Freezer Cooking Recipes #1

I have been done some cook ahead and freeze cooking in

the past month and it has been GREAT!!!
The recipes have been great, it has been

so nice to not have to everyday at 4pm make dinner,

and all the meals the family is loving.

I have gotten all of these meals from either

http://onceamonthmom.com/ 

or from

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/

There are also tons other ones around and

Pinterest has a bunch of great websites to go to

for these as well.

So with some planning and

the right "tools" this can

save you time,money and sanity:)

Ham and Cheese Braid

(from Fabulesslyfrugal.com/)

1 Loaf of Rhodes bread dough(I made my own-cheaper:)

1/4 cup of butter or margarine

1/2 envelope of hidden valley ran mix

3/4 thinly sliced ham(i did half ham and half turkey)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp poppy seeds(i did not use)

To prepare for freezing

Roll bread dough out into a rectangular shape. Combine

butter and dressing mix. Spread about half of the butter mixture

on the dough. layer ham and cheese down the center of the

dough. Using a pizza cutter cut strips along the sides of the dough(even

number on each side). Starting at the bottom cross and twist alternating

sides until the whole thing is done. Brush the rest of the butter mixture on top

and top with poppy seeds if using. Wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil

Before cooking: Thaw over night in the refrigerator. 2 hours before

baking remove from foil and plastic wrap and place on

a lined baking sheet and let rise.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Oriental Chicken

(From: Onceamonthmom.com/)

2 tbps butter/margarine

2 tbps flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tbps soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cups of chicken(cooked/chopped)

1/8 tsp black pepper

5 oz of chow mien noodles(you could use rice)

Melt butter and stir in flour until bubbly. Add broth,water

soy sauce,garlic powder,black pepper and chicken simmer for 5 minutes.

Cool and then transfer to 1 gallon freezer bags.

To prepare: thaw over night in the refrigerator

Heat in a pan until warm and bubbly-(if wanted you

could add in veggies at this point). Serve over chow mien noodles

or rice.

Taco Braid

(From:http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/)

1 lb ground beef browned and drained(could use turkey or chicken)

1 package taco seasoning

1 loaf of bread dough

1(15 oz) can refried beans

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground meat,drain and mix in taco seasoning according

to package directions.

Roll out bread dough, spread with the beans,meat and cheese.

With a pizza cutter cut strips down each side of the dough and

then twist and cross from top to bottom. Wrap in plastic wrap and

the foil and freeze.

To prepare:Thaw over night in the refrigerator and then bake at 350

for 25-30until golden brown.

Low Fat Pizza Pasta Casserole

(makes 2 servings)

2 lbs extra lean ground beef,chicken or turkey(i used half chicken half beef)

1 large onion

2 jars(28 oz) spaghetti sauce

16 oz whole wheat pasta

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese(i used skim)

6 oz slice pepperoni ( i used turkey)

To prepare for freezer: Brown meat until cooked thoroughly and drain fat.

Mix in onion,pasta and sauce and poor into a greased 9x13 inch

baking dish. Top with cheese and the place pepperoni on top.

 Cover with a lid or foil and freeze once completely cool.

To prepare: thaw over night in the refrigerator

 and the bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes on 350 or

until heated through.

If baking straight from the freezer: bake @ 350 covered with

foil for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 30 minutes.

Baked Eggs

(from:onceamonthmom.com/)

6 slices of bread-cubed, (i used whole wheat)

2 cups of shredded cheese

1 cup of ham( i used half ham/half turkey)

1/4 cup bell pepper-chopped(optional)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

6 eggs

3 cups of milk(i used skim)

To prepare for freezer: mix bread,ham,cheese,pepper,onion in a

13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with non stick spray.

Mix together eggs and milk and poor over meat mixture.

Cover with lid or foil and freeze.

To prepare to bake: thaw overnight in the

refrigerator, bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven

for 45 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

(from:http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/)

4 cups of cooked chicken breast cut up or shredded

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup of sour cream

1 can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup

2 cups of cheddar cheese

2 cups of Monterrey jack cheese

4 ounce can of green chilies

10 flour tortillas( i used whole wheat)

To prepare for freezer: cook and dice chicken,combine all ingredients

EXCEPT FOR CHICKEN AND CHEESE. Place

1 cup of cheese aside for topping. Leaving enough tortilla

to roll over, place approx. 1 heaping TBSP of filling,then layer chick and cheese,

roll up tortilla tucking in the ends, place in a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Top with remaining filling and then cheese. Cover with a lid or

foil and freeze.

