]

That's neat, StClaire. There's one very close to me, too. I'll have to talk to DH about it. :)

[skyblu]

I recently bought a freezer and am now obsessed with having it stocked with yummy, healthy, homecooked meals. So I thought I'd start a thread for freezer-friendly recipes.

Post your faves, including any special freezing and/or defrosting instructions.

I'll start:

Cornbread Casserole (I made this yesterday and it came out delicious! It yielded 3 deep round casserole dishes and one small one)

4 Cornbread Mixes
4 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Milk
3 cans Cream Corn
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 lbs ground turkey (but you can use beef if you prefer)
1 packet Taco Seasonings

Brown garlic, meat and onions. Add seasoning. Mix cornbread with milk, eggs, and corn. Add beef mixture. Pour into casserole dish. Bake at 350 until firm in middle. Freeze. Reheat until warm. *Best frozen a little underdone to keep it from being dry when served.

Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese
1 box elbow macaroni -- cooked and drained (I use whole wheat to make it healthier)
1 onion -- finely chopped
1 green pepper -- finely chopped
a few slices of deli ham, chopped (optional)
8 Cheddar cheese -- Grated or shredded
Salt and pepper
1 can evaporated milk (12oz)

Add the onion, green pepper and ham to the macaroni; stir. Add 2/3 of the cheese and stir over low heat until melted.Season and stir in evaporated milk. Spoon into a well-greased 8x8x2 baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 min and cut into squares to serve.

Broccoli-Cheddar Chowder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 brick frozen chopped broccoli
1 brick frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup frozen loose-pack hash brown potatoes
2 T. chopped pimiento

This is basically soup made according to the (saucepan) directions on the can, with the veggies added in. Stir over medium heat until veggies are heated through, then serve (or freeze).

[andrew&shannah]

I actually think I got these from an old freezer thread I can't find now!

I freeze this in 1 cup servings and it reheats great!
Taco Soup

1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 onion chopped
1 can corn *
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes *
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 pkg Ranch Dressing
1 pkg Taco Seasoning

Brown meat and onion; drain. Add all other ingredients (UNDRAINED - rinse the cans with a little water and add to pot if you want to make it more soup like). Cook on low/med till hot.
**********************************************
Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara

Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
Cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
6 cups Smoky Marinara
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°.

Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.

Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).

Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Preheat oven to 375º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover frozen casserole with reserved foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shells are thoroughly heated.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 5 servings per dish (serving size: about 4 stuffed shells and about 1/2 cup smoky marinara)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 470(30% from fat); FAT 15.7g(sat 8.8g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 28.3g; CHOLESTEROL 47mg; CALCIUM 508mg; SODIUM 916mg; FIBER 5.3g; IRON 3.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.7g

Smoky Marinara
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 55(20% from fat); FAT 1.2g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 2.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 350mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9g

[andrew&shannah]

Chicken Tetrazzini

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
6 cups hot cooked spaghetti (about 12 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare the sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot and onion; saute 10 minutes or until soft. Add flour; cook 1 minute. Combine carrot mixture, milk, and broth in blender; process until smooth. Return mixture to pan, and add mushrooms, sherry, salt, and pepper. Cook until reduced to 3 1/2 cups (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into thin slices; keep warm.

Combine 2 cups sauce, the spaghetti, and chopped parsley in a large bowl. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on top of spaghetti mixture; spoon remaining sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Yield: 8 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 373(18% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 30.8g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 161mg; SODIUM 477mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.9g

***********************************************
Potato-Leek Chowder

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups finely chopped leek (about 4 leeks)
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups (2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato
3 cups (2-inch) chopped cauliflower florets
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek; cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently (do not brown). Set aside.
Combine broth, potato, and cauliflower in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Cool 10 minutes; stir in milk. Place one-third of potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed potato mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining potato mixture.

Return pureed potato mixture to pan; stir in leek, pepper, salt, and corn. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon just before serving.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups chowder and about 2 tablespoons bacon)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 227(31% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.6g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 9.1g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 90mg; SODIUM 629mg; FIBER 5.4g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39g
*********************************************

[Ohana]

I love cooking ahead and freezing!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
(double batch)
4 chicken breasts, poached
1 med onion, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
8 ounce package shredded cheese (give or take)
2 cups (or so) salsa
2 tsp cumin (optional)
flour tortillas, additional cheese, and salsa

1. Saute onion and bell pepper in a little butter or cooking spray until translucent. Shred chicken

2. Lower heat. Add chicken, cream cheese, half to 2/3 of the shredded cheese, salsa and cumin (if using). Stir frequently until cheeses are melted.

(at this point, I usually take half to make for dinner that night and freeze the other half).

3. Layer tortillas in greased casserole duish (cut tortillas to fit). Spoon in 1/4 of chicken mixture and top with a bit of cheese and some salsa (if desired). Add another layer of tortillas and top with 1/4 chicken mixture and cheese and salsa. Bake at 350 until heated through.

