by Donna | Sep 7, 2013
Ten Freezer Foods I Don’t Like to Be Without
+Recipe link in Comments
*Must haves!
11. Soup Starter+—the beginnings of chili, vegetable soup, chicken rice soup, potato soup, and more.
22. Any kind of breaded chicken breasts*+ to pull out and use for main entrée, sandwiches, chicken parmesan, chicken cordon bleu (sort of!), chicken and gravy, etc.
33. Sloppy joes+—One of my favorite sandwich fillings and so much healthier than cold meat sandwiches. I really like to have quart bags of these in the freezer.
44. Master beef cube mix*+–I started with this twenty-three years ago and still use it today! I don’t think my freezer has been without bags of this for two decades! Used for homemade beef stew, stroganoff over noodles, homemade pot pies, and more!
55. Cheesy potato casseroles*+–I am sure my freezer hasn’t been without these in twenty years! I have had a number of recipes for this (some with sour cream, shredded cheeses, etc.), but for some reason, this has become my favorite, despite the fact that I hate cottage cheese! You absolutely can’t taste the cottage cheese, and that with the cream and Velveeta truly make the creamiest potato casserole! I take these to every potluck I go to it seems! (It’s actually a little too rich and a little too expensive to have for daily fare at home, so we usually only have this for special occasions (and potlucks, new mom meals, etc.), but I always keep some in the freezer for those times.)
66. Shredded meats+—I like to put shredded chicken, beef, and pork in freezer bags with broth (or even gravy) to keep them moist. They are ready for anything—soups, stews, Mexican, Oriental, sandwiches, etc.
77. Taco meat*—Talk about versatile—taco soup, Mexican pizzas, taco salad, tacos, nachos, hot Mexican dip, even chili in a pinch—this meat is my go to freezer meat!
88. Lasagna*—Okay, I admit it. I actually tear up when I pull the last lasagna out of my freezer!! It is such a sad day! While taco meat and potato casseroles are musts in my freezer, nothing beats a meal-in-one-pan!
99. Meatloaves—I have used Ray’s grandmother’s recipe (“Grandma’s Meatloaf”) for our entire married life. I love to pull out two meatloaves, bake them (with a sauce on top!), precook some little red potatoes in a fourth a cup or so of broth in the micro, and arrange the potatoes around the meatloaf the last thirty minutes or so in the oven. I also like to take meatloaves to new moms with cheesy potato casserole!
110. Marinated chicken breast pieces+--I have one recipe that we call “Don Pablo’s Chicken” because it is sweet and tastes similar to the fajita chicken at our favorite Mexican recipe. Anyway, I freeze this chicken both ways—in the marinade (marked RAW on the bag) and already stir fried (after marinating in the fridge for a while). I love having both kinds to pull out and use in Mexican and oriental dishes (fajitas; stir fries; and various skillets I make with veggies, rice, etc.)
LINKS for recipes from our blog:
by Donna | Jul 19, 2013
Ninja Master Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream, heavy
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup strawberry, frozen
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine 11/2 c of the milk, whipping cream and sugar, and then stir to dissolve sugar. Fill one 16 cube ice cube tray with the mixture. Freeze for at leate 3 hours, or until frozen solid.
Place ice cream cubes in the Master Prep Pitcher and then add frozen strawberries, strawberry syrup, vanilla extract and the remaining 1/2 c of milk over top. Secure the Pitcher’s top and pulse for 10-15 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
Serve granished with a drizzle of strawberry syrup or fresh strawberries.
by Donna | May 29, 2013
Watch our blog (and FB page) for our new summer series, “Power Hour,” in which we will share recipes (with varying amounts and numbers of servings) that you can make in an hour (or less with some young helpers!) and make four to six (or more if making for three or four people) freezer entrees.
If you have always wanted to try freezer cooking, but an entire program of one whole day (or week!) of cooking feels overwhelming to you, our “Power Hour” might be just the thing to get you over the fear of freezer cooking!
Think your family won’t like the foods? I have been freezer cooking for twenty-three years this summer, and while I have definitely evolved as a freezer cook, I have hundreds of recipes that my family loves–and not just layered or bagged casseroles either! Some of our favorites that I will be sharing with you include potato casserole, braised beef cube mix, meatloaves, meatballs, sausage rice stir fry, parmesan chicken breasts, poor man’s steak, spaghetti pie, meats for stir fries and fajitas, and much more. And you can do each one in under an hour!
