NEW RECIPES

I just met a gal yesterday who has been doing freezer meals for 7 years!!  She has obviously gone through her recipe book several times and made adjustments/eliminations.  I asked her so sweetly to help our little group and I just got the email!!  I will be going through them in the next few weeks and posting a bunch more recipes.  She told me her group does 18 meals for around $90 a month, so it looks like they have cut out a bunch of costs as well.

At first glance, there aren't too many casserole style dishes (yeah), and a bunch of marinades which sounds fantastic to me! Stay tuned and we will meet soon to discuss future adventures with out little group! I miss you guys & my freezer is missing you all too!! 

Chicken Primavera

**This is a half recipe**
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
¾  cup milk
¼  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups broccoli flowerets (I use frozen)
2 medium carrots, sliced (I use frozen pre-cut carrots)
2 ½ cups cooked corkscrew or elbow macaroni
2 cans (5 oz. each) Chunk White Chicken, drained OR 2 cups shredded chicken

ASSEMBLY:  Dump all ingredients except macaroni into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

COOKING:  Place thawed dinner in a pot over medium heat, heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 30 min. or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally (it won’t actually take this long, since the veggies have been frozen). Stir in macaroni and chicken and heat through.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1- 8 oz. Fat Free French Dressing
1- 8 Oz. can Jelly (whole) cranberry sauce
1 package – Dried Onion Soup Mix
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (you can add more or less – cut into cube pieces)
2-3 cups of stir-fry vegetables

ASSEMBLE:  Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

COOKING:  Mix all ingredients in a 13 x 9 glass pan. Cover with tin foil.  Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir and serve over rice or noodles.

Small change

Hey ladies-
So I was looking at the receipe for poppy seed chicken and it looked like it was horribly unhealthy, so I taked it over with a couple of the other girls in our group and I decided to make a few changes. It mostly the same kind of dish- chicken with rice, but instead of the heavy poppy seed sauce with buttery crackers on top, it's a similar, low fat sauce with capers. It's actually Kelly's receipe, so if it tastes wonderful, she gets the credit, if it's bad- then you can totally blame my cooking...haha. So the sauce has cream of chicken soup, low fat sour cream and skim milk in it with capers and some salt and pepper. It should cook for similar times as other dishes- 375 for about a hour. But that's just a guess, because I've never made this before, or frozen it before. I hope the change is okay with you guys, if not, let me know and I'll put together a poppy seed chicken just for you- sorry about the late notice.... see you all at the trade!

April 29 Freezer Meal Swap

1. This month we will prepare 11 half/5.5 full meals.  Use your judgement on how much to buy concerning that extra half recipe.  Because we are making 1.5 recipes less, our cap this month is $55.  

2. Jessi, Cathy and Karen are not doing the group this month.  Karen is moving the middle of May :(

3.  There are only seven of us this month.  We want to keep the swap around ten meals, so if you are willing to make two different recipes-particularly those who get the full meals-let me know.  Jen and I are planning on making two, so that already puts us at 9 meals.  Anyone else?  Anyone? Anyone!

4. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR TOTALS IN TO JEN BY MONDAY, APRIL 26.  Don't forget that we will be squaring up for last month, so you may end up owing more or getting more back than usual.  Don't forget to bring your exact total to the swap.  Jen will get the totals to you by Wednesday.

5. Kelly has pans and bags for pick-up. We are going to disperse the $120 total (500 pans and a huge box of bags) over 5 months. (This will be month two.) This way if you leave or someone new joins, it will be fair to all. Assuming we use 100 pans a month ( we should use less than that) they will last more than five months. Pretty much, you'll pay a couple dollars a month for supplies each month you participate.

6.  Don't forget that we decided last month, if you are more than 15 minutes late to the swap you will be responsible to get everyone their meals individually.  

7. Make sure to go and rate all your meals that you ate this month so we can ditch them or keep 'em. Then we'll clear up that space for next month's recipes.

