Sausage, Egg & Tater Casserole

This is a recipe I adjusted a few years ago and decided to see if it would freeze well a few months ago.  It did and we enjoy having it as a "breakfast dinner" on a weeknight like Wednesday when we're running out of the house just after dinner time.

1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked & crumbled

1/2-3/4 c. chopped green/red peppers & onions (cook with sausage)

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

2 lbs. tater tots - used on serving day

Whisk together the eggs and milk with salt/pepper to taste.  Layer in greased 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8s): sausage with peppers & onions, cheese, then egg mixture.  Tater tots remain in their original package in the freezer until serving day.

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

To Serve: Thaw casserole overnight in fridge.  Top with frozen tater tots.  Bake 40-45 minutes at 375F or until eggs are set and tater tots are golden. 

Oreo Balls

These are great to keep in the freezer around the holidays (well, anytime of the year, really) but you can use the colored candy melts in red/green to make them festive. ;o)  Enjoy!

1 package Oreo cookies, crushed

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1 package white almond bark

1 package dark almond bark (optional)

Blend the crushed Oreos and cream cheese together with a mixer.  Roll into walnut-size balls and chill 1 hour.  Melt 3/4 of the package of the white almond bark and dip each ball into it.  Set on  wax paper to harden (15 minutes).  Melt 1/4 package of dark bark, drizzle over white Oreo balls.

To Freeze: Layer balls in freezer container.

To Serve: Remove from freezer just several minutes prior to serving.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe is tweaked from one on 30 Day Gourmet's website.  It's a fun appetizer that my husband loves!

2-3 chicken breasts cooked & shredded (or 2 cans chunk chicken)

3/4 c. - 1 c. hot sauce

2 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese

1 c. Bleu Cheese salad dressing

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Combine chicken and hot sauce in saucepan.  Add cream cheese and dressing; stir until melted.  Add shredded cheese and stir well. 

To Freeze:  Cool completely.  Package in freezer containers or freezer bags.

To Serve:  Thaw and reheat in saucepan.  Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, celery, etc.

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.