Parmesan Meatloaf

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup prepared spaghetti sauce - divided use
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese - divided use
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. 
   

1. Using your hands, mix together beef, half the spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, half the Parmesan cheese, onion, egg and Italian seasoning in a medium mixing bowl. Shape into loaf or put flat in a freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

To prepare and serve, thaw by placing in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or the sink for a few hours.

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).

1. Place thawed loaf in an 12 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and cheese.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or to desired doneness. During baking time, if desired, use a baster to remove excess grease from pan.

Makes 4 servings.

***Update: Recipe obtained from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/gmeat/meatloaf_parmesan_recipe.html

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. browned hamburger meat (drained)

2 Cans Rotel Tomatoes

2 Cans Black Beans or Pinto Beans

2 Cans Whole Kernel Corn

1 Package Taco Seasoning

4-6 Cups Water (for desired consistency)

After the hamburger is browned and drained (I even rinse mine to get as much of the grease off as possible), place the hamburger in a large pot. Add all ingredients. Cook for about 30 minutes.

Place in Freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

Thaw. Place in pot or in microwave. Heat until it's hot.

You can top with shredded cheese, sour cream, corn bread, tortilla chips or eat plain.

*I received this recipe from my friend Jenny several years ago. :)

Cheesy Quick Bread

1 3/4 cup flour 


2 T sugar 


2 1/2 t baking powder 


3/4 t salt (where I substituted some garlic salt) 


1 1/2 c cheese (cheddar was called for any cheese could be used) 


optional: 1 teaspoon spice of your choice


__

1 egg, beaten

1 c milk 


1/3 c vegetable oil

Stir first ingredients together in a bowl. In a second bowl combine 
wet ingredients. Stir all ingredients together just until moist. Bake 
in a 9x5 loaf pan for 35-40 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

*Got from allrecipes.com and altered it slightly.

Note: I added some mozzarella, garlic salt and rosemary to give mine a more Italian flare, very versatile recipe!!  The texture is much like that of a cheese biscuit.

This is not a freezer meal but it's easy to prepare and serve with a meal. Great recipe that can be altered easily to fit many different dinners. If you are short on time use a 8-9 inch round cake pan, it'll cook faster. 

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix


1/2 cup butter


2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast


1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup


1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

From Dinner is Ready, page 86

Goulash

Ingredients for Cooking Day:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 pound Jimmy Dean sausage

1 large can tomato sauce - 29 oz.

1 can corn (drained)

1 cup elbow macaroni

1chopped green pepper

1/2 onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped.

Ingredients for Serving Day:

Parmesan Cheese

Directions for Cooking Day: Cook elbow macaroni al dente. Brown meat and sausage together. Drain. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic and tomato sauce. Simmer for 1 hour. Add cooked macaroni and corn. Cool and freeze in freezer bag.

Directions for Serving Day: Defrost and heat. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Recipes from Once-a-month-cookingworld.com

Cheese and Pesto Manicotti

2 c. spaghetti sauce

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ c fat free cottage cheese

2 c mozzarella cheese

¼ c pesto sauce

½ lb cooked sausage

12 manicotti shells, cooked

Spread ¾ c spaghetti sauce on bottom of 13x9 dish. Mix eggs, cheeses, pesto, and sausage and place in large resealable bag. Cut off corner of bag and fill manicotti shells. Place manicotti over sauce in dish; pour remaining 1 ¼ c spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil.

Bake 40 min. or until heated through at 350 degrees. Makes 6 servings. 

Simply Delicious Chicken Breasts

4 bone-in chicken breasts halves (or whatever part of the chicken you want)
10 3/4 oz can golden mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix.

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. Pour soup over chicken. Sprinkle with dry soup mix.
3. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is tender but not dry.

That's it! You can't get easier than that! I served it over rice. Next time I think I'll add mushrooms. This is not a low sodium dish but it sure is delicious.

