Fantastic Spaghetti

1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 medium carrots, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP olive oil
1 lb ground beef
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar plain marinara sauce
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Heat oil over med-low
2. Saute veggies until soft and aromatic (about 5 mins)
3. Add beef and brown
4. Add seasonings, tomatoes and stir to combine.
5. Add sauce to desired consistency
6. Simmer until sauce is hot throughout
7. Mix in cheese and server over prepared pasta
Cooking instructions: thaw, warm completely either on stove or microwave, enjoy!

Pineapple Cream Chicken

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken (diced)
1 20oz can of pineapple chunks, drained
1 green pepper (optional)

Heat butter in skillet and if desired, stir fry peppers for 5 minutes. Remove peppers, but leave remaining melted butter in skillet. Add flour to skillet and stir until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine milk and chicken broth, then slowly add to skillet, stirring well until the sauce is lump free. Heat over medium heat until thick, but smooth. Add cooked green peppers, then add chicken and pineapple. Add salt and pepper as desired.

On cooking day: Thaw, then heat in saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice or noodles

The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

from Tami W.

Put in crock pot:
2-3 pounds stew meat
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced

Mix in a bowl and pour over meat:
¼ tsp. garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock (made up from cubes or granules)
1 tablespoon ketchup

Cook in crockpot on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When cooked make a simple roux by whisking 1/3 cup flour with enough apple juice (about 5-6 tablespoons) to make a thick but still pourable flour mixture. Whisk the roux into the crockpot and add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms.

Cook on high for 15-30 minutes. Then stir in ½ cup sour cream. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes (pasta is my favorite option!).

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

from Brittany at The Sisters’ Cafe

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

All Seasons Sesame Chicken

3 lbs boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T fresh ginger, grated
1 T dry mustard
1 t fresh ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 T sesame seeds


Place chicken in a large freezer bag and set inside a bowl. In another bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal freezer bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Then Grill and enjoy!

From Freezer: Allow the chicken to defrost in fridge. Then grill and enjoy!

Yummy Pasta Bake

2 cups bowtie pasta, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
3 cups spaghetti sauce
6 oz cream cheese, cubed
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta. Cook beef with onion and garlic. Add spaghetti sauce with garlic salt. In separate bowl, combine cream cheese and milk. Microwave 1-2 minutes on high, stirring once. Stir with whisk until blended. Stir in sour cream, green pepper, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Place cheese mixture casserole dish. Spread cooked pasta on top. Top with beef mixture and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes covered. Then uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes more.

From Frozen: Thaw to a slushy state. Then cook as directed above.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg (16oz) spiral pasta
2 cups(8 oz) shredded mozzerella cheese
4 oz sliced pepperoni

Cook spiral pasta noodles according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion together. Drain fat. Sirt in spaghetti sauce and pasta once noodles are cooked. Spray 9x13 baking dish and pour mixture into it. Then cover with a layer of pepperoni, and then cheese.

To cook: thaw casserole in fridge overnight. Bake at 350 for 35-40 mintues.
momsbudget.com

Shepherd's Pie

2 T oil
2 carrots (chopped)
2 small onions
1T flour
1 1/4 c. beef stock
2T Ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1t thyme
salt
pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 c. mashed potatoes
2 T butter
3 T cream
1 egg, slightly beaten (optional)

In medium saucepan, heat oil and fry onions and carrots until soft. Add flour, creating a paste, cooking for one minute. Add ketchup, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper, then bring to a boil. Simmer 2-3 minutes, then add ground beef or turkey, simmering until heated through. Add to foil disposable casserole. In a seperate bowl, combine mashed potatoes with butter and cream, then top meat mixture wtih it. Cool and Freeze.

Thaw: thaw overnight in fridge. Brush top with egg.(optional). Back at 425 for 20-30 mintues.
momsbudget.com

Cream of Vegetable Soup (Green Goblin Soup)

1 medium onion
2 large carrotts
1 bay leaf
1 carton chicken broth
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 large zucchini, rough chopped
1 bag of frozen broccoli, thawed
handful of baby spinach
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 small carton of half & half or heavy cream
1 cup grated cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in soup pot.  Saute onion, carrots and bay leaf until tender.  Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in broth.
Add potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, spinach and oregano and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Remove bay leaf and blend while pouring in half & half.
Add cheese and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Serve with a little grated cheese on top and croutons.

