Mongolian Chicken

Found this recipe here. It's a crock pot recipe but can be done on the stove if you don't want it to cook all day. I also included a cup and a half of jasmine rice and some rice noodles. Enjoy!

Happy Sprinkle Cookies

Via Pinterest, I found These and thought they were adorable. The hard part is done for you....simply slice and bake at 325 and be amazed at the hypnotic spirals. ;) Merry Christmas!

Josie's Famous Taco Soup

Great, favorite soup by Josie....

1 lb ground beef (browned)
1 can chili beans
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (sometimes I do 1 can regular diced tomatoes and 1 can with the chiles - for those who don't like to sweat while they eat! Me - I like the heat!)
1 can pinto beans
1 bag frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch seasoning

Add some cheese and sour cream to garnish the finished bowl - the sour cream also cuts the heat. 

Glad you and your friends liked it!

Breakfast Casserole

Replay of this favorite breakfast casserole...or at least I started there.

Changes (aka Confessions of a distracted cook): 
-I used sausage this time instead of bacon, since one of my kids requested it.
-I didn't cook the eggs this time (Since I read other recipes and they said you didn't have to?? Who knew?) so you will need to thaw it completely AND cook it a little longer!

Great to pull out for a brunch, lazy morning (or Black Friday??).

Thaw completely and bake for 40 minutes at 375. (Directions ARE written on the foil per my husband...he says the husbands of the freezer swap NEED that. :) )

Enjoy!
Elisha

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

The recipe I followed came from Onceamonthmom.com and can be found here.  I thought that it sounded interesting and the reviews say it is tasty.  I took it to a carry in today at work and there were no leftovers!  In fact, several people asked for the recipe.  The website says that the dish is great as a side, or hearty enough to be a main dish.  After eating it myself, I would suggest eating it as a side. It's yummy, but might be too strong as the main course.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni, or other small pasta
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2.5 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cups pumpkin puree (Disclaimer:  I realized after freezing the first batch that one of the cans of pumpkin I bought was actually pumpkin pie mix... so hopefully that one is just as good.  Just may have a little extra zing!)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated swiss cheese
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated swiss cheese #2

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup water from pasta, and drain the rest. Put macaroni back into pot and add water. Set aside. Sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gently whisk in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg until smooth. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Whisk in pumpkin and stir in cheddar cheese and swiss cheese. After cheese melts, add brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour sauce into pot with macaroni and reserved water. Mix well, then pour into 9×13 baking dish. To make topping: Mix olive oil, bread crumbs and swiss cheese #2 in small bowl, top macaroni and cheese with topping. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare as directed above, but do not add topping, and do not bake. Place topping in quart bag without the oil. 

To serve:  
Thaw. Mix topping bag contents with 2 Tablespoons olive oil.  Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.

Servings: 8

Max and Erma's Tortilla Soup Copycat

I found this recipe and decided to give it a go. I LOVE this soup at the restaurant.

To prepare:
Pull out of the freezer and dump into the crockpot. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. If it's too thick you can thin with chicken broth or milk (or water). Before serving shred chicken. Toast tortilla strips (or fry in oil).
Serve with tortilla strips and colby cheese.
YUM!

Pumpkin Pancakes

-2 cups all-purpose flour
-3 tbsp. brown sugar
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. ground allspice
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 and 1/2 cups milk
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-1 egg
-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
-2 tbsp. vinegar

Combine milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.  Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.  Brown on both sides.

From freezer:  Reheat pancakes 10-20 seconds in the microwave.  Serve with cinnamon syrup.

I got the recipe for the cinnamon syrup from Allrecipes.com:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-syrup/

Lettuce Wraps--Replay

Haven't had these in a while and when I thought about them, it made my mouth water! :) So, I took that as a sign that I should do them again for all of us!
The original recipe is here. I put them together just a little differently this time and when you thaw (or not) you'll just throw the contents of the bag into a skillet and stir fry until the carrots are tender and the green onions are just wilted.
To serve, pull off leaves of lettuce (Bibb or Iceberg) and put a spoonful of the mixture inside. Roll like a burrito (wrap) and enjoy. Don't forget the Mai Ploy sauce (Sweet Chili sauce). Yum!

