Chicken Empanadas

From www.pauladeen.com

1 1/2 t salt
1 T cumin
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (I omitted)
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
1 (8 oz) pkg shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
3 cup chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 t pepper
1 (15 oz) pkg refrigerated pie crusts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15 inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3 inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining pie crusts. Arrange 1 pie crust round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in center of the round. Fold dough over filling, pressing edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Spaghetti Ham Bake

2 packages (7 oz each) thin spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces

4 cups cubed fully cooked ham

2 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2 cups (16 oz) sour cream

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Topping:

2 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

** recipe makes 2**

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl. Stir in ham, soup, sour cream, mushrooms, onion, olives, mustard, seasoned salt, and Worcestershire sauce.

2. Transfer to baking dish. In a small bowl, toss bread crumbs and butter; add cheese. Sprinkle over casserole.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Cheddar Turkey Bake

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

4 teaspoons dried minced onion

2 cups uncooked long grain rice

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

4 cups cubed cooked turkey

2 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely crushed butter flavored crackers (about 60 crackers)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

** recipe makes 2**

1. In large saucepan, bring the broth, water, and onion to boil. Reduce heat. Add rice; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork.

2. Place in pan. Sprinkle with peas and turkey. In a bowl, combine the soup, milk, and salt until smooth; pour over turkey. Toss cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over the top.

3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutest or until golden brown.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2008/05/chicken-lasagna-roll-ups-by-jen.html

Chicken and Bows

1 package (16 oz) bow tie pasta

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/4 cup butter, cubed

2 cans (10.75 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2 cups frozen peas

1.5 cups milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

** recipe makes 2**

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook chicken and red pepper in butter over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

2. Stir in soup, peas, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.

3. Split into 2 portions and place in freezer container.

4. Thaw. Reheat in oven or microwave for 8-10 minutes.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Green Bean Chicken Casserole

1 package (6 oz) long grain and wild rice mix

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 3/4 cups frozen French-style green beans

1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken and broccoli soup, undiluted

1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

2/3 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup chopped green pepper

1 envelope onion soup mix

3/4 cup shredded Colby cheese

2/3 cup french-fried onions

** recipe makes 2**

1. Prepare wild rice according to package directions. Stir in chicken, beans, soups, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, and soup mix. Place in freezer container and freeze.

2. Completely thaw. Spoon into 1.5 qt baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with french-fried onions and bake 5 minutes longer or until onions are golden.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Pesto Chicken Pasta

http://freezerfriendz.blogspot.com/2010/03/pesto-chicken-pasta-by-andrea.html

Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 cups chicken, cooked & shredded (I use the leftover chicken pulled off the bones after cooking up a whole chicken, but you can also cook 2-3 chicken thighs and then shred them), or 1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 (29 oz) can of enchilada sauce (homemade is best and free from any preservatives, try this easy recipehere – it works great!)
2 (4-6 oz) cans chilis, optional
1 cup sour cream or cream of mushroom soup substitute
1 (15 oz) can of olives, sliced
1-2 cups kidney or black beans, if desired
cheddar cheese, grated (raw cheddar cheese is the best!)
12 tortillas, homemade or whole wheat

Combine garlic and onions and fry in a little oil until golden brown. Add chicken, enchiladas sauce, chilis, olives and just enough sour cream to make a creamy consistency. It will be runny, but that’s okay. Add kidney beans, if desired to make a complete protein. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Layer flat in a 13×9 pan, starting with a thin layer of sauce, tortilla, sauce, cheese, tortilla, etc. ending with a layer of cheese. Cover with tin foil, and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes otherwise it will be on the runny side.

For the Crockpot:

Cook meat, onions and garlic in a large saucepan over medium eat until nicely browned. Add enchilada sauce, chilis, sour cream, olives, and black beans and mix until well combined. Cover the bottom of your crockpot with a thin layer of sauce, followed by a layer of tortillas, another layer of sauce, and then cheese, and repeat in that fashion until all your ingredients have been added (probably 3-4 layers). Finish with a layer of sauce and cheese. Turn your crockpot on low heat, cover, and allow to cook for 5-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream!

Obtained from Passionate Homemaking Blog

Veggie Lasagna

18 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 cartons (15 oz each) reduced-fat ricotta cheese

4 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp pepper

8 cups spaghetti sauce

4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 packages (16 oz each) frozen cut green beans or 8 cups fresh green beans

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

*recipe makes 2*

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, ricotta cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper; set aside.

2. In two 13"x9" baking dishes coated with cooking spray, spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce. Drain noodles; place three noodles over sauce in each dish.