To cook from frozen:  Thaw and then dump into a pot and simmer until heated through.

**This is a thin soup so I serve it in a mug for the kids to sip along with a grilled cheese sandwich.  I call it "Green Goblin Soup" because of the time of year and we talk about all things Halloween while we eat it.  It is about the only way I can get my kids to eat all those vegetables without a fuss. 

Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
1 small can diced green chilis
1 can black or red beans
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
tortillas

Combine all the ingredients (excepts tortillas) and mix thoroughly.  Place a row of the mixture on one side of a tortilla and roll.  Place seam side down in a sprayed 9x13 or 8x8 pan.  Continue until all but a little bit of the mixture is left over.  Put the remaining filling on top of the enchiladas and then cover with a little extra grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  (Time depends on the size of your pan and how much filling you place in each tortilla.)

To bake from frozen:  Thaw in refrigerator and bake as above.

**These are the original directions.  I often tweak the ingredients depending on how much I have left of sour cream or if I have any beans, etc.  I like a little more Cream of Chicken soup so I usually put more of that in there and sometimes I also add a can of drained diced tomatoes.  

Erika's meatloaf

This is actually Mandi's recipe :)

1 lb hamburger
3/4 C evaporated milk
1 pkg lipton soup mix
1 egg
20 saltine crackers
Sauce:
1/2 C ketchup
6 T brown suger
2 T mustard

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Combine meatloaf ingredients and place in a greased loaf pan, poke a few holes throughout and cover with your sauce. Bake at 350 for an hour and you are set!

From frozen- thaw over night then put in pan, poke some holes for the sauce to seep into it and cover with sauce. Bake as directed.

Erika's Turkey Burgers

Monterey Jack Turkey Burgers

3/4 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons minced scallion
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In large bowl, combine turkey, scallion, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic, mix well. Add cheese; stir to mix well. Shape turkey mixture into 4 equal patties. Heat grill sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Yummy on rolls with tomato, avocado and bacon.

From frozen: You can grill from frozen, just add some minutes to the cooking time.

Rolls: You can thaw these babies on the counter for an hour or so and then pop them in the oven for a few minutes or cut them in half and toast them on the grill.

Honey Dijon Glazed Ham

1 Center cut ham steak

1T honey
1T Dijon mustard
2 t fresh lemon juice
2 green onions, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 t lukewarm water
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Glaze: Whisk honey, mustard, lemon juice, and green onions together in medium mixing bowl. In a steady stream, whisk in olive oil and lukewarm water. Sprinkle ham steak with salt and cayenne pepper and place in freezer bag. Pour glaze over ham and freeze, using freezer bag method.

Serving Day: Place ham steak on grill, basting occasionally with glaze, until steak is marked by grill and well warmed through. Pineapple slices may also be grilled before serving with ham. Ham can also be cut into chunks and threaded alternately on skewers with chunks of pineapple, then grilled. Eat over rice and enjoy!!

Balsamic Roasted Chicken Thighs

5 chicken thighs
1/2 cut olive oil
3 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 t pepper

Cooking Day: mix ingredients together to make marinade and then pour over chicken in bag. Freeze in bag.

Serving Day: Thaw completely. Place chicken , skin side up in a baking pan. Roast uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You can also grill if you prefer.

Enjoy!

Smoked Beef Brisket

To heat from frozen:  place in simmering water until warmed through (usually 15 minutes).  Serve with BBQ sauce or on its own.

Meat and Vegetable Sauce

1 small zucchini
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 medium carrot
1 lb. mild Italian pork sausage
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 can whole tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1-2 T. Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

In large frying pan, saute zucchini, onion, garlic and carrot in olive oil until tender.
In large stock pot, brown Italian sausage and then drain.
Return sausage to pot and add all the tomatoes EXCEPT diced tomatoes.
With an immersion blender, blend sausage and tomatoes until desired consistency.  (If you like really chunky meat sauce you can skip this step.)
Add diced tomatoes, sauteed vegetables and remainder of ingredients.
Taste for seasoning adjustment.
Simmer for an hour.

