Pumpkin Bread

I just tried a new recipe this afternoon for Pumpkin Bread made with honey instead of sugar.  My kids are LOVING it, though I did add about a 1/2-3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips to it and swapped the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour and I left out the ginger (my preference).  It's a lot lighter than the other recipe (see my Facebook) that's really good but fully loaded with sugar.  :o)

To Freeze: Cool and place in Ziploc bags.

To Serve: Thaw & warm.

Cheeseburger Soup

This Cheeseburger Soup recipe from Taste of Home is very good.  I've been making it for awhile for our fall & winter dinners, but not until this month did I try freezing, thawing and reheating it.  We had it for lunch today in whole wheat bread bowls and it was delicious!

A few changes I make from the original recipe for our taste -

• I use ground turkey instead of beef
• I use 2 cups shredded cheddar instead of the Velveeta
• I do not add the sour cream until just before it's served on the day I reheat it.
  

To Freeze: Make soup according to recipe but do not add sour cream.  Cool completely and fill Ziploc Freezer bags or containers.

To Serve: Thaw in fridge overnight.  Warm in saucepan on stove and then add sour cream just before serving.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe is really good if you like Chinese food. :o)  It comes from the 30 Meals in One Day website.  I've made it several times and serve it over brown rice...Mmmm!  It's not too time intensive and you can always use shredded or cubed chicken you've cooked in a large quantity for other recipes instead of browning it in oil specifically for this recipe. 

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
3 Tbl canola oil
1/2 cup onion, chunked
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chunked
1 1/3 cups cold water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Brown chicken in hot oil until cooked through. Add onion and green bell pepper. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. In a saucepan, combine water and cornstarch. Stir in sugar, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling. Cook and stir until thick and glossy. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to coat.

To Freeze:  Cool completely.  Place chicken and sauce in freezer bag or container. For individual servings, place cooked rice in single serving-sized freezer containers. Top with chicken and sauce. Cover, label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw and heat in saucepan on stove. Serve in bowls over rice.

Hearty Burritos

This recipe for Hearty Burritos is from the Taste of Home website.

I tried these a few months ago and swapped out the beef for ground turkey, the flour tortillas for whole wheat tortillas and also discovered you have bake them a bit longer than the time recommended at the bottom of the recipe.

They are really flavorful and great topped with sour cream and/or salsa.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

Pizza Pasta Casserole

This was a new recipe I tried for this month of meals in our home.  We had it last night for dinner and it was really good!  Even though you only half-cook the pasta when making it, by the time it freezes, thaws & bakes, it works!  Enjoy!  :o)

Makes 2 - 9x13s or 4- 8x8s

2 lb. ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce

16 oz. whole wheat spiral pasta - cook for half suggested cooking time on package & drain

4 c. shredded mozarella

6 oz. sliced pepperoni

Brown ground turkey and onion in large skillet until meat is thoroughly cooke.  Drain fat.  Add sauce and pasta, stir well.

Divide mixture in half and put on half in each 9x13 (or 4 8x8s).  Top each with 2 cups cheese, then top with pepperoni.

To Freeze:  Wrap with 1 layer of plastic wrap and then 1 layer of foil.  Freeze.

To Serve: Thaw completely (24 hours in fridge).  Bake uncovered 350 for 35-40 minutes until heated through.

Honey Lime Chicken

Honey Lime Chicken
(We tried this recipe last night for the first time and it was delicious.  Thankfully, the weather was warm enough to grill!  A good side dish would be rice & veggies & pineapple with a Caribbean spice.)




1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. lime juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 chicken tenderloins

Blend ingredients for marinade together in blender for several seconds until honey is completely combined.  Pour marinade in Ziploc freezer bag then place chicken inside and seal.

To Freeze:   Lay Ziploc bag flat in freezer.


To Serve: Thaw bag laying flat in fridge overnight.  Remove chicken from marinade and grill or bake (350*F for 35-45 minutes) chicken until no longer pink.

