Favorite Meals to Freeze

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I cook with my freezer.  Most of our meals are made ahead and frozen for a later date.  Since starting freezer cooking almost four or five years ago, dinner has become a much more relaxed event.  Here are some of our favorites...the recipes I go back to again and again.

Lisa's Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1  8oz can tomato sauce
1  6 oz can tomato paste
2 t. dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz lasagna noodles (Do not cook)
1 T. oil
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups ricotta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1 lb. mozzarella, thinly sliced

Cook meat, onion and garlic til the meat is browned. Drain. Stir in the undrained tomatoes and next 4 ingredients. Cover and simmer 15 min.  Beat eggs; add ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the parsley, 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper. Layer half of the noodles in a 9 by 13 pan. Spread with half of the ricotta filling. Add half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 min. until heated through. Let stand 10 min. NOTE: There is no need to cook the noodles as freezing and reheating will soften them sufficiently.


Jambalaya

1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, cooked
2 T. olive oil
2 bunches scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup cooked brown or white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Heat olive oil in large pot. Saute scallions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook til softened. Add broth and tomatoes and chicken and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer. Cool and place in Ziploc gallon freezer bags. Label. On day of serving, thaw and simmer in a pot. Add the cooked rice. NOTE: You don’t want to add the rice before freezing. It will absorb too much liquid. ANOTHER NOTE: You could also add some shrimp or sausage to this.


Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

These are great to make in bulk and freeze for future dinners. This recipe is more time intensive, but worth it! If you double the recipe then you can use the whole can of chilies…make a pan for tonight and then freeze the other!

3-4 chicken breasts-cooked and chopped
Corn tortillas
¼ cup margarine/butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
½ of a 4 oz can chopped green chilies
¾ cup chopped onion
Melt butter. Blend in flour and chicken broth. Cook until it thickens. Blend in sour cream. Don’t boil. Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of 6x10” pan. Mix 1 ½ cups of the cheese, onion, chilies, and chicken in a bowl. Use this mixture to fill the tortillas. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in the pan. Pour sauce over all. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake 15 minutes longer.

If you are feeling lazy…you can always do the enchiladas in layers instead of rolling them. I do sauce, tortillas, filling, more tortillas, and more sauce.


Meatballs

6 lbs ground beef
3-4 cups bread crumbs
2/3 cup milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup minced onion
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. salt
2 t. black pepper
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Using your hands (Gross! I know!) thoroughly combine all the above ingredients. Shape into one inch balls. Place on baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes. Here are some extra ideas on how to make meatballs into a meal.




Creamy Burrito Casserole
Brown the meat with the onions and add the taco seasoning.  Mix the beans and meat together.  In another bowl mix the sour cream and the soup.  In a baking dish, spread the sour cream mixture on the bottom.  Put down a layer of tortillas.  Add a layer of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle on a layer of cheese.  Repeat the layers.  Bake at 350 until heated through.  You can serve it with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.


Taco Soup

1 lg. can crushed tomatoes
1 can corn with juice
1 can black beans, don't drain
1 can kidney beans, don't drain
1 can pinto beans, don't drain
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
tortilla chips
shredded cheddar

Mix all the ingredients except the chips and cheese. Bag and freeze. To serve, put in a crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with chips and cheese.  {Note: You could add browned ground beef to this.}



Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken


The chicken coating:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
The sweet and sour sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
       Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. At this point you can cool the chicken and then bag it and freeze it.  Freeze the sauce in a separate bag. To serve: Thaw.  Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.  


Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1 lb. hamburger
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
8 oz. (weight) egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350. Brown the hamburger, drain the fat and add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Stir and then simmer while you prepare the rest.  Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. Combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add pepper and then the noodles and onion and stir. To assemble: add half of the noodles to the baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat the layers. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.



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