MOZZARELLA MEATBALLS

This one is for you Adrienne, you may want to cut it in half, but you will still probably end up freezing a bunch!! You can serve this with BBQ sauce(recipe included), or with marinara on a sub sandwich, this is a very versatile meatball recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 lbs. lean ground beef
• 15 sticks of mozzarella string cheese
• 3 c. dry bread crumbs
• 2/3 c. milk
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 2 T. minced garlic
• 1 T. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper

Sauce: 

1 1/3 cups ketchup
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1 Cut each string cheese into 8 equal pieces - freeze until time to form meatballs.
2 Preheat oven to 500°F.
3 Combine beef, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in large bowl.
4 Shape into 1 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs, around each piece of frozen mozzarella. Seal meatballs well to keep cheese from oozing out.
5 Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.
6 Place meatballs closely together on lightly greased broiler pans or rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes and cool (if planning to freeze); around 30 minutes if planning to eat right away.
7 Add sauce to last 15 minutes of baking if cooking that day. If freezing meatballs, add sauce to freezer bag and add cooked, cooled meatballs to it.
8 If cooking after freezing - thaw completely.
9 Preheat oven to 350°F.
10Pour meatballs and sauce into ungreased baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until meatballs are heated through. Serve over rice or noodles.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/mozzarella-meatballs-297687?oc=linkback

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

This is genius.  Just put all the ingredients below into a freezer bag. When you want to have this meal, dump it all into the crock pot and let it go for 5-6 hours on low.  A quick easy meal that does not taste quick OR easy!!

 ( 5-6 servings)

• 2 peppers (your favorite)
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt

You will also need tortillas, cheese, cream, etc.
Directions

1. Put all the ingredients in a large freezer bag. (Make sure you label the bag with instructions.)
2. When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
3. When it’s cooked, shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Colorado White Chili

A great soup for a cold winter day!!! Simple to make too!  I like to make a double or triple batch and freeze a meal or two for later! 


1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion (1/2 cup), chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1-4.5 oz. can diced green chilis (mild or hot)
1 Tbsp cumin (powder or seed)
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1-15.5 oz. can great northern beans (don’t drain) Or cook your own.
1-15.5 oz. can sweet corn (or frozen)
2 cups cooked chicken
5 cups chicken broth
Cooking day instructions:
In a large pan or Dutch Oven, combine oil, onion, garlic, and green chilis. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spices, beans, corn, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Cook and stir until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cool chili completely.

Baked Spagetti Casserole

Made this tonight!  Very yummy.  I like that you can make several and freeze without the onions on top!  Yummy quick meal for later! May try this with lowfat cream cheese next time, because its not the healthiest, but it is oh so good!  All three kiddos ate it, even Jacob! 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti 1 pound ground beef 1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces) 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup chopped green peppers (can omit if you prefer) 1/3 cup chopped onions 8 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons milk Fresh grated Parmesan cheese French Fried Onions (small can) Directions Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside. Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat. Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well. (If cream cheese is not soft, nuke it for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to spread.) Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order: Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Spaghetti Cream cheese/vegetable mixture Spaghetti sauce Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste) French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Italian Macaroni & Cheese

This one is so easy, and it has few ingredients, but its a favorite around here. I like to triple this recipe and put the other two meals in freezer bags for another time.

1 lb. pasta, I use spiral
1 26 oz jar marinara sauce ( or home made)
1 C non-fat sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese, cut into pieces
1 C mozzarella cheese shredded

Cook past according to directions and drain. Spray a 9x13 with non-stick cooking spray.

In large bowl combine pasta, marinara sauce, sour cream, then spread half into pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and half of the provolone pieces. Add the rest of the pasta on top and cover with the rest of the provolone.

Cook in 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly.

If you choose to freeze some, do not bake first, just combine ingredients and place in freezer bag. Attach bags with the cheeses. Can freeze for up to 3 months.

Lemon Rice - Freezable

A super easy recipe for rice. I do not rinse my rice first. I used white rice this time, will try brown next. Next time I may add chicken and veggies and make it a meal!!

1 cup rice, uncooked
1 tsp butter
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon peel, grated
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp dried parsley flakes

Combine rice, butter, garlic, lemon peel, pepper and broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in parsley. To freeze: cool and place in freezer bag. Label and freeze. To serve: Heat rice, fluff with a fork and serve.

Caribbean Pork over Rice

Caribbean Pork over Rice

This recipe comes from on my my favorite freezer meal recipe books, Dream Dinners. I haven't actually worked up to an all day cooking for the entire month session, however every weekend I try to make something I can triple, or more. This way I am gradually building of my freezer supply. A couple of weeks this has come in handy when the budget does not allow for a large shopping trip. I just check the freezer and supplement a couple of that week's meals with freezer meals. This meal is tasty, and VERY easy to make! I've got some in the freezer that I can't wait to get out and heat up!

Start off by placing a lean pork loin in a crockpot, cover it with canned low-sodium chicken broth, and simmer for eight hours on low. The pork will shred easily when you pull the meat apart with two forks.