4. Put remaining chicken mixture into a freezer bag, let out air, freeze flat. If you do not normally keep tortillas or cheese in the house, put the tortillas and cheese in separate freezer bags, and compile all of your components in a big freezer bag. Label and freeze.

[KarenS]

3. Layer tortillas in greased casserole duish (cut tortillas to fit). Spoon in 1/4 of chicken mixture and top with a bit of cheese and some salsa (if desired). Add another layer of tortillas and top with 1/4 chicken mixture and cheese and salsa. Bake at 350 until heated through.

4. Put remaining chicken mixture into a freezer bag, let out air, freeze flat. If you do not normally keep tortillas or cheese in the house, put the tortillas and cheese in separate freezer bags, and compile all of your components in a big freezer bag. Label and freeze.Yum - this sounds really good and I think I'll make it this week. Quick question tho ... couldn't you actually make the casserole in some kind of freezer to oven type pan (even a foil one) and freeze it premade? That seems like it would be easiest to me.

Karen

[gayle]

Here's a real easy and yummy one.

Chop up 2 cups of cooked chicken breasts. Mix with 1/2 cup chopped celery and two cans sliced water chestnuts. Add 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, and a can of cream of chicken soup. Salt and peper to taste.

You can freeze in this state, but when you want to cook it, bake at 350 for 40 minutes, top wth buttered crumbs the last 15 minutes of bake time.

This is so simple, but tastes so deluxe :)

[Ohana]

Karen I've made it as a casserole and frozen it, and the tortillas become wierd and not so yummy when defrosted. DH actually asked me why I put chicken skin in the casserole, as the tortillas were not identifiable. If you use corn tortillas, though, this may be less of a problem.

[KarenS]

Hah. That's funny. We tend to use corn tortillas over flour ones most of the time anyway, so maybe I'll try it. Or freeze a small-ish version and see how it works for lunch.

At any rate, I think I'm going to make this for dinner tonight! :)

Karen

[laura]

3. Layer tortillas in greased casserole duish (cut tortillas to fit). Spoon in 1/4 of chicken mixture and top with a bit of cheese and some salsa (if desired). Add another layer of tortillas and top with 1/4 chicken mixture and cheese and salsa. Bake at 350 until heated through.

4. Put remaining chicken mixture into a freezer bag, let out air, freeze flat. If you do not normally keep tortillas or cheese in the house, put the tortillas and cheese in separate freezer bags, and compile all of your components in a big freezer bag. Label and freeze.

I admit, I'm a little impaired when reading recipes, and I'm very impaired when it comes to cooking and freezing. That said, I have a (I think) 3 qt round casserole dish that I think one tortilla would basically just plop down into (at least it will in my head) - do I just put in 1 tortilla, then add the mixtures, then another single tortilla? Also, what size/shape casserole dish do you use?

My husband loves a spanish casserole that I do not love, so it would be great to have an alternative!

[Ohana]

laura Yes, I would do one tortilla and then chicken, etc. I usually use an oval baking dish, so I have to cut the tortillas to make them fit and give me a single layer of tortilla.

[laura]

Gotcha! Thanks, I'm a little slow sometimes. :p

[skyblu]

Awesome recipes! Keep them coming!

[Ohana]

Chicken Divan
I usually make a double batch...

2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
16 ounce bag of frozen brocolli florets
1 can cream of chicken soup (see substitute, below)
1/3 can of milk

1. Place brocolli florets in an even layer in casserole dish (I think I used an oval dish that was give or take 10 X 8 or something like that).
2. Layer chicken on top of brocolli
3. Mix together soup and milk and pour over chicken. If you use substitute below, omit milk.
4. Cover and freeze.
5. When ready to eat, thaw in fridge. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and 1 TBSP melted butter. Bake at 350 until heated through.

substitute for cream of chicken soup:
8 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
1/4 med onion, minced
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup flour
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 can water

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter until tender. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and water, stirring constantly until all ingredients are cooked together. Allow to come to boil, stirring occasionally.

This sauce is also really good on pork chops or chicken breasts, in place of cream of XX soup.

[Ohana]

Chili is also good. I usually make a humongous batch of chili and freeze it in freezer bags (I love the bags because you can freeze things flat, and it takes up less room in the fridge.

[tlew12778]

You can freeze quiche as well. Either uncooked in ziplock bags (just defrost and dump into a pre-made pie shell when ready to cook) or pre-cooked in the pie shell.

[kirstyjoanne]

I've been thinking that I want to make some meals for a friend of mine who is PG that she can eat easy meals after the baby comes, especially since her DH is in the Navy and may not be home. I would love some more ideas that might me new-mom friendly. Mostly I'm thinking of considering foods that are not big no-nos for nursing moms, or those that are least likely to cause gas or other problems for the baby.

[EmilyZA]

Subscribing!

[Ohana]

I went to one of those make ahead dinner places the other night and got some great ideas for freezing meals in advance!


