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.
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