To cook from frozen:  Thaw package in refrigerator overnight.  Pour sauce into sauce pan to heat while you cook your noodles.  Cook noodles very al dente and add to sauce to soak up extra liquid.

Asian Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 pork loin

1 tsp ginger

1/4 c. ketchup

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c. soy sauce

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in ziplock bag and freeze. When ready to prepare, put contents into crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. white wine, white cooking wine, or apple or white grape juice. I'll be honest with y'all, it tastes a whole lot better with wine. Just sayin'.

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)

1 bay leaf

1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don't have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under the oil, lest you start a grease fire. I am NOT speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here... ;)

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.
Serves 6-8.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Complete steps through browning the chicken. Instead of placing chicken in your slow cooker, place it in a freezer-safe container and cover with sauce. When ready to eat, place frozen mixture in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can either cut the mushrooms and peppers ahead of time and freeze them separately from the chicken and sauce or you can just plan to have those in your fridge when you're ready to make this.

Honey Lime Chicken

(recipe came from 30mealsinoneday.com)

2 lbs chicken tenders
1/2 T garlic salt
1T peanut oil
1 20oz can of pineapple rings or tidbits
1/4 c. honey
3 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce
1 T constarch

1. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt
2. brown chicken in oil
3. drain pineapple and add 1/4 of the pineapple juice to the skillet.
4. cover and simmer 6-8 minutes until chicken in golden
5. remove chicken from skillet
6. add honey, lime juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, and the remainder of the pineapple juice to skillet.
7. bring to a boil
8.. cook and stir until thick and clean, baout 1 minute.
9. Remove from heat andf allow to cool.
10. Place rings over chicken and then pour sauce over the chicken and pinapple rings
(I would suggest eating it with rice, but you can eat it plain as well)

To freeze: Once sauce is cooked, let cool then add chicken, sauce and pinapple rings to a freezer bag and freeze
To thaw: Put in fridge to thaw, once thawed, pour ingredients into a skillet and at medium heat, stir until all ingredients are warm. Then serve.

Pizza Bread

2 c. warm water
2 TBSP yeast
6 oz. pepperoni (or whatever meat you desire)
4 cups of mozzerella, shredded
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour

1. Combine water, yeast, sugar
2. add oil, egg, salt, flour
3. mix until sticky
4. while kneading add flour until dough is soft but not stiff
5. let rise (keep an eye on it, it will keep rising until it bursts....that is bad)
6. divide into 12 balls
7. roll out balls until flat
8. add cheese and meat to your liking
9. roll up and seal
10.place on greased cookie cheet
11. let rise
12. backe at 350 for 25-30 minutes
13. remove and brush butter on top

To freeze: Bake pizza bread until dough is set, but not browning, about 10 minutes. Then take it out of the oven. Let cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
To thaw: Let thaw in fridge and then bake at 350 until golden brown and delicious

Chicken Spaghetti

Here is the complete recipe from The Pioneer Woman:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/ 
I omitted the cayenne pepper.

To heat from frozen:  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly.  Cover with foil if cheese starts to get too cooked.

Jambalaya

You can get the recipe from "Our Best Bites" blog:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/jambalaya.html

To heat from frozen:  I've frozen it in vacuum sealed bags.  Simmer the package in water until it is heated through.  (I don't have an exact time because I haven't frozen it in this quantity before.)  I would guess maybe 20 minutes.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together cheese, garlic and dressing mix. Dip chicken breasts in olive oil, then coat with cheese mixture. Wrap each coated chicken breast individually.

From frozen: Thaw completely. Unwrap desired number of chicken breasts and place on greased baking dish. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Enjoy!

Stromboli

If frozen Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes (keep a eye on it). If slightly thawed, warm at 350 for 15 minutes on a baking sheet. Slice and serve with warm marinara sauce.