8.  Are you still loving this?!?!?  Leave comments, or make posts and let us know how your feeling!  Last month I timed how long it took me to cook AND clean up because I really wanted to be sure that it was worth it.  An hour and forty five minutes is SO worth it to me to have ten meals prepared for the month.  I for one, am still loving this!

9.  This is it I promise!!!  Next month we are getting in to the hot summer months.  I don't think we should do many soups, if any, in the summer.  I also think that we should do as many crock pot meals as possible so that we don't have to use our ovens as much.  What do you think?

See ya soon!

Round Pans Tip

Here's another tip for the round pan lids: 

Spray a bit of Pam on the foil side of the lid before you cover the food.  After it is frozen it won't stick to the food.

Cooking Cautions For Round Pans

FYI

Be sure to remove the cardboard cover to the round pans, they burn and the foil part will bubble and smell like burnt plastic. 

March Totals

Here are the totals for March. We will settle them at our swap at the end of April. If that does not work for any of you, let me know. Just remember, if you have half meals you should get a little back. If you have full meals (two halves) you will owe money.

Our total cost for each half meal was $3.93 (including packaging).  Not too shabby!

Don't forget, the cap for meals is $60. This ensures that our costs always stay under $4 per half meal. As we add more people, and have more meals, the total may go up. If you absolutely cannot keep your recipe costs under this, you can swap recipes or see if everyone is willing to pay a little more for the amazing meal. Note: Jessi's total is over $60 because she was 2 meals short so I added the cost of two half meals to her total for reimbursement.

(Click to enlarge)

February Poll Results

Any meal with more than 3 "Once in a Lifetime" votes was booted. I figure that is a third of the group and is enough to try a new meal in its place. Thanks everyone!

Keeper
Cathy - Chicken Enchiladas
Cyntha - Chicken Pot Pie
Jen - Peaches and Cream Stuffed Pork Chops
Jessi - Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake
Karen - Sloppy Chicken Sandwiches
Kelly - Chicken Noodle Soup
Keri - New England Pot Roast
Lindsay - Sweet Pork

Once in a Lifetime
Kristy - Ham Casserole

March Polls are now updated for all our new meals! Enjoy!

Hey Ladies! Can you believe the time is coming up again for our swap?!?? Here are some items of business to look over for March...

1. If you want a different amount of food (i.e. go from 1/2 meal to whole or vice versa) let me know by tomorrow. If I don't hear from you by late afternoon, I'll assume your all good with the amount you had in March.

2. Christina Sherrin-Helm joined the group so now we will have 10 prepared meals each month (10 members=10 meals)!!!

3. I will post the total amount of meals to you by tomorrow night, so you have all week to shop. (right now it will be 16 half/8 full meals, unless someone changes.)

4. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR TOTALS IN TO JEN BY MONDAY, MARCH 22. SHE GOES IN FOR HER C-SECTION ON THE 23RD SO IN ORDER FOR OUR TOTALS TO BE ACCURATE ON THURSDAY'S SWAP, SHE NEEDS THEM ON THE 22ND AT A DECENT HOUR ;).


5. Kelly has pans and bags for pick-up. We are going to disperse the $120 total (500 pans and a huge box of bags) over 5 months. This way if you leave or someone new joins, it will be fair to all. Assuming we use 100 pans a month ( we should use less than that) they will last more than five months. Pretty much, you'll pay a couple dollars a month for supplies each month you participate.

6. Let me know what your preference is on the amount of people in the group. I know some say the more the merrier and others think too many is overwhelming. I think about 12 people would be ideal, but leave a comment below and let me know.

7. Lastly, make sure to go and rate all your meals that you ate this month so we can ditch them or keep 'em. Then we'll clear up that space for next month's recipes.

I think that is it!

Aluminum Pans

They are here. I have a huge box of them.

Cook It Frozen

For those of you who have not figured it out, the meals that are completely cooked and in the aluminum pans can be cooked frozen.  I cooked it at 450 for about 30+ min. 

