22-7-2009 - Make ahead and Freeze Meals

My mood while writing this blog: Awake

A few of you ladies showed interest in my make ahead and freeze meals for maternity leave, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been preparing, I’ll be updating this blog each week. What I’ve been doing is preparing one make ahead meal a week, I double the recipes that way we can eat half the meal for dinner and the other half goes in the freezer.

FYI- If you decide to prepare make-ahead meals, most of my research for recipes has said the freezer life of a meal is three months. It’s SUPER IMPORTANT that you get as much air out of the freezer container as possible, I use the new ziplock bags that have the vacuum pump and whenever possible I store my meals right in a freezer bag instead of tray to conserve space in my freezer. You can also find recipe books for freezer meals, I was given the “30 Meals in One Day” series, and I know there are more books out there like my collection.

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Beef Enchiladas (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
10 Tortilla Shells
8 oz Mexican Cheese, Shredded
1 lbs ground beef
10 oz Rotel (Tomatoe & Green Chilies)
14 oz Enchilada Sauce
2.25 oz Black Olives, Chopped
8 oz Refried Beans
1/4 cup Green Onions, Chopped
1/8 cup Cilantro

Instructions
Brown ground beef, drain off fat. Place ground beef back in pan, add Rotel, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, black olives, refried beans, chopped green onions and cilantro. Cook on medium for 5 minutes and stir occasionally. Place cheese on each each tortilla. Put cooked mixture ontop of tortilla and cheese. Roll tortilla and place in a 9x13 baking pan. Pour remaining Enchilada sauce over tortillas (I use a brush to evenly coat the enchilada. Put remaining cheese ontop of enchiladas. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (If you freeze skip this step until ready to prepare)

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Amish Chicken Pot Pie
Not actually a pie, but a popular Pennsylvania Dutch chicken stew made with pie dough.

Ingredients
8 lb. whole chicken
4 ½ quarts water
6 cups flour
3 Tbsp. margarine, softened
6 eggs
3 tsp. salt
1/8 cup water
½ tsp. baking powder
2 ½ quarts chicken broth
5 quarts water
2 quarts peeled, diced potatoes

Instructions
Cook chicken in 4 ½ quarts water until meat is tender. Remove 2 ½ quarts broth. Cool and debone. Meanwhile, combine flour, margarine, eggs, salt, 1/8 cup water, and baking powder with a large spoon. Mix well, then form into five separate balls by hand. Let dough rest 20-30 minutes. Roll out each ball of dough. Cut into squares. Combine chicken broth, five quarts water, potatoes and bring to a boil. Drop squares of pot pie dough into boiling liquid, keeping squares separated until they are partially cooked. Cook about 20 minutes. Immediately before serving, add cooked chicken and heat through. Freeze half the meal, thaw before serving and warm on stove or crockpot on low setting for 6-8 hours.

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Old-World Manicotti (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
12 Large Manicotti Shells
4 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups Ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons Chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
1 Tbsp garlic
1 (26 ounce) jar Prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup Grated parmesan or romano cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 in baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels. For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta, basil and garlic. Using a teaspoon carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture. Spoon 2 cups spagheti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arranged stuff pasta over sauce. Pour remaing spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake manicotti for 15 min. Sprinkle with the parmesan; bake for 10 min longer. If you freeze skip the baking step until ready to prepare.

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Chicken Rococco (I use four breast for dinner and freeze the other four)

Ingredients
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
2 cups dried bread crumbs
1 cup wild rice
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup butter

Instructions
Flatten chicken breasts between waxed paper. In small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp. butter and saute onion and garlic until tender. Remove from heat. In small bowl, combine cream cheese with sauteed onion and garlic and blend well. Divide mixture among the chicken breasts. Roll up each piece to hold filling.
Beat egg with milk. Dip each chicken bundle in egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook wild and brown rice in water to cover for 45 minutes. Drain off any remaining water.