Mix together a double batch of your favorite meatloaf recipe, divide into 2 freezer bags and freeze flat
Take chicken breasts, dip them in an egg and then seasoned breadcrumbs. Place in a greased baking dish. In a small freezer bag, put in enough marinara sauce to cover. In another small freezer bag, put parmesan cheese. Seal freezer bags and place on top of chicken in casserole dish, cover, and freeze. When you're ready to eat, remove the freezer bags, bake the chickenuntil cooked through, then top with marinara and cheese and broil until cheese is melted
Buy pre-made pizza crust dough, roll out and make into calzones, filling with whatever you like. Place in disposable aluminum baking pan (greased) cover and freeze. Make as many ahead of time as you can. I don't usually make stuff like this because I can't get through an entire package of pepperoni or whatever, but this way, I use the entire package and have yummies in the freezer waiting for me!
Whenever you cook something your family really likes, make a double batch and freeze half for later


Kirstyjoane What a great idea for your friend! WRT no-nos for nursing moms, it's really hard to know in advance what she won't be able to have. For example, I was OK with everything except caffeine, but some nursing moms avoid dairy, brocolli, soy, and/or garlic.

[Sunshine]

subscribing:D

[Sunshine]

subscribing.....HELP ME Keep Cooking:p

[kindermom]

FYI, There is another thread going on right now titled Freezer-friendly recipes (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=8733) with recipes in it.

[Sunshine]

Thank You:D

[skyblu]

I do the same thing: once a week or every 2 weeks, I cook about 5 different recipes, and about 6-10 servings of each. There's just 2 of us, so my freezer is always full and with a nice variety!

I started the thread that kindermom mentioned to get more ideas of recipes that freeze well.

One tip that always helps me out last-minute: I buy frozen pasta (ravioli, gnocchi, tortellini), and make a ton of homemade sauce in the crockpot. Then I divide the sauce into containers (enough sauce in one container for one package of pasta) and freeze. I also buy french bread, cut it into pieces big enough for 2 servings, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Then, for a quick, almost-homemade dinner, I throw a package of pasta in boiling water while defrosting/warming a container of sauce in the microwave and heating the bread up (without the plastic!) in a 450 degree oven.

Hope that helps!

[skyblu]

Buy pre-made pizza crust dough, roll out and make into calzones, filling with whatever you like. Place in disposable aluminum baking pan (greased) cover and freeze.

Ohana, have you tried this? I dread making calzone because I'm always afraid that the dough will be raw-ish inside. Ew! (I know, if that's my biggest fear, I must lead a charmed life, eh?)

So although I've seen calzone recipes for freezing similar to this idea, I wonder if the inside part of the dough would get soggy/mushy and come out gross.

First hand experience would be great, if you have it! Thanks!

[sea74]

Okay, I have a few dumb questions:

1. It seems like you girls are putting “uncooked” meals into freezer bags and then what – do you defrost and then cook or just put the frozen items in a the oven when you’re ready to eat? I usually cook the meals ahead of time and then freeze the whole cooked meal and then defrost and warm on the day we’re going to eat it.


2. Are you putting the actual baking dishes with the uncooked meals all set in the pan in the freezer and then taking everything out and cooking when you’re ready? Doest the freeze to the over crack the baking dish?

I’m sorry I’m just not very savvy at this!

[Ohana]

skyblu I haven't cooked the ones I made the other night yet, but the calzones are the best seller at the place I went to. The friend who went with me has made them numerous times and loves them. However, you defrost them in the fridge before baking, so that probably avoids the raw inside issue.

sea74 1. For the most part, I cook dishes to a certain point and then finish assembly/cooking on the day we're eating the meal. 2. My freezer isn't very big, so I try to put most stuff in freezer bags to minimize storage space. If I freeze something in a casserole dish, I defrost it completely before baking, so the dish goes from the fridge to the oven, instead of the freezer to the oven. I hope that makes sense...

[paiger]

Mix together a double batch of your favorite meatloaf recipe, divide into 2 freezer bags and freeze flat

This works if you cook the meatloaves first as well. Since I can't come home and fix anything that would require an hour of cooking on a day that I am home, I'll whip up minimeatloaves (for just the two of us, splitting one recipe into 2 mini loaves is perfect). Then, I cook them to almost done without the topping, which is like right to the no pink mark. Then I freeze in small gladware, but freezer bags would work as well.

I thaw the mini loaf, top w/ ketchup/brown sugar mixture and warm at like 250 until hot (maybe 30 minutes).

[sea74]

I hope that makes sense...Thanks! That does help :)

[Sunshine]

Thank you skyblue!
I am just clueless when it comes to cooking:o
The only thing i have ever cooked more of and froze was DH's crockpot spagetti sauce, I must agree, that is a GREAT IDEA!
But I am bored of that now:p
I am subscribed over there now as well as a couple of other threads so I hope I can learn how to be a cook sooner than later;)
Thanks again!

[emmjay]

Are you putting the actual baking dishes with the uncooked meals all set in the pan in the freezer and then taking everything out and cooking when you’re ready? Doest the freeze to the over crack the baking dish?
I got some books from the library about cooking and freezing meals in advance, and one tip I saw was for casseroles and foods in baking dishes. It says you can line the dish with extra tin foil (so there is a lot of foil hanging over the edges). Then assemble the dish and/or prebake it with the foil, then freeze it.