3. Layer each with a quarter of ricotta mixture, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 3 lasagna noodles, and half of green beans. Top each with the remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, remaining lasagna noodles, spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over each.

4. Cover and freeze.

5. Thaw. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45 to 60 minutes or until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Chicken Divine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken (cooked--I boiled mine)

1 Can Cream of ___ soup (recipe called for celery or mushroom but I don't like either so I used chicken)

1 Can Milk

1 1/2 Cup Cheese (divided)

2 Cups Frozen Broccoli

3 Cups stuffing or bread crumbs (if using stuffing prepare per directions and if using bread crumbs just mix with butter to help them stick together)

Directions

Mix chicken, soup, milk, 1/2 cup cheese and broccoli together. Put in freezer bag and freeze.

When you are ready to use, thaw mixture.

Prepare stuffing or bread crumbs or stuffing. Spread in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with the chicken mixture. Top with 1 cup cheese.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (until mixture is heated completely).

*Recipe received from my friend Kelly. I don't remember which cookbook she received it from.

Southwestern Casserole

1 package (7 oz) elbow macaroni, cooked according to package

2 lbs ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomato, undrained

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained (I left these out, in case it was too hot for anyone)

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

0.5 tsp ground cumin

0.5 tsp pepper

2 cups (8 oz) shredded monterey jack cheese

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (I left these out, in case it was too hot for anyone)

*recipe makes 2*

1. Cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked macaroni.

2. Transfer to 2 freezer containers.

3. Thaw. Put in baking dish and top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Herbed Pork Chops

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons fennel, crushed

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

6 pork chops

2 teaspoons basil

Combine together in small bowl: wine, fennel, marjoram, basil, salt, and garlic. Blend well.

*The original recipe says to set this mixture aside then spray a large skillet with cooking spray (I find that pouring some oil in the bottom of the skillet works better).

Cook the pork chops over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Turn chops, add wine mixture. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Cool. Place chops with wine sauce into labeled freezer bags. Freeze.

To Serve: Thaw. Place chops and wine mixture into large skillet; reheat until heated through. Serve with wine sauce poured over the top of the pork chops.

*I prefer not to cook the chops before freezing them so I pour the wine mixture over the pork chops in the ziplock bag, then freeze. To serve: Thaw. Cook in skillet per instructions above except that the wine sauce goes in from the beginning. I have also baked these in the oven on 350 for 30ish minutes with good success. I think I covered the pan for most of the cooking time. 

**The original recipe came from Frozen Assets Lite & Easy.

Peachy Barbeque Chicken

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 chicken breasts

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups peach preserves

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup barbeque sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 medium green peppers, julienned

2 cans (8 oz each) sliced water chestnuts, drained

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

2. In a large skillet, brown chicken on both sides in oil. In a large bowl, combine the preserves, onion, barbeque sauce, and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Add green peppers and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Cool chicken. Transfer to freezer container.

4. After thawing, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 or 60 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with rice.

from "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers" cookbook

Taco Bake

Ingredients:

1/2-2/3 pound shredded chicken or ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

1 can Rotel Tomatoes (I use the mild flavor, but you can pick whichever you like)

1 can black beans

1 can whole kernel corn

5 soft flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1. Cook chicken or beef. If using chicken shred after cooking.

2. Mix meat with taco seasoning, Rotel Tomatoes, black beans, and corn in a large bowl.

3. Stack tortillas and meat mixture alternately.

*4. If freezing, wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. Thaw before cooking.

5. Top with cheese and bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 t pepper

about 3/4 pkg Trader Joe's turkey gravy OR 1 pkg brown gravy mix and 1 can beef broth

2 cans green beans, drained

2 cans corn, drained

1 pkg frozen mashed potatoes, cooked (do not freeze these, add right before baking)

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Day: Cook ground beef; drain. Return to skillet. Add seasonings and gravy or gravy mix. Stir in broth if using; cook, stirring until mixture is thick (adding a couple of T flour can help). Spoon into freezer ziploc and add veggies. Freeze.

Serving Day: Thaw meat and veggies. Cook mashed potatoes as directed on pkg (for Trader Joes ones I included put the entire pkg on the stove with 6 T milk and stir often). Put meat mixture into sprayed 13 x 9 and spoon mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 min.

Sausage-Stuffed French Loaf

1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c mozzarella, shredded
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t fennel seeds
1/4 t salt & pepper, each
2 T butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 (16 oz) loaf, unsliced French bread OR frozen bread dough loaf + 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs

If using French bread: Cut off ends of loaf. Hollow out loaf with knife, leaving 1/2" shell. With food processor, process bread insides until course crumbs. Set shell and crumbs aside.

