HAPPY NEW YEAR - Recipes for Freezing...

first up chicken pesto shells. 

technically, not a slow cooker meal.  but they are SO good and easy to make large batches and freeze.  i use the gluten free shells and they work great.  i make sure to cook them al dente before freezing.

ingredients:

12-16 jumbo pasta shells {i used two boxes}
water for boiling pasta
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
6 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

in a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. cook pasta shells only until al dente. the pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. drain the pasta shells and set aside.

in a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

to make ahead/freezer meals -

prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish. top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells, cover and freeze.  when ready to prepare, defrost. preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese.

my sweet martha stewart was a big helper.  especially when the shredded chicken was cooling.

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ingredients for cilantro lime chicken with corn and black beans: this recipe makes two bags, which for us is two meals per bag.

6-8 chicken breasts
4 Tbs olive oil
2+ limes, juiced
2 (16oz) bags of frozen corn
4 minced garlic cloves
1 finely chopped onion
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp cumin or chipotle powder
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

• take ingredients and split everything into two freezer safe containers. i used ziploc bags.
• mix bag by shaking, seal, label and put in the freezer.
• cooking instructions: cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

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Easy Lasagna Recipe

(makes 3 freezer meals)

Meat Marinara

Ricotta Cheese (largest tub)

1 large egg

1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan

No bake lasagna noodles (2 boxes made all of mine)

Shredded mozzarella cheese (the bag kind totally works for me) – it’s hard to say how much, but I used about 10 cups total

In a small bowl mix together the ricotta, egg, pepper and Parmesan until thoroughly combined.

On the bottom of your pan, ladle in enough sauce to lightly coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Using a small spoon or tablespoon scoop, add in dollops of the ricotta mixture (I did 5 drops on each layer, one on each corner and one in the middle). Add more marinara onto and around the ricotta, sprinkle a thin layer of mozzarella, then add another layer of noodles. Do three layers, topping it off the final layer of noodles with sauce and good layer mozzarella cheese and cover with cardboard top. Set aside to cool before putting in freezer.

When you’re ready to cook, take off the top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees, take off aluminum and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Add a salad and some garlic bread and you’ve got a meal in just a few minutes.

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After I made my lasagna, I put the rest of the marinara into gallon Ziploc bags, two cups in each, then squished all the air off and froze them flat in the freezer. When I want to make spaghetti, I cook the noodles, warm the sauce, add a salad and some bread and I’m done.

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Easy Chili Recipe

2 pounds of ground beef

1 onion, diced

3 cans of chili beans

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes (14 oz can)

2 packs of chili seasoning

1/2 table spoon salt

2 cups water

Put browned ground beef into a pan with onions and cook until onions are soft. Add in all the other ingredients (including the juice of the tomatoes) and cook for 30 minutes or so until flavors have combined.

It’s hard to measure, but I used two gallon bags to put in 1/3 of the mixture into each, and then split the rest up into a couple smaller quart bags for chili dogs or chili chips and cheese (things where chili is not the main meal.)

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Now let’s work on the chicken recipes. I shredded all of the chicken and used it in several of the recipes below. After they were all made, I put the rest of the shredded chicken into quart size Ziploc bags and froze them flat for Chicken Tacos, BBQ Chicken sandwiches, etc.

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

(makes 3 freezer meals)

3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts

2 boxes of pasta (I used penne), cooked and drain 

2 cans of Campbell’s cheddar soup

2 cups of chicken broth (I used the broth from cooking the chicken)

2 bags of frozen broccoli

1 Tablespoon Salt

3 cups of shredded cheddar

Combine all ingredients except shredded cheddar into a bowl, divide out into three pans, the top with cheddar cheese. When ready to cook, bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until warm and bubbly. Because I’m getting carbs, veggies and protein all in one dish, I usually add another veggie and some garlic bread and that’s it. So yummy!

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Tex Mex Chicken Casserole

(makes 4 freezer meals)

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

8 cups of cooked rice

2 can of Rotel tomatoes

2 packs of taco seasoning

2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained

2 cans of black beans (undrained)

1 small can of black olives, drained

6 cups of cheddar cheese, grated

Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl, except the cheese. Divide out into four pans, then top each with the cheddar cheese and top with cardboard topper. To cook, remove cardboard piece and bake at 350 until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted (all ingredients are already cooked, so it’s just a matter of heating it well.) I serve with sour cream and salsa on top and tortilla chips on the side.

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Basic Chicken Casserole Recipe

(makes 3 casseroles)

4 shredded, cooked chicken breasts

5 cups of cooked rice

2 cans of cream of chicken condensed soup

1 cup of chicken broth

2 bags of frozen peas and carrots (I used mixed, but you could use one bag of each)

1 Tablespoon of salt

1/2 Tablespoon of black pepper

3 cup of French’s onions

3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, combine the cheese and onions together – set aside (for the topping)

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients together, then separate into pans. Top each one with 1/3 of the topping mixture and freeze. When ready to cook, bake at 350 until thoroughly warm and cheese is melted (everything is already cooked in the casserole.)

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My total freezer meals recipe stash:

3 lasagnas

2 Stuffed Shells

2 bags of chili (plus 2 additional small bags for chili dogs/nachos)

3 broccoli cheddar chicken pasta bakes

2 cilantro lime chicken

3 bags of shredded chicken breast (ready for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc.)

2 steak & FF or Potatoes (from Sams)

3 Cordon Blue (buy frozen from Sams)

2 Spaghetti & Sauce (on hand) 

Grand total – 20+ meals 

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Ingredients For Salad:

4 to 6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 white or red onion, thinly sliced

1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1 Tbs salt (don't worry, you're going to rinse it all off)

Ingredients For Dressing:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs honey

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (like McCormick perfect pinch)

1/2 tsp salt

2 dashes of cayenne pepper