We’ll post our first one the week of June 9th, so stay “posted”! 🙂 And share with your friends!
by Donna | May 23, 2013
OR
I have made many hash brown casseroles through the years. I have two favorites, for sure–one with cream and cottage cheese (that doesn’t have the sour cream taste, for those who do not care for sour cream) and one with sour cream. Both are cheesy and delicious!
Here is the sour cream one….with variations–cooking it in a crock pot (great to go with bbq’ed food when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen in the summer) and one for “mega” cooking—ten times! 🙂 These potatoes freeze wonderfully–and are one of my most often-made freezer foods because I love having side dishes to pull out of the freezer.
- 2 lbs. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (see last ingredient for more butter)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion or green onion OR 2 TBSP dried minced onion
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 pint (2 cups) sour cream (regular or light)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese or Colby cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups crushed corn flakes and 1/4 cup (half stick) butter for topping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees if baking (and not crocking or freezing.
2. Grease or spray a 9×13″ pan or baking dish; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns with 1/2 cup of the melted butter, pepper, salt, and chopped onion, blending well.
4. Add in the soup and sour cream, then the cheddar cheese, mixing everything well.
5. Spread mixture evenly into a 9×13″ baking dish.
6. Mix remaining 1/4 cup melted butter and the crushed corn flakes together and sprinkle over top of casserole. 7. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes regular or 40 mins convection.
8. If using the crock pot, turn all ingredients into greased large crock. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring halfway through. Remove lid for last hour or so to thicken. Omit topping or add near end.
I made twelve of these—half for my friend’s graduation party and half for my freezer. Are you ready for this recipe times twelve (well, six for most folks!)?
Here are some tips for the expansion:
1. You will need a huge bowl! I used to make this much in a huge rubbermaid tub with rubber gloves to keep from freezing my hands while I mixed. This time I used my gigantic bowl and did the recipe half (six times each) then repeated. (The recipe below is for six….seldom do people have freezer space for twelve!)
2. This is one of the simplest freezer recipes to make times six (like below) or more–or to even make twelve 8 x 8 dishes out of (using the multiples of six given below). Thus, if you are only feeding four or five of you, you can make the recipe below (six times for a 9×13). Then divide it evenly among twelve 8 x 8 pans.
3. When you are done mixing all of the ingredients, just take big handfuls (or glass measures full) and dollup into each freezer pan. Cover. Label (see below). And freeze!
4. Labels: Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Thaw. Bake at 350′ for 50 to 60 mins,
uncovered. (40 to 50 convection.)
Sprinkle cracker crumbs or
Corn Flakes that you have
crushed into melted
butter over last 10 mins.
TIMES SIX for six 9 x 13 foil pans:
6 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
6 sticks butter
3 cup chopped onion or 12 TBSP dried minced onion
6 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
6 (16 ounce) container sour cream
48 ounces shredded Colby cheese
1 1/2 tsp pepper
6 tsp salt
12 cups Corn Flakes and 1 1/2 cups melted butter (for topping)
by Donna | May 21, 2013
Two Choices:
Choice One:
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 box Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix
1 can cream style corn
1/4 cup water
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
Choice Two:
2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 box Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix
2 cans cream style corn
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter softened
5 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
1. Combine boxes of mix in large mixing bowl.
2. Mix all ingredients with mixer or in Kitchen Aid type of bowl/mixer.
3. Pour into 8 x 8 for top recipe or 9 x 13 baking pan spayed with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Bake 20 to 25 mins for 8 x 8 and 32 to 36 mins for 9 x 13 in preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered.
by Donna | May 16, 2013
6 cups of Rice Krispies
1 C light karo syrup
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C peanut butter
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. chocolate chips
1. Pour Rice Krispies into large pan.
2. In saucepan, mix Karo and sugar. Bring just barely to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. When it just starts to boil, add peanut butter and mix it in.
4. Take mixture off the heat and pour over Rice Krispies. Mix together.
5. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
6. Press mixture into pan, but do not pack down too hard.
7. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on medium heat in microwave, stirring every thirty seconds. Do not overheat!
8. Spread melted chips over bars.
9. Cool and cut.