Cook meat and onion in skillet until brown and crumbly. Drain. Add 1 cup reserved bread crumbs, cheese, and next 6 ingredients; stir well. Spoon mixture into shell; replace loaf ends with toothpicks.  Wrap up well in tinfoil, label, and freeze.

For cooking day: Brush the top of thawed loaf with melted butter and garlic. Wrap up again with tinfoil, leaving top slightly open. Place on baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes.


If using frozen bread dough: Thaw and roll out dough into a rectangle. When mixing the ingredients add store-bought bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs).

Cook stuffing as listed above. Then roll up sides of bread dough around stuffing, resembling the size and shape of a loaf of French bread. I like to spray with cooking spray and then sprinkle with corn meal. Then invert this onto tinfoil. Wrap up well, label, and freeze.

For cooking day: Brush the top of thawed bread dough with melted butter and garlic. Bake uncovered on baking sheet at 375 for 20-22 minutes.


Fun to serve with salad and potato chips.
Serves 4-6

From Southern Living magazine

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 packaged pie crust (top and bottom)

About 1 lb of cooked chicken cut into small pieces

½ bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 ½ cups of white sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper

1 ½ cups milk

I added minced garlic, and Italian seasoning (I usually also add Parmesan cheese, but forgot this time)

Instructions:

Make white sauce by melting the butter and mixing with flour to form a roué. Slowly add milk while stirring constantly until sauce starts to bubble. Continue to stir while cooking for 1 minute. (I found this recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook).

Mix cooked and cut chicken, veggies, and sauce.

Pour into bottom crust. Top with top crust. Seal the edges and cut slits into the top crust.

Freeze, covered with foil

To Cook:

Thaw

Cover the edged of the crust with foil to prevent them from becoming over done.

Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour or until the crust is lightly browned.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup orange juice concentrate

1 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp salt

11 oz can mandarin oranges, drained, with 3 T juiced reserved

2 T flour

1.     Place chicken in slow cooker.

2.     Combine onion, orange juice concentrate, poultry seasoning, and salt. Pour over chicken.

3.     Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

4.     Remove chicken and keep warm. Reserve cooking juices.

5.     In a saucepan, combine 3 T reserved mandarin orange juice and flour. Stir until smooth.

6.     Stir in chicken cooking juices. Bring to a boil. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to thicken.

7.     Stir in mandarin oranges. Pour over chicken.

8.     Serve with rice or pasta.  

From Fix-It and Forget-It Light Cookbook

Chicken Noodle Casserole

From 30 day gourmet

http://www.30daygourmet.com/recipes/1276.aspx

3 C. Chicken breast; boneless, skinless, cooked and diced

21 oz. Cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 C. Shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. Narrow noodles; dry

8 oz. Chicken broth

1.5 C. Frozen mixed vegetables (optional)

Assembly Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Mix soup, broth, veggies (optional) and chicken in large bowl. Gently toss in cooked noodles.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:
To freeze: If using Ziploc bags, leave the cheddar out. You could freeze it in a smaller ziploc and attach it to the big Ziploc containing the chicken mixture. If using foil pans, sprinkle with cheddar, cover with waxed paper and wrap with foil.

To serve: Thaw completely. Remove foil and waxed paper or dump from Ziploc into casserole dish and top with cheddar. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Fiesta Soup

From 30 day gourmet:

http://www.30daygourmet.com/recipes/1261.aspx

1 lb ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

15 oz diced tomatoes

12 oz Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 taco seasoning envelope

1 ranch dressing mix envelope

1 c. water

15 oz pinto beans

15 oz kidney beans

15 oz hominy or corn

Assembly Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onion. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, Ro-Tel tomatoes, Taco seasoning, Ranch dressing, water, pinto beans, kidney beans and hominy. Do not drain any of the canned items before adding them. When the beef is cooked, drain it and add it to the soup mixture. Stir to mix well.

Freezing Directions:
Put soup into freezer bag(s). Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Place soup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Calzones

I used the bread maker to make pizza dough. You can use a pizza dough recipe or store bought pizza dough. Here's the one for the bread machine.

Dough

1 C plus 2 Tbs Water

3 Tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

4 tsp sugar

4 C All-Purpose Flour

2 1/2 tsp active yeast

Filling

4 C frozen broccoli

scant 2 C Ricotta Cheese

2 C Mozzarella Cheese

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced

To taste Pepper

12 Thin slices of Ham

1. Place all dough ingredients in the bread pan, select Dough setting, and press Start.

2. When the dough has risen long enough, the machine will beep. Turn off bread machine, remove bread pan, and turn out dough onto a heavily floured counter top or cutting board. Shape dough into a log.

With a sharp knife, divide dough into 12 pieces.