Sloppy Joes

This sloppy joe recipe tastes amazing and is not the least bit sloppy when you eat it.  It's one of my husband's favorite sandwiches because of the sausage in it.  If you are prepping this with the slow-cooked chunky chili recipe you can brown all the meat & onion at the same time.

I swap the ground beef for ground turkey and use whole wheat buns, but other than that I follow the recipe as it's written.  Removing the inside of the buns takes a bit of time,  but it's worth it when you taste the final product.  :o)

To Freeze: Wrap individually in foil and place in gallon Ziploc bag.

To Serve: No Thaw.  Bake at 350*F for 35-45 minutes until heated through.

Chicken BBQ Sandwiches

This shredded Chicken BBQ recipe is easy and really good!  The chicken is very flavorful.

A few things I changed in the recipe for my liking was:

• instead of a 12 oz. bottle of BBQ sauce, I used a 16 oz. bottle 
• instead of frozen chicken breasts, I use fresh chicken breasts
• halfway through the cooking time I shred the chicken with a fork, then cover and let it cook the rest of the time in the sauce
  

Last time I made this, we used it...

• with buns, rolls or bread for sandwiches
• over baked potatoes
• over nachos with shredded cheddar, tomatoes & lettuce on top

To Freeze: Cool shredded chicken & sauce completely.  Package in Ziploc bags or freezer containers.

To Serve: Thaw completely.  Warm in saucepan.

Easy Sandwiches

Easy Sandwiches

(I like to keep these in the freezer for not only a fast dinner, but quick lunches.  They're very easy to assemble and require no thawing prior to baking!  The recipe came originally from 30 Day Gourmet's website.)

Makes 12 sandwiches

12 whole wheat hoagie rolls or Kaiser rolls

2 lbs. deli meat (I usually get 1 lb. turkey & 1 lb roast beef)

1 lb. sliced cheese (I usually get 1/2 lb. provolone and 1/2 lb. swiss to go with the meats above)

Sauce:

3 T butter, melted

3 T Dijon mustard

3 T Worcestershire sauce

3 tsp. minced onion

Put sandwiches together by layering meat and cheese on bottom of each bun/roll.  Mix sauce together and spread over top of the meat & cheese.  Top with the other half of the bun/roll. 

To Freeze: Wrap each sandwich in foil and place in large container or Ziploc. Or if you know you're going to be warming several sandwiches at once, place that amount without foil in a large Ziploc freezer bag.

To Serve: No Thaw.  Bake at 350*F for 30-40 minutes until warmed completely through.  Several sandwiches can also be warmed together in 9x13 pan with a layer of foil on top.

Classic Mac'n'Cheese

Classic Mac'n'Cheese

This is a great basic recipe but is a bit time-intensive with the stirring, so plan to make it when you can stand at the stove for about 15 minutes. ;o)  

The taste is well-worth your effort!

Makes 1-9x13 or 2-8x8 pans

1 (8 oz) package of macaroni, cook for 1/2 time on package & drain

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

1 c. milk

1 c. cream (or 8 oz. cream cheese)

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. buttered breadcrumbs (optional and used at time of baking, not prepping)

Cook macaroni for only half the time listed on the package, drain and set aside.  

Melt butter in large pan, then add flour mixed with salt and pepper.  Use whisk to stir until well-blended.  Pour milk and cream in gradually, stirring constantly.

Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).  Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes (stirring constantly) until sauce has thickened.  If using cream cheese, you'll only need to cook about 3 minutes (stirring constantly).

Add shredded cheese little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Remove from heat and add macaroni; toss to coat with cheese sauce.

To Freeze: Cool completely and place in Ziploc bags (quart or gallon size).  (Optional: You can place buttered breadcrumbs in small Ziploc and attached to macaroni bags.)

To Serve: Thaw completely. Transfer to buttered baking dish and top with optional buttered breadcrumbs. Bake 20-30 minutes at 400*F until golden brown on top and bubbling.

Spinach Lasagna

This Spinach Lasagna recipe is quick & easy to assemble because you can use regular lasagna noodles without cooking them!  If you follow the first column it will make 1-9x13 or 2-8x8 pans.  You can always use a meat sauce if your man likes meat at every meal. ;o)

It goes really well with garlic toast!