RECIPE:


Grease two cookie sheets and put a frozen bread dough log on each cookie sheet. Cover with saran wrap. Let defrost and rise all day (usually from 8am-5pm).

Then flatten dough on each cookie sheet and spread out to the length of the cookie sheet. (The dough will not cover the whole cookie sheet).

Start right at top center of the dough and put three pepperoni across, all the way down the middle of the dough.

Then sprinkle Italian seasoning.

Then sprinkle about 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cooked sausage.

Then sprinkle with 1 cup shredded ham.

Then sprinkle with more Italian seasoning.

Now it's time to seal up the stromboli. First take sides, put them together and seal. Then take the top, fold it over and seal it. Do the same with the bottom. It should look like a nice little present now. Then flip it over so the seals are on the bottom of the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with butter and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Then slice up and dip in marinara sauce. Yum Yum

Cheesy Chicken Bake

6 chicken breasts

6 slices swiss cheese

1 can cream of chicken

3/4 c. chicken broth

1 cup Stove Top Stuffing mix

1/4 c. melted butter

Spray dish with Pam. Place chicken breasts in bottom of pan. Top with cheese slices. Mix together cream of chicken soup and broth. Spoon over top of chicken. Sprinkle Stove Top on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until bubbly.

From Frozen: Thaw in refrigerator. Melt 3 T butter and drizzle over top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Enchiladas

1 lb. ground beef
1 (19 oz.) or 2 (10 oz.) cans Enchilada Sauce
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded cheese
6 Flour Tortillas for Soft Tacos

Heat oven to 400°F. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 3/4 cup enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese. Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam-side down in lightly greased 13X9X2" baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

From Frozen: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Marinated Lime Chicken

• 6 chicken breast portions (about 8 ounces each)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 4 limes

• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar

• 9 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons basil

Preparation: Squeeze limes into a medium sized bowl. Stir in vinegar, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Place chicken breast portions into labeled freezer bags. Pour lime sauce over top; seal and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw completely. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Place chicken pieces into shallow oven-proof dish. Pour boiled marinade over chicken. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh basil sprigs if available.

Franks and Cornberad

Ingredients

• 2 cans (16 ounces each) pork and beans
• 1 package (12 ounces) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the pork and beans, hot dogs, brown sugar, Worcestershire and mustard. Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking dish.
• Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions; stir in cheese. Drop by spoonfuls onto bean mixture. bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

From Frozen: Preheat oven to 350. Bake for about 45 minutes until heated through and bubbly. Check to make sure the cornbread isn't browning too much, if so, top with foil.

Poppy Seed Ham and Cheese Melts

1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced deli ham
1 lb cheddar cheese, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2 T prepared mustard
3 T poppy seeds
1 t Worcestershire sauce
8 hamburger buns

Cooking Day: Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in mustard, poppy seeds, and Worcestershire sauce. To assemble sandwiches, layer ham, cheese and 1 T of sauce on bun. Wrap sandwiches in foil, then place in a freezer bag and freeze.

Serving Day: Remove desired number of sandwiches from freezer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil wrapped sandwiches directly on oven rack and warm in oven until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warm, about 20 minutes.

Steak Soft Tacos

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak
3T olive oil
1 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried oregano

Tortillas, and any taco toppings you want.

Cooking Day: Mix ingredients together to form a paste. Coat both sides of steak. Then wrap in plastic and place in freezer bag.

Serving Day: Thaw completely. Let sit in room temp for 20-30 min before grilling. Grill over direct medium heat until steak is done. Assemble tacos using warmed tortillas and desired toppings.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

45 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken (I just boil 2 large chicken breasts with 1 tsp. salt)
2 c fresh or frozen chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened (I use the low fat neufchatel cheese)
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to each other or the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.

**This is a great meal to put in the freezer. If you don't want to cook both pans at the same time, see below for freezing directions.

In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. (I use my pampered chef cookie scoop for this part and it made it so much easier than using a spoon.) Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.