Once it's frozen, you can remove the whole thing from the dish including the foil and wrap the tin foil around the food. Then wrap with freezer wrap and/or put it in a freezer bag. When you want to use it, just put the whole foil-wrapped thing back into the same baking dish and bake. That way your dish isn't sitting in the freezer, and you have a nice rectangular (easily stackable) frozen item.

I haven't tried it yet, but I thought it was a good idea!

[Sunshine]

I got some books from the library about cooking and freezing meals in advance, and one tip I saw was for casseroles and foods in baking dishes. It says you can line the dish with extra tin foil (so there is a lot of foil hanging over the edges). Then assemble the dish and/or prebake it with the foil, then freeze it.

Once it's frozen, you can remove the whole thing from the dish including the foil and wrap the tin foil around the food. Then wrap with freezer wrap and/or put it in a freezer bag. When you want to use it, just put the whole foil-wrapped thing back into the same baking dish and bake. That way your dish isn't sitting in the freezer, and you have a nice rectangular (easily stackable) frozen item.

I haven't tried it yet, but I thought it was a good idea!

GREAT TIP:D

[KarenS]

A friend of mine is pregnant and is due on Dec 30th. Since this is her first, we're assuming that means any time between the middle of December and the middle of January depending. Either way - a busy time of year for anyone, much less a new mom. I want to help her out by making about 2 weeks worth of frozen dinner entrees for her so that on those days that she is too tired to think about it, she can just pop something healthy in the oven. It's complicated by the fact that her DH (a) doesn't cook and (b) is a picky eater (yeah, I wouldn't put up with it, but I'm not married to him ... so!).

Could you guys make suggestions of dishes that would freeze well that you and your DH's like? I know her DH's tastes well enough to know what will and won't fly with him and I can pick and choose accordingly.

What I have right now is pretty basic:
Lasagna
Chicken & black bean enchiladas
Grilled chicken breasts (that she can cut up for salad or pasta)
Pasta sauce

Any other ideas?

Karen

[Jenean]

hamburgers or turkey burgers
soup or stew
baked items like muffins or bread

[emmjay]

Meatloaf
Stuffed Shells
Chili

There was another thread a few weeks ago, so there might be some ideas you can use in there too: Freezer-Friendly Recipes (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=8733)

[Cilantro]

How about a spinach pie or broccoli casserole? Baked mac and cheese w/whole-grain pasta and low-fat milk? Think of things that are high in calcium, iron, and fiber. She will need it!

[Amuse Bouche]

From my friends with young kids, it seemed like at times they were too tired/frazzled/unable to put the baby down to even eat anything requiring a fork. If you could include some sort of bread/stromboli type thing, or individual pies or pasties or turnovers or something that could be eaten out of hand I think that would go over well.

[ladyco4]

How about soup? Chicken soups are good, so are beef and vegetable soups.

[kindermom]

Quiche freezes pretty well. I did find that if you froze quiche with ham, however, your quiche was a little watery. Without ham, it was great.

[FallingforPhil]

I just made a batch of taco soup--one recipe makes a boatload--DH and I have eaten it twice already, and I was still able to put a generous container in the freezer. It freezes great, and it super easy to make. LMK if you'd like the recipe.

[ButterflyJen]

We browned up multiple pounds of ground turkey before DD was born. It was so nice to just pop that out of the freezer and make spaghetti, tacos, etc. without having to mess with the meat that first month.

[sheartm7]

Chili and stews are excellent ideas. How about homemade meatballs to go with the pasta sauce? You can make a ton and they freeze well.

[KarenS]

Thank you all for the ideas. And FallingForPhil, I'd love the recipe for the taco soup! :)

I have a great list of things to put together and I plan to do my cooking in early December ... so that she'll have everything if the baby comes a little early.

Karen

[Janey]

Karens, I make this stroganoff and it is Fantastic, and freezes well. Just make noodles, thaw sauce, and stir. It takes a while to make, but it is good. I posted this in the "Signature Dish" thread a while back:

----

BEEF STROGANOFF

Stew meat, or steak sliced on the diagonal
Campbell's Beef Broth
Onion (Walla Walla Sweet if you can find them; yellow if you can’t)
Mushrooms (pre-sliced is easier)
Butter/Marg. (I use Promise or something similar)
Beef Boullion
Garlic Powder
Garlic Cloves
Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Dill Weed
Worschetshire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins)
Ketchup (I use Heinz)
Flour
Sour Cream (I use Tillamook)
Extra Wide Egg Noodles (I use yolkless)


I know there aren't any quantities there... this recipe isn't like that. If I use One package of meat, I use One package of pre-sliced mushrooms and one medium-large onion. Usually I double the shrooms cause I usually end up snacking on them while I cook. If I double the recipe, I'll use 3 packages of shrooms, and maybe 4. The rest of the recipe just sort of gets 'adjusted' based on how much meat I have. When I make this, though, I usually make a ton of it. The dish takes about 3-4 hours to make so I only do it about once a season (plus, if I make it too often, I find that it's less "special" to the people I make it for, which reduces its impact). The sauce freezes well, so whatever I don't put on the noodles gets put into Rubbermaid containers and goes into the freezer.