To Freeze: Cover with 1 layer of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil.

To Serve: Thaw completely in fridge...9x13s take 36-48 hours and 8x8s usually take 24 hours to thaw.  Bake at 350*F covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until slightly browned.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting it.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

(This is super-easy to assemble and freeze.  When we have it for dinner, I serve it with cheese quesadillas.  To make the meal easy I store the soup in a quart-size bag inside a gallon bag with a few whole wheat tortillas and some shredded cheddar cheese packaged in a tiny Ziploc.)

 Makes 4 cups

2 16 oz. cans black beans, drained & rinsed

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

1 c. chunky salsa, medium (or hot if you prefer)

1 tsp. ground cumin

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until soup is desired consistency.

To Freeze: Pour into Ziploc freezer bag(s).  Lay flat in freezer to freeze.

To Serve: Thaw in fridge 24 hours.  Warm in saucepan.  Top with cheddar and/or sour cream.

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast

(This is one of our favorite breakfast dinner recipes.  We usually have it for a quick dinner with a side of fruit on evenings when we're running out the door.  It also makes your home smell amazing while it's baking!)

1 stick butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

 6 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

loaf of french bread

Melt butter and add brown sugar and cinnamon; stir well.  Pour into bottom of 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8s or 2 pie plates). 

Slice french bread into 1" slices (you'll use most of the loaf) and lay slices on top of brown sugar mixture. 

Combine eggs, milk and vanilla - pour carefully over bread slices.  Let stand for a few minutes so the bread soaks in the egg mixture.

To Freeze: Cover pan with 1 layer of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil.

To Serve: Thaw completely 24 hours in fridge.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350*F.

Double Chocolate Muffins

This Double Chocolate Muffin recipe is so good.  We often use these muffins as dessert at our house for the kids whenever I make them which is why they not only have the bread label but the dessert label, too.

The only things I changed in the recipe is that I replaced the oil with applesauce and often use mini chocolate chips instead of regular size chocolate chips.  Enjoy!

To Freeze: Cool and place in Ziploc freezer bags.

To Serve: Thaw or microwave for a few seconds. 

Biscuits

Biscuits
(adapted from a recipe from Taste of Home's website)

4 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. sugar
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter
1 egg
2/3 c. milk


In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking poweder, sugar & salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; roll to 3/4" thickness; cut with pizza cutter (or use a circle biscuit cutter).  I opt for ease so I use the pizza cutter. :o)

To Freeze: Lay biscuits flat on baking sheet or cutting board and place in freezer to "flash freeze."  Once frozen, remove biscuits and store in Freezer Ziploc bag.


To Serve:  No thaw needed.  Place on greased baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes at 400*F.

Options:

• To make Garlic/Cheddar biscuits, divide dough in half and to one half add 1/2 c. shredded cheddar and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.
  
• You can use 2 c. all-purpose flour instead of 1 c. white & 1 c. wheat 
  
• You can also use a 1/2 c. shortening instead of butter or margarine 
  

Taco Seasoning Mix

This mix is really good. We use it all the time for any recipe calling for taco seasoning....soups, meat & dips. I love that it's salt-free! :o) One batch is equivalent to 10 seasoning envelopes you'd buy at the store.

Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 c. dry minced onion
1/4 c. chili powder
2 T cornstarch
2 T crushed red pepper flakes
2 T garlic powder
1 T oregano
2 T cumin

Combine all in airtight container. Stir thoroughly. Use 2 T per pound of meat or for recipe calling for 1 envelope of taco seasoning. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Chunky Chili

This is a great chili recipe from Taste of Home's website.  I personally swap out the ground beef for ground turkey and use my own taco seasoning.  It's so easy to make and tastes delicious!

I freeze it in portions that we use which makes 4 meals out of one batch.  If it's used as a topping then one recipe of chili will go a lot further.