To prepare to bake: thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake @ 350

covered for 30 minutes and then remove foil and bake

an additional 15-20 minutes till bubbling and cheese is

completely melted.

Fish Taco's

I have never eaten or made fish tacos.
But my husband loves them, so I gave
them a try.
Pretty good and not to horribly
hard to make.


1 1/2 lbs firm fish(i used halibut)
Tortilla's either corn or flour
2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
black pepper
Shredded cheese,chopped tomatoes or avocado(optional)


Was and slice cabbage and mix with cider vinegar and salt, set aside.
In a large skillet on medium heat add your butter and fish,
cook until fish is no longer translucent and season with salt and pepper.
Pretty simple, assemble your taco and enjoy.

Crockpot Pork Chops

So good!!!

4 Thick cut pork chops

1 Clove of garlic

1 Teaspoon of black pepper

1 Packed of ranch seasoning

1/2 Cup of chicken broth

Place all ingredients in your crock pot and

cook on low for 6 hours.

So good!!! 

Enjoy with mashed potatoes and a veggie!

Easy Applesauce

Pretty easy once you get past the

coreing and peeling!

1 buschel of apples, peeled,cored and diced

2 cups of sugar

6 tablespoons of cinnamon

1 cup of water(possible more once apples cook down)

Place everything in a large roaster and mix well.

Set roaster on 250 degrees and let cook for

8-10 hours stirring every 2-3 hours.

At this point you can either

leave it more of chunky applesauce or

you can food processor and make it more a smooth

applesauce.

This will keep in the fridge for 3-6 weeks

or you can of course can it.

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Applebutter

So yummy+So easy+A staple in my house=A MUST!

5 pounds of apples(about 15-16 apples), washed,peeled and chopped(I used a food processor)

1/2-1 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons cinnamon

Add all ingredients to your large crock pot and cook on

high for 2-4 hours stirring every 1-2hours.

After 2-4 hours turn your crck pot to

low and let cook for an additional 8-10 hours

until the sauce has thickened and is a dark

brown color.

You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months covered

or it can be canned.

Whole Wheat Pasta With Sweet Italian Sausage

This was a big hit at my house!
The hubby loved it and

my pasta lovin daughter thought it

was great!

Recipe:

1 lb Sweet italian sausage (I used links, but ground work great to!)

1 lb Whole wheat pasta

16 oz Your favorite pasta sauce( I used my homemade sauce)

1 Teaspoon olive oil

1/2 Cup diced onion

3 Garlic gloves minced

1 Teaspoon dried oregano

1 Teaspoon dried thyme

1 Teaspoon parsley

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large saute

pan heat olive oil and add in onion and garlic.

Saute until tender mix in remaining spices and add in

the sausage links(i cut my links in to bite size pieces),

cook until sausage is cooked through, add in pasta sauce and bring to

a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Pour sausage and sauce mixture over cooked pasta and toss well.

Serve with shredded cheese on top.

** I hope you are all having a wonderful summer. I will be posting more

recipes more frequently for your eating pleasure.

Later this week... Fresh Raspberry Pie!!!

Mom's Meatballs

These are one of my favorite things my

mom makes. They are pretty easy to make

and are loved by all who eat them.

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey,chicken or beef

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 small cans of chicken and rice soup

Mix all ingredients except for the soup in a large bowl.

Roll your meat mixture into golf ball size balls and place in a

skillet on medium-high heat.

Brown meatballs all around and then turn heat down

to medium-low. Add in the soup and continue to simmer

on low for another 30-45 minutes(the longer the better).

These are wonderful! We like to eat them with mashed potatoes

and use the rice soup mixture as a gravy.

Pizza Burgers

These remind me of something we used to get
in the school cafeteria. They turned out pretty good
and the peanut gallery loved them.

Recipe:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1/2 jar pizza sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pizza seasoning

3 hamburger buns

6 slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese

Brown beef in a medium skillet, drain grease and return to pan.