Put the meat in a big pot (it's important to use a Big Pot) and pour a little bit of Vegetable oil on there. Turn the meat with your fingers and get it all thinly coated. Season with black pepper and garlic powder, and brown it. When the meat is browned, pour on the Campbell’s Beef Broth. How I tell if I have enough broth is that I pour it on till I just see little tops of meat pieces sticking out of the liquid.

Add: A couple of Beef Boullion cubes, some Worschetschire sauce, a couple of garlic cloves, a pinch of dill weed (not too much or your stroganoff will taste like pickles), a tiny squirt of Ketchup (not too much or your stroganoff will taste like French fries). Put a lid on the pot, and simmer.

While the above is simmering, chop up your onion into fairly large chunks (sliced mushroom sized, I guess). Put this into a large skillet with some butter/margarine, and sauté. When the onion pieces are good and soft, add the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are tender. Stir flour into onion/shroom mixture until it is a very thick, smooth-ish paste.

Try a piece of the simmering meat. If it is very very tender, then you're ready for the next step. If it's not, then leave it to simmer for another 30 minutes, and try again. You want the meat tender. Don't try to rush it. At this point, the odors emanating from the kitchen will call your cohabitants from all corners of the house, asking with a slight whimper in their voice: "When is it going to be ready?" "About an hour," you say.

Once the meat is tender, add the onion/shroom paste a large spoonful at a time, stirring until flour is dissolved after every spoonful. Your sauce should be pretty thick at this point, but we're not done. This is where you fold in the sour cream. If I have made "A ton" of it, I'll use an entire container of sour cream. Less if I've made less.

Let that simmer a while with the lid off, stirring occasionally, and make your Extra Wide Egg Noodles. After the noodles are cooked, pour the stroganoff sauce onto the egg noodles, and stir.

Enjoy.

Leftovers heat up marvelously in the microwave.

[FallingforPhil]

Taco Soup (aka, the easiest meal ever)

brown 2 lbs. ground beef (I use turkey), drain

dump one can corn, one can creamed corn, one can stewed tomatoes, one can pinto beans, one can diced tomatoes, 1 jar salsa, and one packet of taco seasoning into a soup pot.

Add ground beef, cook till heated through.

That's it!

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and fritos (sounds gross, but I promise, it's good. :) )

[karina]

I would be interested in cookies, cakes, other dishes you can make ahead and freeze.

Thanks.

[Hello Kitty]

There are a bunch of threads on this topic, just do a search. There is a thread called 'freezer foods' on the second page of this forum that already has links in it of past threads. :)

[Ohana]

Bumping with a meal I defrosted tonight. It was yum!

Elegant Chicken Pockets
1 box puff pastry (not Phyllo)
4 chicken breasts
3 ounces cream cheese
3-4 TBSP pesto

Partially defrost puff pastry. While puff pastry is defrosting, mix together cream cheese and pesto. Set aside. Cut chicken breasts into strips. Spread out 1 sheet of puff pastry and cut in half. Place 1/4 of pesto mixture and 1/4 chicken on each half. Fold up and seal with water, making little packets. Repeat with remaining puff pastry, chicken, and pesto mixture. Place packets in freezer bag and freeze flat.

When you're ready to eat, partially thaw packets in fridge for a few hours (or in micro). Place on greased cookie sheet and brush with milk or egg (optional). Bake at 400 until puff pastry is golden brown. Serve with a salad.

We had this for dinner tonight, and it was so good. I doubled the recipe, so I have 4 more packets waiting for me! They look so elegant too, so they would be great for company.

[bookworm]

I've made Ohana's recipe a few times, and wanted to add that you can also use crescent rolls if you can't find puff pastry. It's not as elegant, but still tastes good :).

(Sometimes I get fancy and use goat cheese and tapenade instead of the cream cheese and pesto.)

[Ohana]

Yum! Goat cheese and tapenade sounds like a really good variation! I've thought about mixing the cream cheese with salsa as well.

[gmb4503]

Subscribing :)

[NotDesperate]

Ohana, what is this make ahead dinner place? It sounds cool, we don't have one here. But it sounds like the type of place my BIL is thinking of opening. He is starting up a catering business but wants to do more than that. I would be interested in learning about this place you are describing. Does this place have a website? Thanks! :)

[Ohana]

The places I've been to are called Dream Dinners (http://www.dreamdinners.com/main.php?static=index) and Dinner's Ready (http://www.dinnersready.com/). Both are local companies, but I believe Dinner's Ready has some stores in other states as well.

Edited to add a little description of the places. Customers check out their menus on line (which change monthly) and sign up and pay for their meals in advance. Both places I've been to offer 6 and 12 meal packages. When I say sign up, I mean you sign up for a date and time to go assemble your meals.