Baked Honey-Mustard Chicken

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup prepared mustard

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

To prepare: Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag. In a separate bag, combine remaining ingredients. Freeze both bags.

To cook: Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C).

- Sprinkle thawed chicken with salt and pepper and place in a greased 9x13 dish. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken and brush to cover.

- Bake in oven 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and brush with remaining sauce. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Salsa Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

1 jar salsa*

To prepare: Combine in Ziploc bag and freeze.

To cook: Thaw. Place ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high 4 hours. Using tongs, shred chicken. Can serve with sour cream, cheese, or your favorite taco toppings. You can serve in a flour tortilla or over rice.

*Different salsas can be used to make different flavored meals. We've used black bean and corn salsa one night and mango pineapple salsa another. With this said, I know many countries don't have pre-made salsa but you most likely have most of the ingredients for it: tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, cumin, and maybe even cilantro

Grilled Orange Chicken

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

3 lb chicken, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

To prepare: Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag. In a separate bag, combine remaining ingredients to form a glaze. Freeze both bags.

To cook: Thaw both bags. Cook glaze in a saucepan for 2 minutes, remove 1/3 of the sauce to serve with the chicken later on.

- Season chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Grill chicken according to your grill-type, brushing on glaze towards the end. Serve with reserved glaze.

- You can also bake this at 350 F (176 C). Brush on 1/3 glaze and bake for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over, brush with remaining 1/3 mixture and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

from Allrecipes.com

Joes To Go

from Once-A-Month Cooking

1 lb lean ground beef

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup chile sauce*

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 Tablespoon prepared mustard

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

6 hamburger buns

In a large skillet, cook and stir ground beef and onion until beef is brown; drain. Add garlic salt, pepper, chile sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, mustard, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and freeze. Keep with hamburger buns.

To serve: Thaw hamburger sauce and buns. Heat sauce until bubbly and serve over warmed buns. Makes enough for 6 buns.

* Chile sauce substitute found here: http://www.recipezaar.com/Chili-Sauce-Substitute-52689

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Recipe for three entrees; 4-6 servings each!

6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 stick of butter

1 lb fresh mushroom, sliced

3/4 cup flour

1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon granules

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups water

4 cups milk

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

6 cups broccoli pieces (about 1 1/4 lbs), washed

6 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 lbs)*

1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

To prepare:

- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Divide chicken into three 1-gallon freezer bags.

- While chicken cools, melt butter in a separate saucepan. Add mushrooms and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir. Mixture will be lumpy. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add bouillon, curry powder, and pepper; stir. Gradually add water and milk; stir constantly until sauce thickens. About 10 minutes. Whisk to make a smooth sauce. Add lemon juice after sauce has thickened. Cool sauce.

- Divide cooled sauce evenly over the chicken. Measure 2 cups of broccoli pieces into each bag of chicken and sauce. Seal bags.

- Measure 2 cups cheese and 1/2 cup bread crumbs into each of the three 1-quart freezer bags. Seal bags. Freeze sets together (and, as always, mark on them what they are).

To cook: Completely thaw in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Place chicken/broccoli mixture in an ungreased baking dish and sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

* Use whichever cheese you prefer or have available to you.

Sweet Soy Marinated Chicken

2 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken pieces (breast and/or thighs)

Marinade:

1 cup honey

3/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons crushed garlic

1 teaspoon ground ginger

To prepare: Warm marinade ingredients together until honey is melted. Pour over chicken in freezer bags, label and freeze.

To cook: Thaw. Pour into baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F (180 C). Uncover, turn chicken, and bake an additional 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Makes 6 servings.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef (browned and drained)

2 cans black beans, drained

1 can whole corn, drained

1 can diced tomatoes or Rotel

1 1/2 packages taco seasoning

1 can water

Simmer all ingredients on stove top or crockpot. Serve over rice (or mac & cheese is a favorite of the girls). Garnish with cheese and/or sour cream.