**To freeze: Place filled shells in an empty 9x13 pan. Freeze. To prepare, thaw shells and then top with sauce and cheese after you take it our of the freezer. Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Marinated Beef Roast

3 lb lean beef pot roast

Marinade:

1 cup tomato juice
3 Tbs favorite brand mustard
4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over roast in a shallow bowl.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours. Or Freeze.

Place in cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours and then serve with accumulated gravy.

From Frozen: Either put straight from freezer into crockpot and cook longer or thaw in refrigerator and cook as above.

Curry Chicken and Rice Bake

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup water
¾ cup uncooked regular white rice
1/2 tsp curry powder
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix first five ingredients and then add cheese.

To freeze: Dump all ingredients into freezer casserole dish.

To cook: Thaw in refrigerator. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done and cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Egg Rolls

Sai Mao makes the best food! These are a couple of the things that she usually has for us when we go over. The chicken is actually marinated in a packet of oriental mix that she gets from Global Foods. So- there is no recipe for that. Just thaw it in the fridge over night and then bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Here is the egg roll recipe:

Egg Rolls

½ C chopped onion
1 C chopped cabbage
1 lb ground turkey (as lean as possible)
½ t black pepper
1 egg
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 t salt
1 T sugar
1 roll clear noodles, soak till soft (abt 20-25 min) and chop small

In a large bowl mix all ingredients. Roll starting in a corner in the Spring Home spring roll pastry 8 in. square.

Thaw the egg rolls along with the chicken the night before and then just fry them right before you are ready to eat. I have used my electric frying pan or even my fondue pot. Fry them until they look golden. Serve with the egg roll sauce.

Baked Chicken Pasta

Here is the link to the recipe I made from "Our Best Bites":
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/02/baked-chicken-penne-freezer-meal.html
I used rigatoni instead of penne.  I used shredded rotisserie chicken instead of pan cooking chicken breasts.

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Meatballs:

  
  

  2 lb. ground beef

  1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

  1-1/4 cups water

  2 eggs

  Heat oven to 400ºF.

  LINE 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).

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• Sauce:
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
• 1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional)
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Heat a large saucepan and add 1 T. olive oil. Saute onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

From Frozen: Cook frozen sauce with meatballs in a saucepan on the stove until meatballs are heated through (about 20 minutes).

Chili Mac

Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Cook at 350 degrees until heated through.
Add cooked macaroni (al dente) to chili and some extra cheese if you like it super cheesy.  (I do!)

Monica's Sweet Baby Ray's Ribs

Pork Baby Back Ribs
1 Jar of Sweet Baby Ray's sauce

Marinate overnight in bag. When you are ready to cook them, lay out ribs on a foil covered cookie sheet. Poor extra sauce over ribs and then close up the foil. Cook at 325 for 2 1/2 hours. Goes great with potatoes!

From freezer:

Thaw overnight in fridge or lay out on counter that morning. Then follow directions above. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 cartons (8 oz each) whipped cream cheese with onion and chives2 tablespoons butter
  salt to taste
• 12 bacon strips
  
  Flatten chicken to ½ inch thickness. Spread 3 tablespoons cream cheese over each. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt; roll up. Wrap each with a bacon strip. Place, seam side down, in a greased pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
  

From Frozen: Thaw and bake as above, or cook from frozen at 375 for about an hour. Broil until bacon is crisp.

Kristen's Country Style Ribs

l pkg country style ribs, pork or beef (from 1-5 lbs)
24 oz ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in crock-pot and cook on low all day (8 hours makes it best). Ribs should fall apart as you pull it from the pot. Serve over rice.

FREEZER: Pull from freezer in the morning and put into crock-pot. Cook on high for 3 hours and low for the rest or until meat is tender and falls apart. Serve over rice.

Indian Casserole by Angie Toler

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small bag of frozen sweet corn (or 1 can, drained)

1 large can tomatoes, crushed or diced with juice

1/3 cup ketchup

1 lb. ground beef

1 chopped onion

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

1/2 lb. (8 oz) Velveeta Pasteurized prepared Cheese product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

In a large pan, brown the hamburger and cook onion until translucent; drain. Cook the macaroni and drain. Add all the ingredients and macaroni to the ground beef/onion pan and gently stir to mix. Place in casserole dish and bake at preheated 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (If desired, about 15 minutes before the casserole is done sprinkle cheese on top to melt.)