Melt 1/4 cup butter and olive oil in large frying pan. Saute chicken bundles just to brown lightly. Remove chicken and set aside. In oil remaining in pan, cook green peppers, the second onion, and mushrooms until crisp tender. Add flour and cook and stir until bubbly. Add chicken broth and half and half or milk, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. Combine rice mixture with this sauce and pour into 13x9" baking pan. Top with chicken bundles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and chicken bundles are thoroughly cooked. If you're going to freeze this dish, bake as directed, then cool completely in the refrigerator. To thaw and reheat, thaw overnight in refrigerator, bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until thoroughly heated.

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Baked Spaghetti (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
16 oz Spaghetti Noodles
4 Tbsp Butter
2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
3 eggs, beaten
2 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 Quart Spaghetti Sauce
1 lbs Ground beef, optional

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain spaghetti, add butter, parmesan cheese and egg. Spread in 9x13 inch pan. Cover with 2 cups grated cheddar. Pour spaghetti sauce over top. DO NOT mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking

*If you like hamburger, spread it over top of spaghetti before the sauce is added.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
4 slices Swiss Cheese or Provolone Cheese
4 slices Cooked Ham
1/2 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
2 Egg, beaten

Sauce
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Instruction
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, corn syrup, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes. Remove half of sauce, cover and refrigerate to serve later. Butterfly cut chicken breasts, pound each breast to flatten slightly. Spread each breast with sauce mix, top with 1 ham slice and cheese slice. Roll up breast to enclose filling, secure with toothpicks. Mix together salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Dip chicken in egg, roll in bread crumbs to coat. Place in lightly greased baking pan and make at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bak for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve remaining breast with remaining sauce mix. If you freeze, prepare chicken as directed but do not bake. Thaw before baking.

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Meat Loaf

Ingredients
2 lbs Meat Loaf Mix (ground beef, veal and pork)
3 Eggs, beaten
¾ cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
3 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp White Pepper
½ cup Ketchup
¾ cup Onion, chopped
¾ cup Green Onion, chopped
½ cup Celery, chopped
¼ cup Red and Green Pepper, chopped
2 cloves, Garlic

Sauce
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 Tbsp Mustard
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Instruction
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté onions, green onions, celery, peppers and garlic in butter, let cool. Combine meat loaf mix, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, ½ cup ketchup, onion, green onion, celery, red pepper, green pepper and garlic. Form into two large loaf pans or 8 small loaf pans. Mix together 1/3 cup Ketchup, mustard and brown sugar, pour over top of each loaf. Place one loaf in freezer and Bake other at 375 degrees for 60 minutes or until done.

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Lasagna (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1lb sweet Italian sausage
1lb pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion (i used onion powder)
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1-2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
9-12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instruction
Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I put in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours) Cook noodles according to package directions. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 (or 3, 3 & 3) noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking

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Ground Beef BBQ (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1 lbs Ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Vinegar
2 Tbsp Sugar
Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Worchershire Sauce
Ketchup, approximately one bottle but use to taste

Instruction
Brown ground beef, drain. Brown onion and pepper. Put in crockpot, add remaining ingredients, cook on low for 8 hours. If you freeze add all ingredients, skip crockpot step until ready to cook, thaw before cooking in crockpot.

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Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
2 boxes frozen broccoli, chopped (I use fresh)
3 cups shredded chicken, cooked
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of celery)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp minced onion (I don't add this)
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (I use bread cubes and use as many as it takes to cover dish)
1 Tbsp butter (if you use bread cubes skip this)

Instruction
Before you make this recipe- place chicken in Crock-Pot, cover with water and cook on low for 8 hours. After chicken is cooked, remove skin, bone and shred chicken. You can freeze chicken until you're ready to use or place in refrigerator if you plan to make the recipe in the next couple days. Cook broccoli slightly and put in bottom of 2 quart flat baking dish. Layer chicken over broccoli. Mix soup, mayonnaise, 1 cup cheese, onion and egg. Pour over chicken. Top with buttered crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup cheese (I usually use more). Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking

