Chicken Noodle Soup/Chicken & Noodles

Another good recipe I tweaked from "Don't Panic!" my kids LOVE this with the tiny egg noodles. I was able to make this and get two meals from it. I added a bag of egg noodles to each meal, so it was more like chicken & noodles. If you want two meals of soup add only 1 c. of noodles to each meal.

Chicken Noodle Soup OR Chicken & Noodles

3 lbs. of chicken cut up
10 c. water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 c. sliced celery
2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. noodles (needed on serving day, not cooking day ;o)

Combine chicken & water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer 15 min. Add bouillon, onion, salt, pepper & bay leaf. Cover; simmer 35-45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and from bone, then return chicken to pot. Stir in veggies. Cover & simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

To Freeze: Cool completely and ladle into freezer container or bags. This recipe gave us two half-full gallon bags. Enough for two dinners!

To Serve: Dump contents of bag into saucepan or crockpot. Add noodles 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pepperoni Chicken Revisited

My original Pepperoni Chicken recipe is here but this past week I made it again with a few changes and it worked really well for a Sunday lunch after church...

• I pounded the chicken to about 1/2" thickness (maybe less, I didn't have a ruler) :o)
• I placed the fillings on top, rolled each piece and stuck a toothpick to hold it securely.
• I flash-froze them on a wax paper-lined pan, then bagged them for longer storage.
• To Cook: No Thaw. Remove from freezer, place in crockpot covered with pasta sauce. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.

Serve over pasta with salad or other veggie on the side. MMMmmmm!

Whole Wheat Tortillas

This blog has been neglected because life happens. :o) Here's a great recipe for whole wheat tortillas that are amazing! I wanted something I can make at home - I'm not happy with the sodium content (or the price) of the store whole wheat tortillas. I found the original recipe on AllRecipes and tweaked it a bit today...

Whole Wheat Tortillas

1 c. unbleached white flour
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. boiling water
additional flour for rolling

Mix flours & salt together in large bowl (or food processor) then add the oil. Mixing with hands or pastry blender until it is thoroughly mixed (looks like tiny crumbs).

Pour boiling water in and mix with fork. If dough is too dry add a bit more water until it sticks together. Transfer to floured board and knead until dough is smooth. Form into golf ball-size balls and place on tray. Cover with damp cloth. Let sit for 1-8 hours (I waited 1 hour and they turned out fine).

Roll each ball on floured board into a very thin circle. Place on hot griddle and watch until bubbles form then flip and cook 30 seconds on other side. If you cook them too long they'll be brittle.

These can be frozen and then thawed for future meals. Enjoy - you may never eat another store bought tortilla again! :o)

Pepperoni Chicken

This is something I made up the other night for dinner which my husband and daughter loved!  I had stocked up on chicken breasts from a sale and needed to use it soon.  My husband is always asking me to "stuff" chicken with something so I finally gave in and did it.  I hate to touch raw chicken which is why I normally don't stuff it, but thanks to big box from Sam's Club of disposable plastic food gloves I'll do it now. :o)  Since we had that as our entree for dinner that night, I actually baked the chicken prior to freezing it, but will be making more today and flash-freezing them for a future meal.  I served the chicken over buttered whole wheat pasta and a salad on the side. Mmmm!

Pepperoni Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

16 pieces of pepperoni (4 for each piece of chicken)

2 T minced garlic

1 T olive oil

1/2 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Slice each chicken breast horizontally to within 1" of the edge of the piece of chicken (like you're slicing open a sandwich bun).  Mix together garlic, olive oil, basil and oregano in small bowl.  Spread a little garlic mixture inside each piece of chicken, then layer 4 slices of pepperoni and a little mozzarella in each.  Fold top piece of each chicken back over filling and use toothpicks to fasten to bottom piece of chicken.

To Freeze: Lay chicken on wax paper and "flash freeze" in freezer for a few hours then package in ziploc freezer bag or plastic freezer container.

To Serve: Thaw completely and bake in pan at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Cream Cheese Chicken

I LOVE this recipe.  It smells amazing as it cooks and it's easy to put together!

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 .7 oz. envelope of Italian dressing mix

1/2 c. butter

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 10.75 oz. can of cream of chicken soup (reduced fat is good!)