Thaw overnight. Put in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (If you want, about 15 minutes before casserole is done sprinkle cheese on top to melt.)

Serves 5 to 7

FYI

I just made some smoked chicken for lunch and it took about 25 minutes for all the meat to be heated through...not 15 minutes that I originally posted.

Lion House Clam Chowder

1 c onion finely chopped
1 c celery finely chopped
2 c potatoes finely chopped
2 cans 6 ½ oz. each, minced clams with juices
¾ c butter (can use only ½ cup)
¾ c flour
1 qrt half and half
(I have used the fat free half and half, and really is ok, but nothing replaces the real stuff!)
1 ½ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Drain clam juice and pour over veggies in pot. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer over medium heat until tender. In the meantime, melt butter, add flour. Blend. Cook, stirring constantly. Add cream, cook and stir with wire whip until smooth & thick. Very important it gets thick. Add undrained veggies and clams. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

From Frozen: Thaw in fridge (it takes a while- I did mine overnight) then re-heat on stove. You may have to add a little more milk or 1/2 and 1/2 before you serve it to thin it out a bit. I added just a little.

***also, just a sidenote. When I make this for myself I don't add all the clams. I don't like the texture of them. I actually buy the bottles of just clam juice and only add one can of the actual clams and then just a little jar of the juice. Just make it as clammy as you want it. :)

Mexican Dinner

1 lb ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 c rice, cooked
Grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef and onion. Drain and add taco seasoning and water according to package directions. Simmer 5 min. Add corn, black beans, and tomatoes and stir till heated through. Add rice and mix. Top with cheese. Can eat by itself, with tortilla chips or be made into tacos.

Sweet Sausage Pot Pie

2 pie shells
3 sweet sausage links
1 medium onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 T Salmon seasoning

Slice up sausage links and onion and saute until brown. Add chopped carrots until soft. Then stir in soup,milk and peas and seasoning until heated through. Pour into 1st pie shell. Then top with 2nd pie shell. Use knife to slit the top of the pie for breathing purposes and push together pie edges and cover edges with foil. Cook at 400 for 45 minutes or until brown. Remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes.


From Freezer: Thaw over night in fridge or put out on counter in the morning. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes with foil on edges. Remove and cook for 5 more minutes.

Smoked Chicken w/Carmelized Onion Sauce

I promise this is the last smoked thing I'll do for a long time!  Jay smoked some chicken this weekend so I figured this would be a good time to do it for our freezer swap while it is fresh.

The carmelized onion sauce is very rich and it is a strong flavor....a little goes a long way.  Kids would like it if they are adventurous eaters.  There are several ways to go about this dish:

1.  Serve the chicken over rice with or without the sauce.
2.  My favorite way:  Make an open faced sandwich with the chicken and top with melted cheese (under the broiler)
3.  Reserve the sauce for another time and serve it over pork chops or cooked chicken breast.
4.  Eat the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce.

To heat the chicken:  place it in a pot of simmering water for 15 minutes.

To heat the sauce:  place it in a sauce pan on medium until it is melted and then heated through.  If it is too thick you can thin it with chicken stock.

Carmelized Onion Sauce

• Chop 4 medium onions into half circles
• Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large saute pan
• Sweat the onions on medium heat for 10 minutes then season with a pinch of salt and about 1tsp. sugar
• Carmelize the onions by cooking on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until browned
• Remove onions and add 2 T flour to drippings in the pan to make a roux.  (If there are no drippings add 2 T butter.)
• Add 2 cups of chicken broth and half a can of evaporated milk and bring to a simmer to thicken.
  

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Robyn posted a bunch of Cafe Rio recipes on this blog and having had Cafe Rio's pork, I knew I had to try it. Well I did and it is pretty close to the real deal, so yummy!!! You can serve this in a tortilla with other burrito toppings, or by itself over rice. My kids ate this like candy (something to do with the brown sugar and coke?)

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!