If freezing, combine all ingredients in a Ziploc or freezer container. When ready to eat simply thaw and heat through.

Note: Can substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for beef.

Chicken Florentine

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

6 chicken breasts

2 T vegetable oil

4 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half

*Sauteed mushrooms (optional)

1 (10 oz) package spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3 cups spaghetti sauce

Butterfly the chicken breasts or pound them flat. Coat chicken with bread crumbs and brown with oil in a skillet. (* I skipped this part for the meal swap so it would freeze better and also make it healthier.)

In chicken, evenly distribute spinach, mushrooms, and top with slices of cheese. Fold chicken over and, if necessary, secure with toothpicks. Freeze.

To cook: Thaw and place in greased cooking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until heated through.

Yields 6, one chicken breast each.

Baked Ziti

1 egg

2 cups or 12 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (or similar)

16 oz. ziti pasta, slightly undercooked

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce

10 oz. spinach, frozen, chopped, thawed & squeezed

In a food processor, combine the egg and the cottage (or ricotta) cheese, and then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. I added some extra seasonings, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and parsley.

Place the entire mixture into freezer bag. Remove all excess air. Seal, label & freeze.

When cooking, empty the ziti mixture in a sprayed 2 1/2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Additional cheese may be added to the top of the casserole before baking, if desired. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

White Chicken Chili

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced 
1 can black eyed peas (drained and rinsed) 
2 cans Northern White beans (drained) 
48 oz chicken broth (6 C) 
2 cloves of garlic 
1 medium red onion (diced) 
1 4oz can of green chilis 
2 tsp cumin 
1 ½ tsp oregano 
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 
Grated Monterey Jack cheese to top (optional) 
Sour Cream to top (optional) 
  
Sauté chicken in olive oil until cooked through.  Dice chicken. Drain all cans of beans. Add all ingredients to a Ziploc bag. Freeze. To prepare: Use large soup pot and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer at least 15 minutes.  Serve with Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream. 

Sanchos by Stef

1 lb. of ground beef

2 TB. taco seasoning

small can of mushrooms

small can green chilies

small can of chopped/sliced black olives (your choice)

8 oz. jar taco sauce (or enchilada red sauce)

small can refried beans

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

Cook altogether.  Drain grease.  Spread warm refried beans on flour tortillas, then cooked mixture.  Wrap, toppings of choice.

Note: Great for nights when you need fast dinner. Simply just thaw as many as you need. 

Pesto Chicken Pasta

1 pkg (16 oz) pasta

6 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 cups (16 oz) shredded Italian cheese blend

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce

1 jar (10 oz) prepared pesto

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook pasta. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto, and milk.  Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture: toss to coat. Transfer to 2 ziploc bags.  In a small baggie, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and oil.  Mix.

Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Pour into well greased pan.  Sprinkle with topping mixtures.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly.  Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Mushroom Gouda Burgers

Bag1 

Mix following ingredients and pat into patties:
1/3 cup mushrooms-I used Shittake-slightly chopped in my mini-chopper
3/4 cup Gouda-shredded
2 tsp grill seasoning, such as McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning  
3 lbs of ground beef 

Bag 2
4 buns

At home
Thaw. Grill. Place on bun. Recommended to serve with mashed potatoes and corn. 

Note: I used this recipe as a guide, but honestly, I smooshed it all together until they looked yummy. 

Healthy Lasagna

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped

spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 egg

cooking spray

1 onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 cup shredded carrots

1 pound ground turkey breast

1 (26 ounce) jar low-fat pasta sauce

(such as Healthy Request®)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

6 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella

cheese

1 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail

DIRECTIONS:

1.            Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, and egg in a large bowl.

2.            Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrot until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, and stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Pour the pasta sauce and water into the skillet. Season with rosemary,oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes.

3.            Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the pan, and top with 3 noodles. Spoon an additional 1/3 of the sauce on the noodles; top with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Pour the vegetable juice evenly over the lasagna, and top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover the dish with foil.