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Amish Chicken (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1 lbs Chicken, Thighs & Wings with Skin and Bone
1 can cream of mushroom soup or you can use cream of chicken
1 Onion, chopped
4 Celery stocks, chopped
1 bag Bread Cubes
3 Eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp butter

Instruction
Place chicken in crockpot, cover with water and cook on low for 8 hours. After chicken is cooked, remove skin, bone and shred chicken. Reserve 1/2 cup chicken broth. Melt butter in a pan, add celery and onions, brown. Mix chicken, onions, celery, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, pepper, cream of mushroom and broth in a bowl. Place mixture in a casserole dish, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Pulled Barbecue Beef Sandwiches (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon Gebhardt® Chili Powder
1 pound shredded leftover cooked pot roast (1 lb = about 3 cups)
1 bottle (21.6 oz each) Hunt's® Original Barbecue Sauce
6 Kaiser rolls, split, toasted

Instruction
Heat oil in medium skillet or saucepan about 1 minute; add onion. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, or until onion browns a bit, stirring occasionally. Blend in chili powder.
Add shredded pot roast and barbecue sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes or untill bubbling, stirring occasionally.
Fill rolls evenly with the meat mixture and serve. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Stuffed Pepper Casserole (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
3 Medium green peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped carrot
18 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/4 tsp basil

Instruction
Brown meat, drain off fat. Brown onion, green peppers, garlic, carrot, onion & celery.Combine all ingredients, place in baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hours. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Barbecued Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients
1 4-1/2- to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Dash cayenne pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 to 16 French-style rolls, split and toasted

Instruction
Trim fat from meat. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, celery seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over all sides of meat; rub in with your fingers. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place meat on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill about 4 hours or until meat is very tender. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan, place on grill rack, and grill as above.) Remove meat from grill; cover with foil and let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a large saucepan combine tomato sauce, ketchup, onion, sweet pepper, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder, and garlic. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks. Stir shredded pork into sauce; heat through. Spoon pork onto toasted rolls. Makes 12 to 16 sandwiches. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Stuffed Shells (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1lb ground beef
1 large onion (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 (8oz) bag shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
1 (26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce (whatever you like)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
18 jumbo pasta shells (cooked according to package directions and drained)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup dry red wine

Instruction
Cook shells according to package directions. Meanwhile in a pan brown ground beef, garlic and onion. Drain off any excess fat and let cool. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine meat, mozzarella cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Mix spaghetti and tomato sauce and pour of the bottom of a 13×9 inch oven safe dish covering the bottom with a quarter of the sauce. Stuff the cooked and drained pasta shells with the meat mixture and place on top of the sauce in the oven dish. Add red wine and the remaining sauce mixing well and pour over the top of the shells. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Philly Cheese steak Casserole (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk
4 (4 ounce) cans mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instruction
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until they begin to soften. Add ground beef and cook, stirring until evenly browned. Drain off grease and pour into the bowl with the pasta. Stir in the soup, soup can of milk, mushrooms and thyme until well blended. Mix in 3 cups of the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Mix in remaining cheese. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the baking dish. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top if golden and crispy. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.

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Chicken Croquettes (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
2 cups finely diced cooked chicken or turkey
2 tablespoons grated or very finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Instruction
Mix together chicken and onion. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir briskly to make a roux. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until thickened and all lumps are dissolved. Cook for about 3 minutes but do not brown. Add salt and pepper; remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the chicken mixture, lemon juice, and parsley; combine well. Place in refrigerator until chilled. Heat oil in large fry pan over medium-high heat. Form the chicken mixture into cutlets. Dip each into the beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs. Fry until browned on both sides. If you freeze, place Croquettes in freezer after cooking, thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Baked Ziti (Double recipe if you want to make for dinner and freeze)

Ingredients
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Instruction

Instruction
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. If you freeze, skip the baking step until ready to prepare, thaw before baking.