So far I have done this with the:
Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake (cook with foil on so it won't dry out)
Chicken Enchilada (cook either way I did half on half off)
Chicken Pot Pie (be sure to remove plastic wrap under foil.  I cooked it with foil off too)

Ziploc Bags and Aluminum Pans

I ordered 9" round aluminum pans with cardboard lids. They are being shipped now. I also have a bevy of ziploc bags from Sam's Club that I bought for our group. Let me know what you need and how much. You will be able to come by and pick it up. I am hoping by next week. I will let you know when they get here.

Are you loving this as much as I am?!?!?

Hey all, our next exchange will be

Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m.-Topaz Pavillion

Start looking for sales now on your ingredients to try and keep the costs as low as possible. If you know of anyone else who wants to join, they must be committed by March 15 so that we can prepare the amount of ingredients. At that time, we will make official how many meals to prepare.

Ham & Brocolli Rice Bake

This recipe is super easy beacuse the servings are really up to you!! First, just figure out how many servings you need and start by making the rice. So for example, for my family, (3 kids, 2 adults) I do about 3-4 cups (uncooked) rice. When its done, first mix in 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup milk, next chop up and add 2-3 cups of ham, about one head of brocolli and 2 yellow squash, (both steamed). Mix together, add cheese if you want and spread it out in casserole dish and top with shreddedd cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until heated through and ENJOY!!!! :)

MEAT SALE!!

Smiths is having a big meat sale this week, and Alberstons has some great deals too... check out your recipes for the upcoming months and see if there is anything here you need!

February Total Costs

Here are the totals for February.  We can keep track of the costs of the meals too, so if one seems to be consistently more expensive, we can choose to eliminate it.  Not too shabby though for our first round and for having only 1 week to prepare!!  It can only get better from here!

 

(Click on the image to see it larger)

First Exchange

Well, how do you think we did for our first go around???  I for one thought it was SUPER fun!!  It was like Halloween for grown ups! 

If you have any suggestions as to how we can make it better/easier for next month, leave a quick comment.  Thanks so much for all your hard work!!  I can't wait to get chowin' down!!

Meeting Notes 2/20

We made a few key decisions at our first meeting.  Here is a brief synopsis of what we discussed.

• We will be choosing 3 meals at a time to prepare over the next few months.  This will give us an opportunity to keep our costs low by watching and buying ingredients when they are on sale.

• We will have a $60 cap to the dollar amount of the meals you are preparing.  Do your best to make it as cheap as possible (the whole point of this group), but in rare occasions you can spend a little more on meats, etc.  Should be around $50 each meal, but no more than $60.

• You will email Jen (jcrewmommy@cox.net) on the last Monday of the month your total amount spent.  

• Jen will email you on Wednesday how much you will owe or be refunded at the exchange.  If you owe, please bring exact change in cash since the amounts will zero out at the end.

• We will meet to exchange meals on the last Thursday of each month at 8pm at the Topaz Chapel on Pebble and Topaz.

• Everyone will have authorship on this blog.  Please make comments under the recipes if they took a long time to prepare, if there were some ingredients that didn't work out, or if something didn't freeze very well.  

• We will put polls up for each recipe for the month and you can vote on whether or not we will keep that recipe in our "recipe box" or if it will be retired.  

• When adding recipes, please put a label on the post that begins: Recipe-blah, blah, blah.  This will make it easy for us to look up the recipe when we need it. 

Finding Great Deals

I thought I would put a little tutorial together on the best way to watch for the sales.  

Every Wednesday, the new ads come out for the grocery stores.  Go to www.grocerysmarts.com and put in my code g89cjm.  When you get the NV page, follow the red arrow to the store selection and choose "All In One".  This will pull EVERY list for NV, and will make it very easy to compare prices for different stores.  (Note: The Alphabetical Coupon Index is a great place to look and see if there are coupons for any of the ingredients you need, just click on that and start typing in your ingredient - pretty cool).

