It's that time...time to freeze some meals. I am freezing 30 meals this time! 10 recipes tripled to make 30 meals for my family! These ingredients cost me about $300 for the month...only because steaks and roasts are so high right now. Shop around with the sales and my favorite place, Aldi, to get items cheaper! Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do....
Recipes
Healthy Veggie Meatball Soup
3 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen veggies (mixed)
1 can stewed tomatoes
12 Italian meatballs...(You can make your own, or buy them)
3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of cooked pasta, spiral or egg noodle
Add all in bag in freeze except for noodles. They will added to the recipe right before serving. If you are on a new lifestyle like I am that doesn't include pasta, get your bowl of soup before adding thee pasta to the dish.
Day of cooking, place in crockpot on low for the day. Add cooked pasta just before serving. If you make the pasta ahead of time and freeze or put in the fridge the night before, add the pasta until it's fully heated through. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Lemon Chicken Breasts
6 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
1 cup chicken broth (remember you had some you froze if you did my recipes last month)
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons real butter
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3 tablespoons corn starch for thickening
Hot cooked rice
Optional: almond slices, parsley
Freeze all ingredients in a bag except for corn starch and rice (and almonds, and parsley)
Day of cooking- place all in crockpot. Cook High 6-8 hours. Low 4-6 hours....or until chicken is done. Remove chicken. Add broth to a sauce pan and stir in corn starch. Bring to a boil stirring constant for a couple of minutes. Serve over chicken and rice. Add almond and parsley to the dishes. If you do not want rice, like me, add chicken sliced to the top of a bed of lettuce and add the almonds. Choose a low fat dressing that you love. Most fat free ones are gross tasting. Experiment with different ones and find the ones you like.
Turkey Sloppy Joes
1 pound of turkey meat (I will make 2 lbs. because it takes that much with my family)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 can of tomato soup
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup pepper
Hamburger buns
Combine together and freeze.
Defrost night before....cook in skillet. Serve with chips and steamed vegetables. ( I will only have a helping of the meat and steamed veggies)
Cranberry Pork Tenderloin
1 - 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 ground cloves
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water
Combine sauce, juice, sugars, cloves and pour over tenderloin in a freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Day of cooking - place in crockpot on low 8 hours, high 6 hours or until tenderloin is done. (I just place on low in the er.morning and let it cook all day like everything else) Remove tenderloin. Combine starch with water. Stir in liquid. Put lid on for 15 more minutes until thickened and let tenderloin rest covered with foil. Serve with your choice of sides.
Pork Chop Caccitore
6 bone-in chops
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh mushrooms (you can use canned if you choose)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1/2 dried basil
2 tablespoons corn starch
Egg Noodles, cooked
Combine everything in freezer bag except cornstarch and noodles.
Day of cooking - add to crockpot low all day or 6-8 hours high. Combine a 1/4 cup water with corn starch and add to broth to thicken. Serve over noodles and/or you can make some side vegetables.
Fish pockets
I buy frozen fish fillets (cod, tilapia, salmon, etc.) that are already frozen in individual packets. Just buy enough for three meals and keep frozen in freezer. On the day of cooking, place packets in cold water in the sink for 30 minutes. Remove fish from the packets and place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Season fish with garlic salt and pepper. Cook according to package. Saute a bag of frozen green beans with a tablespoon olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Add a wedge of lemon to squeeze over fish if desired. You can serve this with some brown rice, wild rice, a great salad of your choice. I make hush puppies for the family as well.
Stuffed Bell Peppers and Crockpot Baked Potatoes
5 bell peppers, washed, seeded, and top cup off
1 lb hamburger meat, lean
1 cup onion, diced
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped5 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper
Combine meat with above ingredients, then add
1/2-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4-8 ounces tomato sauce, basil, garlic and oregano flavor
If it needs a little thickening, add some cooked rice, or bread crumbs, or add finely shredded carrots like I did last month in the spaghetti meat. Makes a great filler, no one tastes the carrots, and it's healthy!
Stuff peppers. Freeze.
Defrost night before in fridge.
Day of cooking:
Place peppers in crock pot. Pour over peppers a 14 ounces can of tomato sauce and then use the can to add 4 -6 ounces water
Place on low 6-8 hours or high 4- 6 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. I will serve with salad for myself.
Crockpot baked potatoes- wash the desired amount of potatoes. Prick them with a folk. Wrap each potato with foil shiny-side in. (You can sprinkle salt on each potato before wrapping. Place in an empty crockpot (DO NOT ADD LIQUID) on high 6 hours or low 8 hours. These are great for company served with a baked potato bar!
BBQ Sandwiches
Buy a roast in a size you desire based on your family. Freeze. Defrost the night before in fridge. Place in crockpot and pour over a bottle of your favorite or homemade bbq sauce. Cook high 6 hours, low 8 hours. Serve on buns with pickles and chips. I will make lettuce wraps with my bbq meat.
Burgers and Fries
Who doesn't like burgers and fries! They are healthier if you make your own. Use lean meat or turkey or chicken ground meat. Add a little bit of water and beefy onion soup mix. You can also grind some carrot in it for make the burger more filling. Believe me, no one can taste it and it's a great way to sneak in some nutrition. Combine....shape into burgers. Freeze with wax paper between each burger in a bag....one bag for each dinner. You can make these ahead of time for company too. Grill on the grill or George Foreman or fry (which I never do any more). Serve with baked fries (Buy frozen fries and bake them according to package or until nice and brown. Sprinkle with salt as soon as they come out of the oven. If they need some moister, you can spray a little cooking oil on them to help the salt adhere. Use season-salt for even more flavor). Again I will make a burger wrap and have some grilled veggies with it.
Steaks
Buy the favorite cut of steaks and freeze. Defrost in fridge over night marinating in Worcestershire sauce. Grill as desired or Broil under broiler until cooked to your desire. Serve sliced on a bed of lettuce or sauteed asparagus or steamed broccoli. Feel free to serve with a baked potato as well.
Ok, everyone! That is 10 meals. I will triple mine to make 30 meals. Feel free to use these recipes and tweet to your liking. These do not have to be frozen....you can get ingredients for a week and cook on your desired day. There is a lot less chopping this month.....which is great so prep time will not take as long. As I make the meals for my family, I will post pictures on the blog. Hope you enjoy them and Happy Valentine's Day. Say a prayer for my daughter, Rachel, who will be having surgery that day.
God bless!
1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
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