Can't take credit for the idea, but I would like to. It is actually all thanks to my 2 best friends- Laina and Shanna. They have put together a fun group for the food exchange. We each have one meal that we make so many of, then we get together and exchange. Since I had a lot of requests for the recipe and the idea I am putting all the recipes below. These are the ones we did this time. I was in charge of the Chicken and Dumplings. Even if you don't want to get your own group together to do this (which I highly recommend you all do!) the recipes are really good. Even if you have your own recipes pretty much any of them will work because you use the meals within a month of being in the freezer. One thing- potatoes don't work so well so if you want to do a recipe with potatoes, just delete that when doing the cooking and then add them in when you are ready to warm the meal up for dinner. Just a thought. Oh, and the girls put together a list of "rules" too that was a BIG help this time...
THANKS Laina and Shanna for helping to make sure my family is fed. I'm sure Dalen would like to thank you too because this means less meals for him to have to fix when I don't get around to making dinner before I leave for work.
Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken (breasts, thighs or tenders)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can (11 oz) milk
1 onion, quartered
1 cup baby carrots
3 stalks celery, cut to desired size
1 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
pepper
2 cans biscuit dough
Place items in a crockpot. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or for 7-8 hours on low.
Cool, pour into bags and freeze. When thawed add biscuits and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Chili Burgers
1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 can tomato soup
1 c chopped celery
½ c chopped onion
¼ c ketchup
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Brown hamburger. In saucepan, add beans, soup, celery, onion, ketchup, brown sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-40 min until veggies are tender.
Freeze. To reheat, thaw and put in crock pot until hot. Serve on Kaiser Rolls or hamburger buns.
Sticky Chicken
1 ½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken, in chunks
1 c. Russian dressing
1 c. apricot or pineapple jam
1 onion, cut in chunks
1 green pepper, cut in chunks
Combine all ingredients in frying pan. Bring to boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes depending on size of chicken pieces. Or (mixture can be baked at 350 degrees for about 30 min). Cool, pour into bags and freeze. When thawed simmer until warmed and serve over steamed rice.
Green Chile
1 lb pork roast or chops
14 oz Chicken Broth
1 med Onion Chopped
1 8 oz can green chilies diced
1 whole jalapeño chopped with seeds (for more kick!)
1 tsp Garlic salt with black pepper
2 Tbs flour dissolved in chicken broth
2 chopped up cloves of garlic
Toppings
Cheese, lettuce, tomato, olives, sour cream, or anything else!
I crock-pot this recipe and use it for 2 meals. (Freezing one of course!)
Cook on low all day about an hour.
Put meat into taco or use for nachos.
Just pull out of freezer the night before and place in fridge. May reheat
on the stovetop or the crock-pot.
Ham and Swiss Quiche
1 1/3 cups bisquick 1 c. (4oz) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 c. finely chopped cooked ham
2 green onions, sliced
1 can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions:
sprinkle 1/2 c. cheese, ham and green onions. - in a bowl, whisk together evap. milk, eggs, flour, salt and pepper - pour mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cool, pour into bags and freeze. When thawed, bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 38 min.
Makes: 8 servings, 4 meatballs each
WHAT YOU NEED
2 lb ground beef
1 pkg (6 oz) stove top stuffing for chicken
1 1/4 cups water
2 eggs
1. Heat oven to 400. Line 2 (15x10x1 inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1 1/2 inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each.
2. Place 16 meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160 F)
3. Combine half the meatballs with tomato-Basil cream sauce. Cool remaining meatballs; freeze for later use.
Taco Soup
1 lb ground beef
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes...I use diced tomatoes with green chili
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can green chilies, diced...if not using diced tomatoes with green chili
2 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
Cool, pour into bags and freeze. When thawed, warm in pot and serve.
Lasagna
10 to 12 lasagna noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
1 16 ounce cottage cheese
½ cup parmesan
2 slightly beaten eggs
½ teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups grated mozzarella
Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package; drain and set aside. Mix cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, basil, parsley flakes and pepper. In pan layer 5 noodles, spaghetti sauce, ½ of the cottage cheese mixture. 5 noodles, spaghetti sauce and then the mozzarella. Label and freeze
Cook at 350 for 1 hr.
Ham Chowder
2 cups, cooked diced ham
1 cup onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup grated carrots chopped
¾ cup butter
¾ cup flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 cups half & half
2 cups milk
Boil ham & vegetables in water and ham drippings (enough water to cover the vegetables plus about 2 cups).
Melt butter, add flour and whisk until smooth. Add salt, vinegar, milk and half & half. Stir until smooth and it is thickening. Add to vegetable mixture and heat until thick and bubbly.
Pour into freezer bag. Label and freeze. When thawed, heat through on stovetop and enjoy!
Cream Cheese Chicken
2 ½ cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz sour cream
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 packet good seasons Italian seasoning mix
Combine all ingredients except chicken. Heat and stir until smooth. Add chicken and heat through. Pour into freezer bag. Label and freeze. When thawed, heat through on stovetop and serve over rice or noodles.
Poppy seed Chicken
-6 chicken breasts
-1 large can cream of chicken soup (2 small)
-1 cup sour cream
-11/2 stacks of ritz crackers (crushed)
-11/2 cubes of butter
-11/2 tablespoons of poppy seeds
-Boil chicken and cut up into chunks
-place in the bottom of a greased casserole dish
-mix soup, sour cream on stove to warm, mix well then pour over the chicken
-melt the butter and stir into crushed crackers, add poppy seeds and mix together
-spread the cracker mixture over the chicken
-bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Creamy One-Pot Pasta
1 Tbsp. oil
2 large garlic clove
5 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Place garlic and oil into 8 qt. stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minute or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner; increase heat to high. Cover and bring to boil. Stir in pasta, cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm (stir occasionally).
Meanwhile cut broccoli . Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise.
Cut cream cheese into cubes.
Add vegetables to pasta and boil another 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, salt and pepper to pasta. Stir until cream cheese in melted and incorporated. Reduce heat and cover. Continue cooking 2-4 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Cool, pour into bags and freeze. When thawed, bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
Almost Ravioli
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
8 ounces bowtie pasta
4 c. spaghetti sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. sugar
1 (10 ounce) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 c. cottage cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef with onion. Cook bowtie pasta in salted water for half the time recommended on package. Combine ground beef, pasta, and all remaining ingredients. Place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Place in greased baking dish. Stir. Place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese.
No theme song for today. It's all about the cooking!