When you get to the All In One list, click the START button in the top right, then click on each store heading.  Then go back and look for the meat or other product you want to compare.  In this example, I was looking for prices on pork chops.  So, I selected each store's deal for pork chops.  Then clicked on the SHRINK button back at the top.  Now, I can clearly view all my options and see that Vons has the best deal this week so that's where I will get the meat (unless Costco or Sam's Club is somehow cheaper). 

Hopefully that helps you a little, so get your list together for the next few recipes you are preparing and watch the ads for great prices!  Happy Cooking!!

Peaches and Cream Stuffed Pork Chops

2 cup diced fresh peaches [1 cup]
4 Cornbread muffins - or 4 thick slices [2 muffins or 2 slice]
2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese [1/3 cup]
2/3 cup Sugar [1/3 cup]
2 egg, beaten [1 egg]
4 tsp minced onions [2 tsp]
1 tsp poultry seasoning [1/2 tsp]
1 tsp nutmeg [1/2 tsp]
8 pork loin chops 1" thick [4 chops]

Materials: 1 - 9x13 foil pan, tin foil to cover

ASSEMBLY [Half]
In a large bowl, mix peaches, muffins, ricotta cheese, sugar, egg, onion, poultry seasoning, and nutmeg.  Slice pork chops in  half to form a pocket.  Stuff a spoonful into each pork chop (you will have extra stuffing).  Press chops to close and place in 9x13 foil pan.  Sprinkle remaining stuffing and jam over pork chops.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

COOKING INSRUCTIONS
Defrost in refrigerator overnight.  Place chops in baking dish and top each chop with a tsp of peach jam. You can put the extra stuffing underneath the chops or bake it in a separate dish. Bake  at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Canned Goods Sale

Hey ladies - Need canned veggies for one of your meals?  Alberstons has a promo on Del Monte canned vegetables that is running from 2/7 - 2/20.  You can earn a $1 Catalina when you buy 3-4 cans, $1.50 for buying 5, and when you buy 6 cans you get a $2 Catalina to use on your next purchase.  

The best way to take advantage of this would be to do a few transactions of 6 cans, and roll the Catalinas to pay for the next set of 6 cans.  Make sense?  AND don't forget to keep an eye out for coupons to add to this deal.  Right now, you can get a $1 off 4 coupon at this link.  You have to register for this one, but don't forget to print it a few times.  

Your transaction should look like this:  

6 Cans Del Monte Veggies = $6 (and some change depending on the price)

-$1/4 coupon

-$2 Catalina (from previous transaction)

TOTAL: $3 (+) for 6 cans!  Should be about 1/2 off... 

You can do this scenerio as many times as you have coupons.  Good Luck!

Pork Medallions with Pears

6 (or 1 1/2 lbs) 1 inch slices pork loin [3 or 3/4 lb]
2 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced [1 cup]
1 (15 oz) can pears with syrup [1/2 can]
2 tsp minced garlic [1 tsp]
1/4 cup dried cranberries [2 Tbsp]
1/2 cup white wine [1/4 cup]
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar [2 Tbsp]
1 Tbsp olive oil [1 1/2 tsp]
1 tsp dried thyme [1/2 tsp]
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg [1/8 tsp]
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger [1/4 tsp]
1 tsp salt [1/2 tsp]
1 tsp pepper [1/2 tsp]

Materials: 1 large freezer bag

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except pork loin) and mix until incorporated.  Place 6 pork loin slices, and bowl mixture into freezer bag, label, and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in the refrigerator.  If you are using a baking dish, preheat oven to 325.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 hours or until internal temperature of the pork reads 160 degrees on meat thermometer.  OR, place all ingredients in slow cooker on low heat for 5-6 hours or until pork is tender.