When you get to the store, they give you a little orientation, an apron, and walk you through the hand washing procedure. Typically, they have "stations" set up for each menu item, and everything for that item is pre-chopped/prepped. Instructions on how to assemble the meal are clearly posted. Both places I've been to give you a list of what you signed up for, and then you just rotate to the various stations to put your food together. Everything is assembled, either into disposable aluminum pans or Ziploc freezer bags. Once you assemble one meal, label it with their pre-printed stickers, and then place it in your designated spot in their fridge. After you've assembled all of your meals, one of their staff members makes sure you have everything, and helps you take it out to your car. Dinner's Ready meals generally include a side dish of rice or pasta, which is packaged separately.

[meatpie]

Hey gals and guys --

I'm expecting our first kid in three weeks and thought about cooking some dinners which freeze well just to have. I've been too tired to really cook lately, the hus has been sick with a lingering cold, and the trips to El Pollo Loco are not good for anyone!

Any suggestions, tips, recipes, etc.?

[ManteoChik]

I will make spaghettie sauce w/ meat and freeze it, that way all you have to do is heat up the sauce and boil some pasta.

[Sal03]

bump :)

[Sal03]

Just bumped up a thread for you that I lurk in. Our second baby is due in April and I have been looking for ideas!

[NotDesperate]

Thanks Ohana, those places sound so cool!!

[Jane&Andy]

bump

[JennW]

Subscribing.:)

[vwinkel]

I just got a Martha Stewart's Quick Cook email about this:

Here is the MS Food link with Freezer favorites (http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml;jsessionid=LTAU13ROYUSC1WCKUU2SHPWYJKSS 0JO0?type=learn-cat&id=cat17926&edfParentCat=cat17926&subStyleType=freezeit&rsc=edfnav)
Sometimes day-to-day circumstances get in the way of putting together an entire meal from scratch, so it always helps to have something prepared on hand. Because not everything lends itself to freezing we’ve assembled a selection of recipes allowing you to make a meal in advance, or gather up any leftovers, and keep them safely in the freezer until needed.

[jennylou]

Bumping up again. Anyone have any more favorite dishes (soups, casseroles or otherwise)?

[looch]

I just finished putting chicken and beef roll ups in the freezer!

Chicken roll ups as follows: Butterfly 5 trimmed chicken breasts. Pound well, until they are flat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread with philadelphia garlic and herb cream cheese. layer 3 slices ham and roll lengthwise. Tie with string, and freeze.

Beef roll ups as follows: First, soak some brioche in milk. Squeeze well. Begin with 4 pieces brasciole meat for rolling. Pound well, until they are flat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread with philadelphia garlic and herb cream cheese. layer 2 thin slices cheddar cheese and a handful of the bread. Roll and tie.

I also used my kitchen aid to grind a chuck roast into ground beef. I portioned into sandwich bags, and froze them.

[vwinkel]

We make pizza burgers and usually freeze the left overs. Here is my recipe from memory (sorry I don't have exact measurements):

Pizza Burgers
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion finely chopped
salt and pepper
marinara sauce (I use Prego)
1 package mozzerella shredded cheese
italian seasoning
Ground red pepper (optional)
hamburger buns

Brown ground beef together with onions. Season with salt and pepper. Drain fat. Add about 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, half of mozerella cheese, and enough Prego to cover the meat (add red pepper here also if you want a little more kick). Cook until cheese melts and everything is mixed.

Preheat the broiler. Place the bottom of the hamburger buns on a cookie sheet and place a spoonful of the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle a pinch of mozerella cheese on top of meat and then sprinkle itailan seasoning on top of the cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Place top of bun on sandwich and serve.

Freezer tips - You can freeze the meat mixture as well as the mozerella cheese and hamburger buns. To defrost the hamburger buns, simply separate and set them on the counter as the oven preheats. This should only take 5 minutes or less to defrost. Do NOT microwave.

[andrew&shannah]

I noticed that Cooking Light had an article on their website yesterday about making Freezer Friendly Foods (http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/fd/features/package/0,14343,319266,00.html). There were links to recipes too.

[thechick79]

I noticed that Cooking Light had an article on their website yesterday about making Freezer Friendly Foods (http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/fd/features/package/0,14343,319266,00.html). There were links to recipes too.

Do you have to subscribe to the magazine to be able to see the recipes?

Hey Shannah :)

[andrew&shannah]

Do you have to subscribe to the magazine to be able to see the recipes?

Hey Shannah :)

Hey Ida! I am not sure if you have to subscribe. If you click on them and it says you do, let me know. I have a subscription and can come post them in here for those that want them. Here is a list of what is in the article:
Freezer Pleaser Recipes
Pork Ragout
Short Sharp Chops
Tomato-Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto
Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecued Beans
Chunky Chipotle-Chicken Chili
Greek Lamb Burgers with Cucumber Sauce
Cucumber Sauce
Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives

[thechick79]

I tried to register but it wanted my credit card info. Yeah I'd be interested in trying some of those out as I want to get into cooking but have no time lately. Freezing would be the best option!

[andrew&shannah]

I tried to register but it wanted my credit card info. Yeah I'd be interested in trying some of those out as I want to get into cooking but have no time lately. Freezing would be the best option!