Mix in pizza sauce and seasonings, bring to a boil and let simmer

for 15 minutes.

Line a baking pan with foil and preheat oven to 400.

Lay 6 half's of your burger buns on the baking pan.

Top each on with a serving of meat mixture and then top with

the cheese slice. Bake at 400 for about 10-12 minutes until

cheese is bubbly.

Tomato and Tortellini Soup

So yummy and so very easy!!

And on a gross day like yesterday it

was just what we all needed!

Recipe:
2 small cans or 1 large can of tomato soup
1 1/2-3 cups of skim milk
1 package of cheese filled tortellini(cooked according to package directions)
1/4 cup velvetta cheese chopped
1/2 loaf french bread for dipping(optional)

In a large pan cook soup according to package directions,
stir in cheese and stir occasionally until melted and creamy.
Mix in tortellini and let simmer for 30 minutes.

For bread sticks:
Preheat oven to 400 and line
a baking pan with foil.
Cut the loaf of french bread into 8 sticks, and
arrange on baking pan.
Brush with olive oil and then bake
for about 10-15minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Steak Fajiatas

2 Sirlion Steaks or Rounds Steaks Pounded Thin and Cut into Strips

1 Package Fajiata Seasoning

12 Flour or Whole Wheat Tortiallas

1 Cup Shredded Monetary Jack Cheese

Misc Chopped Veggies

Taco Seasoning

Sour Cream

In a large skillet, sear all your steak strip add in seasoning

and continue to cook until done.

Serve on warm tortialls with your choice

of toppings.

Chicken Noodles

Recipe:

2 Boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1 lb Favorite Noodle's(we love the old fashion/Amish style)*

**cooked according to package directions**

In a large crock pot, add 1 cup chicken broth,chicken breasts,and

black pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours until chicken is falling apart.

Once chicken is done add your cooked noodles and remaining broth.

Let cook on low for an additional 1 hour.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

This recipe makes enough for left overs and to freeze.

Have a wonderful week.

Spagetti with Meat Sauce

No pics :(

Recipe:

12 oz whole wheat pasta-cooked according to package directions

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 small onion diced

1 glove garlic minced

1 cup fat free cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1 recipe Amanda's Pasta Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large skillet saute onion and garlic in olive

oil, add ground turkey and cook till meat

is done. Mix in the pasta sauce,cottage

cheese,parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, bring

to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes(until

cottage cheese breaks up).

Stir in cooked pasta and remove

from heat.

Strawberry,Cranberry and Almond Oat Bars

These are to die for!!

So easy,so yummy and really good for you!

And my kids LOVE them!

look at those layers....

Golden brown and crispy

So good!!!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons fiber powder(optional)

1/2 cup chopped almonds

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter-melted

1 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 1/2 cup all fruit-no or low sugar strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl mix dried fruit and preserves until

blended,set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine rolled oats,flour,

almonds,brown sugar,melted butter,eggs,baking soda,

and baking powder. Divide in half and press half down

into the bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan.

Spread fruit mixture on top of oat mixture and then top

with the remaining oat mixture, spread evenly and

lightly press down.

Bake in a preheated oven for

20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy your week!

Vanilla Almond Baked French Toast

This is DELICIOUS!!

Was perfect with a little butter melted on top!!

So easy and so yummy!

Recipe:

1/2 loaf french bread cubed

6 eggs

1 cup skim milk

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds(optional)

Place bread in a butter 9x13 in baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together well; eggs,milk,

seasonings and vanilla extract.

Poor mixture over bread

and smash bread down, till well coated,

let stand in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours

before baking.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes,

until knife comes out clean.

ENJOY!! Hope you

are all having a wonderful weekend!

Lowfat Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These were wonderful!!!
I like them better then enchiladas made

with red sauce.  And I tried to make them

as healthy as possible.

Recipe:

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast

1 can of low fat cheese soup

2 cans of low fat/reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion-minced

1 glove garlic-minced

1 1/2 packets taco seasoning (about 6 tablespoons)

1 cup of skim milk

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

8 tortillas(flour or wheat)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic, add in chicken and

shred as you cook. Next add in 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 2 tablespoons of

the cheese soup and 1/2 of milk, and 1/2 a packet of taco

seasoning,  mix well and bring to a boil.