Cider-Braised Pork Chops

6 (or 1 1/2 lbs) 1-inch slices pork loin [3 or 3/4 lb]
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice [1/2 can]
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1" thick [1 1/2 apples]
1 1/2 lbs new potatoes, halved and boiled for 10 minutes [3/4 lb]
1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/4 inch slices [1/2 onion]
1 cup chicken broth [1/2 cup]
3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate [1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp]
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar [2 Tbsp + 2 tsp]
1 Tbsp minced garlic [1 1/2 tsp]
2 tsp olive oil [1 tsp]
1/4 cup low-fat yogurt based spread or butter, melted [2 Tbsp]
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed [2 Tbsp + 2 tsp]
2 tsp dried parsley [1 tsp]
1/2 tsp dried thyme [1/4 tsp]
Pinch, allspice [tiny smidgin']

Materials: 1 large freezer bag

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except for pork) and stir gently until incorporated.  Place pork loin, and bowl mixture into freezer bag, and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in refrigerator.  Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of the liquid mixture into the pan, then add the pork loin slices.  Cook 2-3 minutes per side.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining mixture, stirring gently to mix.  Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes, until the pork is tender.  Serve.

New England Pot Roast

2 lbs beef chuck roast, fat trimmed [1 lb]
2 cups baby carrots, raw [1 cup]
1 yellow onion [1/2 onion]
1 cup celery in 3-inch pieces [1/2 cup]
4 red potatoes, halved and par boiled * [2 potatoes]
2, 2" cabbage wedges [1, 2" wedge]
1/4 cup dried onion flakes [2 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar [1 Tbsp]
1 bay leaf [1/2 leaf]
2 Tbsp olive oil [1 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp horseradish [1 Tbsp]
3 cups beef broth [1 1/2 cup]
1/2 tsp salt [1/4 tsp]
1/2 tsp pepper [1/4 tsp]

Materials: 2 large freezer bag, 2 quart size freezer bag

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]

*To par boil potatoes:  Scrub and wash unpeeled potatoes.  Slice red potatoes in half.  In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil.  Add halved potatoes and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove potatoes from water. Rinse them in cold water.  Drain and put in quart size bag.
Place the chuck roast in freezer bag.  Add the remaining ingredients in a separate freezer bag.  Label.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in the refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 325.  Spray roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Add roast, and add remaining ingredients.  Cover with foil and bake for 2-3 hours.  OR, you can put all ingredients in the crockpot for 6-8 hours until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

1 1/2 cups cooked rice [3/4 cup]
1 cup artichoke hearts, marinated and drained [1/2 cup]
3 scallions, chopped [1 1/2 scallion]
2 cups cooked chicken in 1 inch cubes [1 cup]
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup [1/2 can]
1/2 cup nonfat mayonnaise [1/4 cup]
1 Tbsp lemon juice [1 1/2 tsp]
1/2 tsp black pepper [1/4 tsp]
1/2 tsp curry powder [1/4 tsp]
2 cups seasoned croutons [1 cup]
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese blend [1/2 cup]
1 Tbsp dried parsley [1 1/2 tsp]

Materials: 1-13x9 foil pan, and foil for the lid

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
Place rice on the bottom of sprayed 9x13 foil pan.  Layer with artichokes, scallion, and chicken, and set aside.  In a bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper and curry powder and stir until incorporated.  spread the soup mixture over the chicken mixture.  Top with croutons, cheese and parsley.  Cover with foil, and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in refrigerator before cooking.  Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Parmesan Chicken

1/4 cup butter [2 Tbsp]
1/2 tsp garlic salt [1/4 tsp]
6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts [3 breasts]
1 cup Parmesan [1/2 cup]
1 cup bread crumbs [1/2 cup]
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley [1 Tbsp]
1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme [1/4 tsp]
2 tsp seasoned salt [1 tsp]

Materials: 1-13x9 foil pan, saran wrap, 1 large freezer bag, 1 quart size freezer bag, foil for lid.