Cranberry Chicken

I thought this recipe sounded like fall.  I hope you enjoy!  The original recipe came from a blog post here,

2 apples, cut in wedges
1 small onion, chopped
2 pounds chicken breasts
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon quick cooking Tapioca
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 can cranberry sauce

Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.

On serving day, throw in the crock pot.  4 hours if thawed, 6-8 hours if frozen.

Serve over rice or couscous.

Baked Oatmeal

My only favorite recipe from PA.  Eat for breakfast or anytime!

4 cups oatmeal
pinch of salt
1 T baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 sticks melted butter

Mix and bake in 9x13 pan at 350 for 30 min.  Add any canned or fresh fruit you desire.  I like to pour milk over the hot oatmeal and enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Chicken

This has become a family favorite since my sister noticed it on Pinterest last spring. Hope you enjoy it!
You can find the post I used as inspiration here, although I also read that it was originally a Taste of Home recipe?

On cooking day, simply pour the contents of the bag into the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. When you're ready to serve, boil the pasta and shred the chicken in the crock pot (I use a pastry  blender for easy shredding!). Serve the alfredo-like-sauce over the pasta with garlic bread and a salad. YUM!

Mock Pasta E Fagioli (from Olive Garden)

I know it's still summer, but these cool evenings made me think of soup!  I'm actually remembering to post it on the blog, too!  Looking forward to being back on a schedule.

-3 tsp. oil
-2 pounds ground beef
-14 ounces carrots, chopped
-14 ounces celery, chopped
-12 ounces onion, chopped
-48 ounces tomatoes; canned, diced
-2 cups cooked red kidney beans
-2 cups cooked white kidney beans
-88 ounces beef stock
-3 tsp. oregano
-2 and 1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 and 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
-48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 8 ounces dry pasta

Directions:  Saute beef in oil in large 10 qt. pot until beef starts to brown.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot.  Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, hot sauce and spaghetti sauce (and pasta).  Simmer until veggies are tender, about 45 minutes.  Makes about 9 quarts of soup! 

From freezer:  Reheat soup in crockpot or on stove.  Add pasta shells and cook until tender.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese. 

Healthier Sloppy Joes II from AllRecipes.com

Back to school!  Football... Soccer... Swimming... Youth Group... Dance...Homework.  Whatever starts in the fall in your house, I thought that this month we could all use an easy "go-to" meal for nights that sitting down for dinner just isn't going to happen.  These sloppy joe's have some extra veggies in them so I don't feel quite as guilty about the fast food.  The meat is frozen in small cubes or mini muffin tins (depending on which batch you got), so you can just pull out as many as you need, heat them in the microwave and move on to the next thing.  Probably 2 cubes for a regular size bun, 1 cube for a slider. The meat already has 2 thumbs up from my kids... and no one even noticed the extra veggies :-)

The recipe came from here.
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green (and red) bell pepper
2 carrots finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat with onions, peppers, carrots, & garlic.  Drain.  Mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar then add to meat.  Mix well.  Let simmer until sauce thickens (about 30 min).

On serving day: Take out as many individual servings as you need.  Thaw & heat in the microwave or on the stove top.  Throw on a bun and hit the road!

August Swap Details

We'll have 6 this month! Here are the category assignments:

Beef: Elizabeth
Chicken: Robin
Pasta: Elisha
Other: Josie
Grill/Soup: Suzanne
Breakfast: Tanya

We will swap at Elisha's house on Thursday, August 16th at 4:30. If that time doesn't work, just have the food to her house before that and we'll swap for you! See you all then (or sometime around then!).

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry

I found this recipe on another freezer swap site. You can see it here. It was super easy and tasty! (Check out the blog too! Great recipes!)