Once mixed well and thickened remove from heat.

Now assemble your enchiladas, by place 2-3 tablespoons of

chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and tightly roll up and

place seam side down in the baking pan. Continue until

all meat is used.

Finally in the same pan add the remaining soups,milk and the whole packet

of taco seasoning and bring a boil. Remove from heat and

pour over the enchiladas in the baking pan. Top with shredded

cheese and bake covered for 45minutes. Let stand

10 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve with salsa and cream cheese.

Hope you all try these and enjoy them.

* If preparing ahead to freeze, prepare

as above and the day before baking remove from

freezer and let thaw over night in the refrigerator.

Amanda's Meatloaf

Recipe

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

2 eggs

1/2 onion minced

1 glove garlic minced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese(optional)

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme

Preheat oven to 350 and line a large baking pan or sheet

with foil.

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.

Portion meat mixture in to either 2 large

loaf size portions or 8 mini size portions.

Place on ungreased baking pan.

Bake for 1 hour for large size portions

or for 30 minutes for small portions.

Topping:

1 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons brown sugar

mix well and add to the top of the

meat loaf in the last 10 minutes of baking.

Stuffed Shells

Yummy!!!!

Recipe:

24 Large pasta shells(whole wheat if you can find)

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 lb ground beef

1 recipe Amanda's Pasta sauce or 1 jar store bought

2 cups fat free cottage cheese

1 small onion diced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons parsley

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon olive or canola oil

Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and garlic saute until tender, add

ground meat. Cook well and drain. In the meantime in a large bowl

mix together,cottage cheese,oregano,parsley,and black pepper, add in ground

meat mixture. Mix well. Stuff each shell and place in a 9x13 pan. Top with

pasta sauce and shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered

for 45 minutes.

This is also a great make ahead and freeze meal. My

sister in law loved them!

Whole Wheat Garlic, Herb, and Chicken Penne

I am horrible with pictures these days!!!!!!!!!
So sorry!!!!

And so here is a new recipe that is loaded with healthy pasta

and chicken and sure to please.

Recipe:

2-4 Boneless/skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

1 lb of whole wheat penne

1 small onion diced

2 gloves garlic minced

3 cups of spinach diced

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon olive or canola oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend cheese

In a large skillet or pan, heat oil and add in onion and

garlic, until tender and frequent.In the meantime cook pasta according to

package directions. Add chicken and all other spices (except lemon zest) and cook until

cooked through and tender. Stir in lemon juice and cook until mostly absorbed.

Once pasta is done reserve 2 cups of cooking water and drain pasta.

Add pasta and spinach to pan with chicken and cheese's, and lemon zest. 

Add enough of the reserved pasta water

to make a smooth and creamy sauce.

To add some extra health benefits to this you could add in

bite size veggies, broccoli or carrots.

Crock Pot Cubed Steaks

These were so very good.

And they were very easy to get ready.

Recipe:

8 cubed steaks

1 can tomato soup

1 can reduced sodium/low fat cream of mushroom soup

1 cup beef broth(reduced sodium)

1/2 onion diced

1 glove garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low

for 8 hours.  When meat is finished, you can make a gravy 

right in the crock pot for topping. Remove meat and in a small cup

mix together 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1/4 cup of cold water.

Add to crock pot and mix well. Will thicken w/in 5 minutes.

We had these with mashed potatoes and even my picky guy ate them right up!!

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

My kids love these!!!
Something a little different for breakfast then

the normal stuff!! Even my little guy who

hates anything green or orange ate 2 of them today

because he can't see or taste the carrots!! Yippee for me!!!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup all bran cereal

1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 raisins

1/2cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2  cups skim milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoon olive or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine oatmeal and bran in a large

bowl stir in milk, let sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients

except for dried fruit. (This is optional at this point in the food

processor pulse your dried fruit until small and sticky pieces form

about 2 minutes.) Add dried fruit and carrots to the wet ingredients add in eggs,vanilla and the mix in dry ingredients.

Place in muffin pan lined with papers or

sprayed with cooking spray and bake

at 350 for 16-18 minutes, until golden brown

and toothpick comes out clean.

Have a great rest of your week!!