ASSEMBLY
Mix breading ingredients together.  In a separate bowl, melt butter and garlic salt.  Dip chicken in butter mixture, then in bread crumb mixture and place in foil 13x9 pan.  Pour any remaining butter over chicken.  Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and label with cooking instructions.  Add spaghetti and spaghetti sauce in separate freezer bags to be prepared with the meal.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Frozen: Remove plastic wrap and foil.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes
Thawed: Remove plastic wrap and foil.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Serve over spaghetti with spaghetti sauce over all and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

**Post Edit**Since I made the Baked Spaghetti this month, I decided to do Alfredo sauce instead of the Spaghetti sauce. Just to mix things up a little bit!

Crockpot Sloppy Chicken Sandwiches

6 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts [3 breasts]
1/4 tsp minced garlic [1/8 tsp]
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (less if you don't want it spicy) [1 tsp]
3 cups ketchup [1 1/2 cup]
6 Tbsp brown sugar [3 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce [1 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp soy sauce [1 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp cider vinegar [1 Tbsp]
8 Hamburger Buns or Split rolls [4 buns]

Materials: 1 large freezer bag

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
Combine garlic, red pepper flakes, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and cider vinegar.  Put chicken into a freezer bag, pour sauce over and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw (does not have to thaw all the way) and put in crockpot.  Heat on low all day and shred chicken in crockpot, stir into sauce.  Serve on split rolls or hamburger buns.

Layered Enchilada Bake

1 lb lean ground beef [1/2 lb]
1 large onion, chopped [1/2 onion]
2 cups Chunky Salsa [1 cup]
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed [1/2 can]
1/4 cup Italian dressing [2 Tbsp]
2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix [1 Tbsp]
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas [3 tortillas]
1 cup Sour Cream [1/2 cup]
1 package (8 oz) Mexican Style Shredded Cheese [1/2 cup]
1 small can sliced black olives, drained [1/2 can]

Materials: 1 - 13x9 foil pan, foil for lid

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat, drain.  Stir in salsa, beans, Italian dressing and seasoning mix.  Arrange 3 tortillas on bottom of 13x9 inch foil dish.  Cover with layers of half each meat mixture, sour cream, cheese and olives.  Repeat layers.  Cover with foil and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Bake covered at 400 for 40 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.  Removing the foil for the last 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with Spanish rice or Chips and Guacamole.

Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake

**Makes 2 - 9x9's**
12 oz. penne pasta [6 oz]
1 lb ground beef [1/2 lb]
2 (14.5 oz) cans undrained Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano [1 can]
1 can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce [1/2 can]
2 (8 oz) packages Shredded Mozzarella Cheese [1 package]

Materials: 1 - 13x9 foil pan, foil for lid

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Brown hamburger meat and drain.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce to hamburger meat, stir, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes.  Spray casserole dishes with cooking spray and add meat mixture, pasta, and cheese and toss to combine.  Wrap in foil, cool in refrigerator, and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in refrigerator.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with more cheese.

Chicken Ziti

**Makes 2 - 9x9's**
2 cups, Cooked and cubed chicken [1 cup]
8 ounces, Ziti noodles, cooked [4 oz]
4 Tbsp butter [2 Tbsp]
1 cups Celery, sliced [1/2 cup]
1/2 cup onion, chopped [1/4 cup]
1/2 cup carrots, grated [1/4 cup]
4 oz Canned mushrooms, sliced [2 oz]
1/8 cups Flour [1 Tbsp]
2 1/2 cups Milk [1 1/4 cup]
1 1/2 tsp salt [3/4 tsp]
1 tsp Tarragon leaves [1/2 tsp]
1/4 tsp pepper [1/8 tsp]
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated [4 oz]
1/3 cup buttered bread crumbs (for reheating) [2 Tbsp + 2 tsp]