You have to subscribe to the magazine (hence the credit card info) to access the website. Which ones do you want? :)

[thechick79]

These sound yummy:
Tomato-Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto
Chunky Chipotle-Chicken Chili
Greek Lamb Burgers with Cucumber Sauce
Cucumber Sauce
Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives

Thanks Shannah! You rock :)

[lawyerlee]

DH and I did a marathon cooking session last night so we would have some good, home cooked food already on hand. I thought I'd share the recipes we used in case any of them are appealing to the rest of you who are trying to do this, too. Some of them are ones my mom has made ahead and put in the freezer, others are recipes we really like and wanted to have on hand. :)

We made:

Baked Ravioli
Chicken Tetrazzini
Deep Dish Taco Pizza
Calzones

Baked Ravioli (http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe3958&layout=edf&edfParentCat=cat17924&subStyleType=recipes&catid=cat17924) (from Everyday Food)

Serves 4 to 6; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time: 50 minutes

Baking pasta with cheese on top creates a chewy and crispy topping kids will love. You can assemble the dish ahead and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. (Allow to cool, cover, and place in freezer, if desired.) Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini (my mom's recipe)

1/2 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
16 oz wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions (or pasta - I use macaroni for freezing b/c I like the way it stands up better)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 oz alfredo sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Treat two 2 quart casserole dishes with cooking spray. Saute onion, carrots, and garlic over medium heat in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Remove from heat. Mix sauteed veggies with mushrooms, egg noodles, chicken, cream of chicken soup, alfredo sauce, and colby jack cheese. Pour into treated baking dishes. Sprinkle each with shredded parmesan. Allow to cool, cover, and place in freezer, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes before serving.

Meaty Calzones (from Cooking Light's Superfast Suppers)

1/2 pound ground beef (or ground pork sausage)
3/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 10 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough
3/4 cups (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray
1-1/3 cups pasta sauce (your favorite recipe or bottled brand)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. Drain. Return to pan and add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Unroll pizza crust dough and cut into 4 squares. Press each square into a 6x5-inch rectangle. Spoon beef mixture evenly into center of each dough rectangle and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bring opposite corners of rectangles together, pinching seams to seal. Coat tops of calzones with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees for 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Place pasta sauce in a microwave-safe dish and heat on High for 2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

If desired, instead of serving after baking, place calzones on a baking sheet treated with cooking spray. Cover with Press & Seal or foil and place in the freezer. Once the calzones are frozen, remove and wrap each individually. Place them back in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Yields 4 servings.


Deep Dish Taco Pizza (from Cooking Light's Superfast Suppers)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 tsp. low-sodium taco seasoning
10 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Salsa
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Brown beef with onion in a large skillet. Drain well, and return to pan. Stir in tomatoes and seasoning; cook 1 minute or until throughly heated; set aside.

Unroll pizza crust dough and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon beef mixture over dough and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the crust is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with salsa and sour cream.

Yield: 6 servings.

[wendstress]

Oh, I love to freeze!

One of my favorites:

Crescent Chicken Bundles
2, three ounce packages cream cheese, softened
4 TBSP butter or margarine, melted and divided
2 TBSP minced chives*
2 TBSP milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 tubes (8 oz) crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing croutons**

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 TBSP butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken.

Unroll crescent roll dough and separate and flatten slightly. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture onto the center of each triange. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down. Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets. Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; transfer to a covered container for storage. Freeze for up to 2 months. Bake remaining chicken bundles at 350*F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

To use frozen bundles: Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

Yield: 8 servings.

*I use green onions when my chives aren't growing.
**I've always used plain bread crumbs since we never buy croutons.



I'll have to come back with a few more favorites!

[lawyerlee]

I came across some helpful tips on the Food Network sight:

Cooking for Now & Later (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_quick_easy/article/0,1904,FOOD_16383_3751313,00.html)
You don’t always have time to cook when you have to get a meal on the table, but you know that home-cooked meals are generally better for you, cost less, and taste better than takeout. A little planning ahead and you can create a dish that will transform over a number of days—or stock your freezer and fridge with your own ready-made meals!

Scaling Up

You’d think that scaling up or down a recipe was just a matter of simple math, but it’s a little more complicated than that. You often need to increase your seasonings by less than the rest of the ingredients and you may need to consider the amount of liquid you’re using if you’ll be baking in a bigger pan. If you are cooking more than one dish in the oven, try raising the temperature by about 25 degrees to keep the cooking time steady.

Planning Your Attack

Cooking ahead generally means cooking in quantity and a little planning will cut down your time at the store and in the kitchen. Thinking about what you want to make for the week and what you want to feed the freezer will keep your shopping to the minimum—picking up fresh salad, herbs, or bread is much easier than having to run out for forgotten ingredients midway through a recipe!

Cooking ahead can also save you money since you can buy in bulk and take advantage of store specials. Just remember to include freezer- or fridge-friendly packaging on your shopping list if you don’t have glass or plastic containers at home. A double wrapping of heavy-duty aluminum foil and or plastic wrap can work in a pinch, depending on how long you want to store something.