1 8 oz. package of reduced fat or fat free cream cheese

Turn slow cooker to HIGH (this does fit in a smaller crockpot).  Place butter in bottom of crockpot.  While waiting for butter to melt, cut chicken into 1" cubes.  When butter has melted, add the envelope of Italian seasoning and stir until well mixed.  Then add chicken to crockpot and stir well.  Cover and cook on high 2 hours.  At the end of the 2 hours, combine cream of chicken soup and cream cheese in bowl then add chicken.  Stir until smooth and creamy.

To Freeze: Cool completely and place in bags or containers to freeze in serving sizes appropriate for your family.

To Serve: Thaw overnight in fridge.  Reheat in saucepan.  Serve over noodles, rice or baked potatoes.

Chicken Taco Rice

This recipe was originally from the 30 Day Gourmet website but I changed it a bit to suit our family's likes.  We've used it as a main dish for dinner, as a snack with tortilla chips or rolled in a wheat tortilla for a quick lunch. It's an easy recipe to put together on cooking day, too! 

Chicken Taco Rice

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken

3 c. chicken broth

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 package of Taco Seasoning OR 2 T. of this recipe for Taco Seasoning

1 onion, diced

1 1/2 c. brown rice, uncooked

Mix everything in large saucepan.  Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is done (approx 45-50 minutes).  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

To Freeze: Cool mixture then place in bags or containers in sizes appropriate to your family.

To Serve: Thaw overnight in fridge.  Then reheat in saucepan with a little bit of water or place in greased baking dish and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Serve by itself, with tortilla chips or roll up in soft tortilla shells.

Optional: I often add 1 can of kidney beans or black beans (drained & rinsed) to the rice before reheating.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is yet another yummy recipe from Taste of Home that I changed a bit to our liking & ease of making on a big cooking day.  This recipe does make TWO pies and they are delicious.   You definitely have to plan ahead on the cooking time when it's coming from the freezer.  I will often just freeze and sauce and then on the serving day, I'll use pie dough from my breadmaker or simply warm the sauce & serve over biscuits.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 c. butter, cubed

2/3 c. chopped onion

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 tsp. pepper

3 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. milk

4 c. cubed chicken

1 package of refrigerated diced potatoes

1 pkg. frozen mixed veggies (carrot, green bean, corn & pea mix)

pastry for 2 double curst pies (9 inches) = 2 packages

In large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.  Stir in ghte flour, salt, thyme and pepper until blended.  Gradually stir in broth and milk.  Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and add chicken, potates and mixed vegetables.

Line two 9" pie plates with bottom pastry; trim even with edge.  Fill pastry shells with chicken mixtures.  Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pies.  Cut slits in top.  Plase over fill; trim, seal and flute edges.

To Freeze Pies: Cover each with 1 layer of saran wrap and foil, then place in freezer. 

To Freeze Chicken Mixture:  Divide into freezer bags or containers for your family size meals and freeze.

To Serve Pies: Shield frozen pie crust edges with foil; place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425F for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350F; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.

To Serve Chicken Mixture: Thaw overnight in fridge.  Heat in saucepan.  Then place in pie plate lined with pie dough and bake 425F for 35-40 minutes or serve over biscuits.

Crescent Chicken Bundles

This is a recipe from Taste of Home that I changed a bit.  These are really good for a quick dinner served with a side salad or veggies!

Crescent Chicken Bundles

1 (8 oz)  package of cream cheese

2 T. butter, melted

2 T. milk

2 T. minced chives

salt/pepper to taste

4 c. cubed cooked chicken

2 tubes (8 oz. each) crescent roll dough

Mix cream cheese, butter, milk, chives, salt & pepper together.  Then add chicken and stir until combined.

Unroll crescent dough and separate into 8 rectangles (2 crescent rolls together).  Press perforations together.  Spoon approx. 1/2 c. chicken mixture in the center of each rectangle. Fold the sides up and seal.

To Freeze: Place bundles on cutting board or on wax paper on top of a cookie sheet and freeze until firm.  Then place bundles in bag or in container in freezer.

To Serve:  Thaw in fridge overnight.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

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.

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.

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.

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.