Materials:  1 - 13x9 foil pan, 1 quart freezer bag, foil to cover pan

ASSEMBLY [Half Size]
Prepare pasta according to package directions.  In a medium saucepan melt butter, add celery, onion, carrot, and mushrooms.  Cook until tender.  Do not brown.  Stir in flour.  Add milk, salt, tarragon, and pepper.  Cook and stir until mixture boils.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese; stir until melted.  Combine cooked pasta, chicken and cheese sauce; pour into baking dish.  Cover with foil.  Place bread crumb mixture in separate bag to be added after reheating.  Cool in refrigerator, freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Top with 1/3 cup bread crumbs.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Creamy Corn and Turkey Soup

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red pepper, divided
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
4 oz Cream Cheese cubed
1 can (14.75 oz) cream-style corn
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cooked turkey

ASSEMBLY
Cook onion and half of red peppers in butter in large saucepan on medium heat until tender.  Stir frequently, reduce heat to low.  Add cream cheese, cook until melted stirring constantly.  Add corn, broth, milk and turkey, stir well.  Cook until soup is heated through stirring occasionally.  Put soup in freezer bag, and put the remaining red pepper in separate bag to be used as soup topping.  Cool in refrigerator, then freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Defrost in refrigerator.  Put soup ingredients in saucepan and heat through.  Top with chopped pepper.

Chicken Pot Pie

**Makes 2 - 9" rounds**
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 cans chicken broth, divided
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

ASSEMBLY
Combine cubed chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes, and celery in a saucepan.  Add chicken broth (saving 1 3/4 up for later) to cover chicken and vegetables.  Boil for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.  In another saucepan over medium heat cook onions in butter until soft.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Slowly stir in remaining 1 3/4 cup chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Place chicken mixture in bottom pie crust.  Pour sauce mixture over chicken mixture.  Cover with top pie crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough.  Wrap in foil, cool in refrigerator, and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Make several small slits in the top crust.  Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown.  You may need to cover the outside crust edges with foil if they start browning too soon.

Chicken Potato Bake

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 (24-30 oz) package frozen hash browns, thawed
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

ASSEMBLY
Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, and salt and peper on a plate.  Place egg in small shallow bowl, beat well.  In 9x13 foil pan, combine potatoes, soup, milk, sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, and bell pepper, mix well.  Dip chicken in egg then bread crumb mixture to coat.  Place on potato mixture.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 for 1 hour (may need a little more time on this - there was no heating instructions on the list I was given so I am guessing on this one).

Baked Spaghetti

*Serves 2 9x9's
1 lb ground beef
16 oz whole wheat spaghetti
2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooking Spray

ASSEMBLY
Spray each pan with cooking spray.  Brown ground beef and drain.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Stir spaghetti sauce into cooked ground beef mixture.  Spoon 1/3 meat and spaghetti sauce mixture into bottom of pan.  Mix remaining meat and spaghetti sauce mixture with cooked spaghetti and pour into pan.  Top with shredded cheese.  Cover with foil (bottom side sprayed with cooking spray to keep cheese from sticking).  Cool in refrigerator before putting in freezer.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Bake covered at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb shredded cooked chicken
1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chili peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Shredded Cheese
Avacado

ASSEMBLY
Place first 15 ingredients in freezer bag.  In small freezer bag, put shredded cheese.  Lay flat to freeze

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in refrigerator.  Place soup bag contents (not cheese) in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  Serve with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sliced avocado.

Spanish Chicken Wraps

2 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 box Spanish rice, cooked (follow directions on box)
1/2 can pinto beans, drained
1/2 can black beans, drained
1/2 can sweet corn, drained
1/2 cup shredded Mexican mix cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (fresh)
2 Tbsp Macayos taco sauce
8 flour tortilla wraps

ASSEMBLY
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.  Freeze in bag.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Defrost in refrigerator.  Place 1 Cup mixture in tortilla, then fold in ends and roll outside edges together.  Can be eaten warm or cold.  Serve with taco sauce, sour cream, or guacamole.