4.            Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

*Note: depending on the noodles you use you may have to adjust the water. I used regular noodles and found I needed the full cup of water. Other comments on allrecipes.com said it was too watery and I think they used real no-boil noodles. 

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (about ¾ lb each) 

1 c soft bread crumbs (about 1 ½ slices bread)
¼ c chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh or ½ t dried thyme leaves
1 T olive or vegetable oil
½ t salt
½ t fennel seed
¼ t ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1.      Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray shallow roasting pan and rack with
cooking spray.  Place pork tenderloin on rack in pan.
2.      In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients.  Spoon herb mixture
evenly over pork.  Insert oven-proof meat thermometer so tip is in the
thickest part of pork.  Cover pork loosely with foil.
3.      Bake 20 minutes; remove foil.  Bake uncovered 10-15 minutes longer
or until thermometer reads 155 degrees. Cover pork loosely with foil
and let stand 10-15 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
(Temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees, and pork will be
easier to carve.) 

Note: I got this from the Betty Crocker Red cookbook. I used pork loin rather than tenderloin. 

Double Cheese Chicken Tetrazzini

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c turkey or chicken broth

2 c shredded American cheese

4 c diced, cooked chicken or turkey

1 (12 oz) spaghetti, cooked and drained

1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Paprika

Combine soup and broth; stir in cheese, chicken, spaghetti, and mushrooms, mixing well. Pour into a greased 12x7 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Chicken and Mushrooms a la Crockpot

Ingredients:

·       1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

·       1 teaspoon dried minced onion

·       1 teaspoon dried parsley

·       1/4 cup white wine

·       1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

·       1 tablespoon milk

·       1 (4 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained

·       salt and pepper to taste

·       4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

---

Original Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, mix together the soup, onion, parsley, wine, garlic powder, milk, and mushroom pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the slow cooker, covering with the soup mixture.

2. Cook on Low setting for 5 to 6 hours, or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Freezer Meal Directions:

1. Thaw and place in Crockpot.

2. Cook on Low setting for 5 to 6 hours, or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Beef and Broccoli Calzones

(Borrowed from Freezer Chicks website. Check them out!)
1 lb. Ground beef, browned until crumbly and drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
½ c. chopped onion
¾ c. sour cream
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Garlic powder
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed


To FREEZE: Combine ground beef with other ingredients (except bread dough) in a bowl. Roll our bread dough to a 9”x13” rectangle. Spoon filling onto one side of the dough, leaving a border of dough on three sides. Fold over bare side of dough and pinch ends together. Spray lightly with cooking spray and wrap in plastic wrap. Wrap again in tin foil and freeze.


To COOK: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Unwrap calzone and place on cookie sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Allow to rise, but not double. Cook 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until golden. Slice and serve.


Personal note: I suggest you don't use fat free sour cream as it gets super runny. If you feel you must, thicken it with flour. 

Stromboli

1 (16 oz) loaf frozen bread dough
1/4 lb thinly sliced ham
1/4 lb sliced hard salami
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano (i sprinkled Italian seasoning instead of individually using basil and oregano)
3 oz provolone cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T margarine/butter, melted
1 t cornmeal

Place thawed bread dough on lightly greased baking sheet.  Pat a 15 x 10 inch rectangle

Arrange ham slices lengthwise down center, place salami on top.  Sprinkle with spices.  Arrange cheeses on top.  Bring each long edge of dough to center; press edges together securely to seal.  Seal ends.

Brush dough with 1 T butter, sprinkle with cornmeal and carefully invert.  (If freezing, stop here - wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil)

Brush top with remaining butter.  Bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes.


From frozen - 
Unwrap from foil and plastic wrap and place on buttered/sprayed dish cornmeal side down. Butter top or spray with non-stick spray and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Thaw and allow to rise slightly.  

Bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.