If you know you’re going to reheat food, whether it’s going in the fridge or the freezer, leave it slightly underdone so that it doesn’t get overcooked later. Make sure to correct the seasonings after reheating and add a squirt of lemon juice or fresh herbs to wake up the flavors.

Leaving Leftovers

Planning ahead should also include thinking of ways to use your leftovers creatively. Grilled or poached chicken or salmon make great lunchtime salad toppers—or can be reheated and served with different sides and sauces for a totally new dinner. Leftover rice becomes rice pudding, quick biryani, or fried rice. Black bean dip can be formed into patties and served with salsa for bean cakes. Mix hashed brown potatoes can be mixed with eggs and slow-cooked in a saute pan for a Spanish omelet. The list goes on and on.

Avoiding Freezer Burn

Stocking the freezer with your own homemade meals is only a little more complicated than buying from the freezer aisle. You’ll need to make sure everything is cool and packaged carefully—air and moisture are your enemies when trying to keep fresh in the freezer! You can freeze whole meals for up to one month or things like stews, sauces, cakes, or pies for around six. Different recipes react differently to freezing, so you might not always experience the same results.

[endymion411]

Do you have to subscribe to the magazine to be able to see the recipes?

if your local library carries the magazine---they have a log-in code word each month in the first couple pages of the magazine

[Missy2U]

lawyerlee, thanks so much for posting that - I printed it out and it is going home with me. :)

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

I am so glad that I found this thread. I think I'm going to gather up a few friends and just have a freezer friendly cook off a couple of weeks before the baby is due!!

How long do you think the food is okay in the freezer for??

[lawyerlee]

How long do you think the food is okay in the freezer for??
I would say up to a month for casseroles and other assembled dishes. But I think if you did things like little portions of pesto and marinara sauce, for instance, those will keep longer, up to six months. So perhaps you could do some fully cooked meals and some sauces, too, if you are hoping to go beyond one month.

That will be wonderful to have yummy food all ready to go when you bring the new baby home! :)

[lawyerlee]

I made this Cooking Light recipe ahead so we can have it for dinner tonight. It would be a great one to put in the freezer. I chose to omit the egg whites, and I really don't think it is going to make any difference.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cooking Spray
1-1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1-1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup beer
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (1/4 to 1/2)
1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 can ripe olives, drained and sliced
1 can diced green chiles, drained
5 Tblsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten or 6 tbls. egg substitute
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (3 oz.)
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 oz.)
6 x corn tortillas (6-inch) cut in half
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa


1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet; let cool. Shred chicken with 2 forks; set aside.

3. Recoat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add shredded chicken, beer, red pepper, and tomatoes; cook 10 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 tablespoon green onions and 1 tablespoon olives for garnish. Stir remaining green onions, remaining olives, and chiles into chicken mixture; set aside.

4. Combine flour, salt, cumin, and coriander in a medium saucepan.
Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg whites, stirring constantly with whisk. Set aside.

5. Place cheeses in a bowl; toss well. Set aside.

6. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in bottom of a 2 1/2 quart round casserole or souffle dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 tortilla halves over sauce; top with 2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 cup white sauce, and 1/2 up cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with sauce. Set remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture aside.

7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture, reserved green onions, and reserved olives; bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Yield: 8 servings

NOTE: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time; cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight, then bake at 350 for 1 hour or until bubbly.

Or freeze casserole, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours, then bake for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated.

[endymion411]

hello ladies!

i'm making turkey meatballs with pasta for dinner tonight and thought i would double up the meatball recipe and freeze some---

for the meatballs i want to freeze, do i cook them first and then freeze them?

(they contain turkey, spinach, parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, seasoning)

thanks!

[vee05]

I Generally just make the balls shallow fry them and then let them cool and freeze them in ziplock bags.

~V

[paiger]

We are doing a casserole Fundraiser in a group I'm a member of, and I'm making the Breakfast Casseroles that we sold. It's the one w/ an egg base and sausage, green peppers and onions.

It says it's freezable in BH&G, but some of the girls thought I might need to freeze it before it's cooked. My mom has made the recipe and frozen it after it's cooked, but I don't know if she froze it for very long.

What do y'all think? It would be preferrable if I could freeze it after cooking, b/c that was the point of the Sale was meals already made that needed to just be rewarmed.

[lawyerlee]

I would freeze it after you've baked it. That's how I've always done mine in the past, and I've had good luck. :)

[wine_o_girlie]

I would bake it first for about 20 minutes less time that it really needs and then freeze it. If you bake it until it's done and then re-heat it later, it will be overdone and dried out. Also, do not de-frost the casserole, just go straight into the oven with it.

[paiger]

Thanks ladies! That's good to know about the cooking a little less done, since I have to make like 5 of them! I'll make sure to put that about not thawing it before cooking it on the instructions that go with the casseroles.

[lawyerlee]

*BUMP* for happy. :)

[JubileeDawning]

*bump*

I've been going to My Girlfriends Kitchen to make freeze friendly meals courtesy of gift certificates... but they're about to run out. I want to start making some of my own, and hopefully save money AND time! Howe