Sweet Pork

3 lbs pork loin
16 oz jar of mild chunky salsa
2 cups brown sugar
1 can Coke or Dr. Pepper (yes, the soda)

ASSEMBLY
Put Pork in a freezer bag.  In blender, blend salsa, brown sugar, and Coke.  Place this mixture in a separate freezer bag.  Put the 2 bags in a final freezer bag and label.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Place pork loin in crock pot.  Fill with water halfway up the pork.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Drain the water, shred the meat, put back in crock pot.   Pour salsa mixture over pork, mix in, and cook on high for an additional 3 hours. Serve with burritos, quesadillas, or salads, or on a bun!

Chicken Enchiladas

5 large Chicken Breasts
1 cup Chicken Broth
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
12 flour tortillas
1 lb Cheddar Cheese
1 lb Monterey Jack Cheese
1 can Mild Enchilada Sauce

ASSEMBLY
Mix the soup and the broth.  Cook chicken and mix with Enchilada sauce.  Spread a little soup mixture on bottom of 9x13 foil pan.  Fill tortillas with some soup mixture, chicken, and sprinkle with cheese.  roll up and place in pan.  Pour remaining soup mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Pull out of the freezer in the morning to thaw. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4-5 Chicken breasts
4-5 Tbsp Chicken granules
4 stalks sliced celery
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
3 cups of water
4 sliced carrots
1 chopped onion
1 10 oz bag of frozen noodles (Try Grandma Rheemes frozen noodles)

ASSEMBLY
Boil chicken, water, and granules for about 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from broth and shred.  Add vegetables to boiling broth and cook until tender.  Add the can of cream of chicken soup, noodles and shredded chicken.  Boil 5 more minutes. 

Poppy Seed Chicken

4-5 chicken breasts, shredded
12 oz Sour Cream
2 cubes butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
1 cube butter
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

ASSEMBLY
Put the chicken pieces into 9x13 pan.  In a bowl, mix 2 cubes of melted butter, soup, and sour cream.  Place this mixture on top of the chicken, mix together slightly.  In another bowl, take the crushed crackers and the remaining cube of melted butter, add poppy seeds and mix.  Use this as a topping on the chicken mixture.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Serve with rice.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
28 oz spaghetti sauce
8 oz spiral pasta
16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz sliced pepperoni

ASSEMBLY
Cook beef and onion.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and cooked pasta.  Transfer to foil baking dishes.  Sprinkle with pepperoni and cheese. Cover and freeze.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Cook frozen, covered with foil at 400 for 1 1/2 hours

Chicken Cordon Blue Bake x2

2 packages reduced sodium stuffing mix
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

ASSEMBLY
Prepare stuffing mixes according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup, and milk, and set aside.  Divide chicken between two greased 9x13 baking dishes.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Layer with ham, Swiss cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, soup mixture and stuffing.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Let's Get Cooking!!

WELCOME!!  

Our freezer meal group is of the "Make - Freeze - Bring" variety (I've looked it up).  This means quite simply that we will each choose a meal for the month, make one for each member of the group, freeze it, then bring it on swap day and go home with a variety of food to feed our families! 

Benefits of a Freezer Meal Group

When you think of the benefits of freezer cooking, you can do in four words – time, money, convenience and nutrition!

Freezer cooking saves you time because you are not cooking every night. You are also not running out to the grocery store as often because with freezer cooking your meals are usually planned ahead, eliminating the need for those last minute trips to the store.

When it comes to money, you save with freezer cooking in many ways. One way you save is by keeping with your list, and not going for those impulse purchases. Another way you save money is because you usually buy in bulk in preparing for freezer cooking and you won't have extra waste.

Convenience is another benefit of freezer cooking. Not only are the meals readily available but you are not the only one who has to prepare dinner. Freezer storage spells convenience because each morning all you need to do is remove the evening’s entree for reheating at dinnertime. How easy is that?

When you are providing a steady supply of home-cooked meals, you are promoting good nutrition. No need to be concerned with trips to McDonald’s at the end of a long day when you are tired or rushed. There will be plenty of meals at home for you to take out the freezer and prepare for a healthy dinner the family can enjoy and benefit from.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get started!!!