Here are some ways we've used it:

• In a bowl with toppings and biscuits or cornbread
• Over spaghetti or macaroni noodles with cheddar cheese on top
• With fries as a gameday snack 
• Over baked potatoes
• Over hot dogs (FYI - Oscar Mayer & John Morrell both make nitrate-free hot dogs, now!)
  

For Freezer: Cool Completely.  Package in Ziploc freezer quart or gallon size bags depending on your family meal size.

To Serve: Thaw completely.  Warm in saucepan.

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce

(this recipe was adapted from Once-A-Month Cooking)

Makes 12 cups

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (or 1 lb. ground beef or turkey instead)

1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1 12 oz. can tomato paste

3 28 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes with peppers, onions, celery

2 c. water

4 tsp. minced garlic (4 cloves)

4 bay leaves

4 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

3 T. parsley

Brown meat with onion in skillet.  Place in large crockpot.  Puree tomatoes in blender or food processor a few seconds then add to crockpot. Add the rest of ingredients to the crockpot.  Cook 2-3 hours on HIGH.

This sauce is great for lasagna, spaghetti, baked ziti, pizza casserole, etc.  Easy to make the night before cooking day.  ;o) 

For freezer: Cool completely.  Package in Ziploc Freezer bags or small containers.

To Serve:  Thaw 24 hours in fridge.  Warm in pan on stovetop.

Pizza Bites

Pizza Bites

2 cans refrigerated pizza dough (or homemade pizza dough)

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes

48 slices of pepperoni

1/4 c. olive oil

Italian seasoning
spaghetti sauce (optional for serving)

Preheat oven to 400*F and spray two 9x13 pans with non-stick cooking spray.  

Roll each pizza crust into a 12x8 rectangle and cut into 24 squares (making 48 total).

Place one piece of pepperoni and one cheese cube on each square.  Wrap dough around filling and press edges to seal completely.  Place each roll seam side down on baking dish.  Continue until you have 24 rolls in each pan.

Brush rolls with olive oil and spring with Italian seasoning.  Bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown.

For Freezer: Cool completely then transfer to Ziploc freezer quart or gallon bags.  You can also put a small amount of spaghetti sauce inside a sandwich-size Ziploc bag within each large bag for dipping sauce when served.

To Serve:  No thaw needed.  Microwave approximately 30 seconds until warmed through and serve with warmed sauce.

Easy Pizza Dough

Easy Pizza Dough

(adapted from a recipe in The Breadlover's Bread Machine Cookbook)

1 1/3 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 T. sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Add ingredients to bread maker in order listed above.  Set "dough" cycle (usually 1 1/2 hours).  When finished remove dough and separate for two thin crusts, or keep together for large thick pizza crust.  Can also be used for Pizza Bites.


Optional: Add 1-2 teaspons of garlic and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning prior to adding the flour for seasoned dough for breadsticks or pizza.  

For Freezer: Place in gallon size Ziploc bag, seal and freeze.


To Serve: Thaw dough 24 hours in fridge.  Remove from fridge about an hour before using to come near room temperate.  Remove from bag and bake for pizza (400 for approx. 10 minutes, top then bake 10-15 minutes longer) or use for other recipes.

The Basics of Freezer Cooking

I began making freezer meals in 2008 to save us money, time and most of all, my sanity. :o) The way I cook for a month is only one way to do it and the process is written below. There are lots of ideas and suggestions out there so use only what you want from this site. Once you begin to do it, you'll find the things that are helpful to you. Happy Freezer-Meal-Making!

Things to have on-hand...

• Ziploc Freezer Bags in both quart & gallon sizes
• Plastic wrap & foil
  
• Sharpie Marker - dark color of your choice
• Great recipes that freeze, thaw & warm well - don't worry, they're here on this website!
• Food
• Kitchen utensils, pots & pans, measuring cups & spoons, etc...
• Freezer - can be the fridge freezer or a separate upright or chest freezer

What do I cook?

Think about the foods your family typically eats? Sandwiches, spaghetti, tacos, burgers, pizza, breakfast, snacks, muffins...etc. Begin with the things you already enjoy eating, then add new recipes later. Figure out how many batches of the recipes you'll need to make. For example, for our family right now 1 recipe of taco meat will make about 3 meals for us. If you have a larger family, you may need to double or triple your recipe to make 3 meals.