3. Grease a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, cheeses, garlic and pepper; set aside.

5. With a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a 6-inch circle. On one half of each circle, place folded slice of ham, then spread 1/2 cup of broccoli mixture on top of ham. Fold each half of dough over filling. Seal well by pressing edges together with the tines of a fork. Brush each calzone with melted butter (see below).

Topping

4 Tbs Melted Butter

2 C Spaghetti Sauce

Parmesan Cheese to taste

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve warm with Spaghetti Sauce and Parmesan Cheese on the side.

**To freeze, allow to cool completely and then wrap in parchment paper and put in a freezer bag. When you are ready to eat, remove from freezer and place directly into preheated (350 degrees) oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

**You can add almost anything to the inside of your calzone. You are not limited to the fillings I've listed here.

Recipe obtained from Bread Machine Magic: 138 Exciting Recipes Created Especially for Use in All Types of Bread Machines.

Pizza Braid

Dough:
• 1 pkg. (1 scant T.) yeast
• 1 c. very warm water
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 T. butter
• 3 c. flour (I use 2/3 white, 1/3 whole wheat)
Filling: This is what I used on the braids this month. Feel free to
adjust to your liking!
• pepperoni, sliced in quarters
• chopped ham

• 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
Dissolve yeast in water; add sugar, salt, egg, butter and 1 1/2 cups
flour. Beat until smooth; add enough remaining flour until dough is
stiff enough to knead. Knead for 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl
and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. (I used rapid rise
yeast so I adjusted the mixing instructions accordingly - all dry
mixed together with yeast then add hot liquid - and it only had to
rise about 10 minutes). While dough is rising, mix pepperoni and ham (and any other fillings you want to use) with spaghetti sauce. Set aside. Punch down risen dough. Roll dough into
a rectangle on a greased cookie sheet. (I rolled it out on the table
then moved it to wax paper on a cookie sheet) Spoon meat filling down
the center of the dough. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cut 8 even
slits from the filling out to the edge of the dough. (You can use a
pizza cutter to do this. Hint: for even strips, slice your middle
strip first. Then slice the middle of the halves, then the middle of
the quarters. - Actually, I discover that it was easier to do this if
I put the dough on the wax paper on the table then after I finished
slid the wax paper onto the cookie sheet for freezing)
Start at one end and criss cross the dough strips.
Tuck the last strip under.

At this point I put the braid on the cookie sheet in the freezer for
an hour or so to flash freeze. Then I came back and wrapped it in labeled foil. If you are going to
bake your pizza right away, the wax paper isn't necessary.

Be sure unwrap your braid and place it on a baking sheet to thaw.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400*.

Serve with a side salad or veggie for a fun twist on pizza night.

Mile High Enchilada Pie

5-8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 jar (12 oz) prepared salsa
1 can corn, drained (or frozen corn)*
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (I actually used turkey)
1 cup shredded cheese

Slow cooker directions
Prepare foil handles for slow cooker (see below); place in slow cooker. Place 1 tortilla on bottom of slow cooker. Top with small amount of salsa, corn, chicken & cheese. (I found that mixing the salsa and chicken together first worked well - reserve some salsa for the top). Continue layering using remaining ingredients, ending with only salsa and cheese on the top tortilla. 7 seemed to be the magic number of tortillas for me for using all the ingredients. Cover; cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. Pull out by foil handles. Garnish with fresh cilantro and slice of red pepper if desired.

For freezing, I made the foil handles by folding pieces of aluminum foil in thirds and placed them on a piece of wax paper. Then I assembled the tower and carefully moved it to a pan in the freezer. I let it flash freeze for an hour or so before I took it out and completely wrapped the pie in foil.

For Serving Day, remove outer foil and wax paper. Leave inner foil handles and place in crock pot. Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. Pull out by foil handles.

*(The original recipe called for kidney beans instead of corn. The first time I made this recipe I just omitted the beans and served corn on the side. We ended up mixing the corn with the pie so I decided to substitute corn in the recipe for the beans. I think olives might also be a nice touch but I haven't tried that.)

Chicken Stir Fry

3 cups diced chicken

1 head of broccoli – chopped

1 onion – sliced

1 cup (+/-) carrots

1/2 cup soy sauce (plus extra for marinade)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Cut chicken, marinate in soy sauce, and cut in skillet w/1-2 tablespoons of oil. Cool and Freeze.

Combine Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar, freeze

Cut vegetables and freeze individually pieces. Once frozen combine vegetables in freezer bag or container.

COOKING DAY –

Thaw chicken and sauce mixture.

Cook frozen vegetables in hot skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons of oil. Add chicken and sauce, cook until warm.

Serve with cooked rice.