Ingredients:

For One Dinner that feeds 6

4 cups (1½ pounds) shredded cooked pork
2 cups canned chicken broth
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons jerk seasoning(couldn't find, I substituted a creole seasoning)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup uncooked white rice for serving
½ cup (4 ounces) sliced almonds for garnish

For Three Meals (freeze two)

12 cups (4½ pounds) shredded cooked pork
6 cups canned chicken broth
1½ cups light unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3 cups uncooked white rice for serving
1½ cups (12 ounces) sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions:

Putting the dinner together

Prepare the rice according to the package directions. In a large bowl, combine the pork, chicken broth, coconut milk, jerk seasoning, and orange zest and stir until incorporated. If you are preparing a triple batch, divide the mixture into three equal portions. Set aside one portion for tonight and divide the other two portions equally between two 1-gallon resealable freezer bags.

For dinner tonight

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat mixture and bring to a boil. The pork should be heated through. Serve over the rice and garnish with the sliced almonds.

To freeze

Place ½ cup of the remaining sliced almonds into each of two 1-quart resealable freezer bags. Place 3 cups cooked and cooled rice in a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag. Place the bags of almonds, rice, and pork into a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag. Repeat with the remaining almonds, rice, and pork. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as directed above. To reheat the rice, put the rice and ½ cup broth or water in a dish. Cover and cook in the microwave for 1-minute intervals until the broth is absorbed.

Mexican meatball soup

Meatballs:

2lbs lean ground beef
1 small can diced green chilies
1/2 bunch green onions - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
1/4 cup rice
1 egg
salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 400˚. Combine all ingredients by hand and roll into 1″ meatballs, bake on a cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes. Place on a papertowel to absorb grease. Set aside

Broth:
2qts water
2 - 3 tablespoons beef base (or use two cans beef broth and reduce water by 1 qt)
1 clove garlic minced
1 small can diced green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes (feel free to use fresh, in season)
1/2 bunch green onions -chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
1/4 cup rice
salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste
Bring water, beef base, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes to a roiling boil. Add meatballs and rice. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is soft. Add cilantro, green onions, and season to taste, simmering for an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Serve hot with fresh, warm flour tortillas.

Festive Coconut Bread

This recipe comes from the kitchen of my friend Beth Stimpson! She brought some over to us at Christmastime and it was gone in a flash. I begged for the recipe and she was so kind as to share with me. I have made it many times since, this bread freezes great! My recipe card is getting a little gunky, so at the risk of losing the recipe forever, I am posting it here! Thanks Beth for sharing your holiday family favorite with us!

Festive Coconut Bread

Mix
4 Eggs
2 C Sugar
1 C oil
2 tsp Coconut extract

Add & Mix
3 C flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add
1 c buttermilk
1 c coconut
1 c chopped walnuts(optional) havent tried this yet

Pour in greased pans and Bake at 325.
Small loaves take about 40 minutes
Large loaves take closer to an hour

Make glaze shortly before you pull the bread out of the oven, I usually do this when the timer says 15 minutes.

1 c sugar
1/2 c water
2 T butter
Boil 5 minutes, stir in 1 tsp coconut extract

Pour over loaves when taken from oven, wait 5 minutes or so then remove bread from pan to cool.

It might look like an intimidating recipe, but its really pretty easy. The results are fabulous. I like to make all mini loaves and then freeze some for easy gift giving later!

Another Freezer Recipe Site

I haven't tried these out yet, but they look interesting. I will add more as I come accross them.

http://www.dinnersinthefreezer.com/

Chicken Taco Casserole(Freezer Meal)

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (turkey is good too)
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning
• 1 (15-30 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 cup cheese, grated (reserve in it's own baggie)
• 1 cup tomato, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup guacamole (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 5 cups tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Mix taco seasoning and tomato sauce.
2. Add shredded chicken and coat it well with tomato mixture.
3. Place cooked rice in the bottom of a 13 X 9 X 2 or disposable baking pan.
4. Top with chicken mixture.
5. (You may want to flash freeze at this point before going on to the next step) Top with 1-2 cans of refried beans so you have a nice even coating.
6. Freeze in the disposable pan or pop out and put in freezer bag.
7. Place casserole back in the 9 X 13 X 2 pan.
8. After thawing top with grated cheese.
9. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes at 350F or until hot all the way through and the cheese is nice and bubbly.
10. Top with your favorite toppings or dip with tortilla chips!

I like to make up 5 or 6 pans of this at one time and freeze them for later meals. We use it as taco filling, or it makes a great dip. I usually put the cheese on top before I freeze it, that way I am sure it will have cheese! We go through cheese quickly around here. Everyone seems to like this dish and it really is quite easy, especially when all you have to do is thaw and heat up!

Freezer Meals

Here is a link requested by Megan for meals you can make in advance and freeze. If anyone else has any good recipes for freezer meals, could you post them? I'd love to fill my freezer and help Megan fill hers before the baby comes!

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/oamc-freezer-make-ahead

Chicken Bombay

This is one of our favorite chicken dishes. I prefer to use breasts with it, but thighs and wings are good too. It can be doubled and then half of it frozen for another quick meal. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 lbs chicken pieces

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until smooth and slightly warmed.
2. Roll each piece of chicken into the sauce and place in a greased, 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Spread remaining sauce over chicken and bake for an additonal half hour or until chicken is done.
4. To freeze: after Chicken has cooled, label and freeze for up to 4 months.
5. To serve: thaw overnight and bake until heated through add an additional 30-45 minutes if baking from frozen.