How do I determine what I need to purchase?

Once you choose the recipes you'll make, create a spreadsheet to figure out what ingredients you'll need to purchase. I like to list my recipes on the left side going down and then my ingredients across the top. That way if I need 1 lb. of ground turkey for tacos, I mark it "1 lb" in the box where tacos & ground turkey meet. If I need 2 lbs. of ground turkey for burgers then I'll mark "2 lbs" in the box where burgers & ground turkey meet. When I total the ingredient columns I'll find that I need to buy a total of 3 lbs. of ground turkey. Even though this takes a little bit of time, it's VERY helpful to account for all your ingredients, even spices & pantry items because if you begin cooking and are missing something, it's very frustrating!

When & where do I shop?

Whenever you can (without kids, preferably) and wherever the best deals are. I look for deals at our local grocery stores, but also visit a warehouse club to buy my meats & shredded cheese as their cost tends to be cheaper than the grocery stores unless something is on sale. I also like to shop the discounted bread rack at one of our big box stores to get french & Italian bread for a few of my recipes and the sell by date doesn't matter since it's going to be frozen.

I'm home with TONS of food, now what?

Plan.

Does your meat need to be browned or cooked prior to using in a recipe? Crockpots work well for cooking chicken & ground beef/turkey. I will often cook the meat the night before I actually make the rest of my meals.

Chop the veggies - might as well chop all the onions you'll need, rather than chopping one for each recipe you assemble.

Pasta - cook the noodles you need for only HALF the time called for on the package. (This can also be done the night before the cooking/assembly day.) The lasagna recipe I make doesn't require any noodle cooking!!!

Once your ingredients are done being prepped then you can begin making the meals and assembling them. Some of my favorites are the ones you mix in a bowl or a blender and then dump into a Ziploc bag. Can't get any easier than that!

How do I package my meals & foods?

Casseroles that require being frozen in a pan like French Toast will need to be in a glass pan. Wrap with 1 layer of plastic wrap and then 1 layer of foil. Use your Sharpie to write "French Toast, Thaw, UC 350F/30m" then place in the freezer. This means I have to thaw it prior to baking it and I will bake it UnCovered for 30 minutes at 350*F. This is just what I use - do whatever works for you!

Meals like baked ziti, pasta or rice dishes, soups, casseroles (that don't require layering in a pan to freeze in) can all be placed in quart or gallon Ziplocs.

• Be sure the meal has cooled completely which is easy to do once meal is made, set aside to cool while you're cooking & assembling other meals.
• Use the FREEZER Ziplocs. I have used these for ALL my meals and nothing ever tastes like it's been frozen!
• Label the bag with the Sharpie FIRST before placing food in it and let the marker dry for a second. Yes, I've ended up with smudged writing the first time I did this quickly.
• Roll the opening of the bag down so it makes it easier to ladle or pour in the ingredients and the zip part stays clean. Fill a bit over half the bag then press the air out and seal the zip part. Lay flat to freeze.
• Once frozen these meals will expand a little bit, but will still take up very little freeze space. They can also sit upright once frozen in a basket in a chest freezer making it easier to find in the coming weeks.

How should I keep track of what's in my freezer?

As I make my meals I write a list of each meal along with anything I want to serve it with when I make it. This helps me prep my weekly grocery list easily! I also make open boxes next to the meal title with 1 slash through them telling me how many bags or pans of that meal is in my freezer. When I use one I make 1 slash the other way so I know it's used. I can quickly see what meals I have left to use.

Okay, my freezer is stocked, now what do I do to prepare a meal?

Most of the meals have to thaw completely before warming them so thaw the meal the night before in your fridge. Sometimes large casseroles may require more than 24 hours to thaw in your fridge. Whenever I make one night's dinner, I usually remove the next night's meal from the freezer and place it in the fridge.

As far as cooking goes, follow the recipe. If you labeled your meals you won't even need to peek a the recipes because you should have the baking temperature and time listed on the foil or bag.