Ingredients:
Carrots
Sugar Snap Peas
Broccoli
Chicken
Sauce: vinegar, crushed red pepper, apricot jam and ginger

Directions for cooking:
Put 2 T. oil in skillet and chicken from bag. Cook until no longer pink. Set chicken aside. Put in Veggies from bag and stir fry about 2 minutes until warmed and add chicken again. Pour sauce from bag over chicken and veggies and stir fry about 3-4 minutes more. Serve over rice.
Serves 6

Twice Baked Potatoes

So, The Pioneer Woman inspired these yummy twice baked potatoes. You can see her post here. We did just as she suggested and used sour cream, butter, bacon and cheddar cheese in them. All you need to do to serve them is unwrap them, put them on a baking sheet and bake for 15-30 min. at 350 (so they're warm all the way through).
Enjoy!

Italian Beef Hoagies... Part 'due'

I remembered enjoying these Hoagies the first time they were in the swap.  You can find the recipe here.  I made one alteration and that is that I used 1/2 packet of Onion-Mushroom Soup Mix rather than a whole packet of Onion Soup Mix per recipe.  I think the results are tasty.

On serving day, thaw meat completely.  Reheat in skillet over medium heat.  Serve on hoagie buns (provided) and top with a slice of Provolone cheese (also provided).  Enjoy!

This seemed like the perfect meal for this busy baseball season in our lives... a quick sandwich with protein before the big game!

Sweet & Saucy Chicken

Something tasty for the grill. This is one of our favorite recipes. It marinates as it thaws out and is SO yummy! Our favorite is to serve it with corn on the cob! Summer is nearly here! ;) 

May Swap Details

May Swap Details....Spring is in FULL Swing! :)  Please post your recipes to create an archive of all the great food we've shared! Thanks!

Swap is Thursday, May 17 at 10 a.m.

Assignments are: 

Beef: Elizabeth 

Chicken: Josie 

Pasta: Suzanne 

Other: Alison

Grill/Soup: Elisha  

Blueberry Breakfast Bread

Here is the recipe that I used for this month's Blueberry Breakfast Bread. Hope you enjoy it! We did!

Mediterranean Steak Salad

Kicking off grilling season with a yummy steak!

From The Pampered Chef: Casual Cooking, p.20

Marinade:

2/3 cup balsalmic vinaigrette salad dressing

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 beef flank steak (1 1/2 - 2 lbs) I used Flat Iron Steak this time because that's what they had at the store

On serving day, thaw meat and discard excess marinade. Prepare on grill, medium heat for 17-21 minutes uncovered turning occasionally (medium rare 145 degrees, medium 160 degrees) to desired doneness. Cut steak in strips across grain of meat.

Recipe suggests to serve over salad with artichoke hearts, plum tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta cheese and balsalmic vinaigrette dressing.

April Swap Details

April snuck up on me! It's that time again!

Swap is Thursday, April 19 at 10 a.m. 

Assignments are: 

Beef: Josie

Chicken: Suzanne

Pasta: Alison

Other: Elisha

Grill/Soup: Elizabeth

Ham Loaf

This is an old family favorite from growing up... my mom's recipe, to boot! Hope you enjoy!

Ham Loaf: Sauce:

1 lb fresh ground pork 3/4 cup brown sugar

1 lb ground cured ham 1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup water

1 egg 1 teaspoon dry/ground mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3/4 to 1 cup milk

1. Mix all ground meats together (or cheat like me and buy the meat already ground and mixed from the meat market)

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Shape into a loaf (this is where I froze)

On serving day:

1. Thaw ham loaf

2. Put loaf in a loaf pan and dust with flour

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

4. Make the sauce by mixing all ingredients and bring to a boil on the stove top

5. Pour the sauce over the ham loaf and bake an additional 30 min - 1 hour, basting occasionally if you think of it.

We love this meal served with rice and use the extra juices on top of the rice. Also yummy with fresh pineapple on the side!

Angel Chicken by Amanda

This is a recipe that I found here. It's a great place for freezer meal ideas!

To prepare from the freezer:
Put chicken on bottom of crock pot. Pour contents of sauce on top of chicken. Cook on high 3-4 hours. Shred or keep chicken in tenders. Prepare pasta and serve the chicken and sauce on top of noodles. Enjoy!

March Swap Details

March!
Swap is Thursday, March 15 at 10.
Assignments are:
Beef: Suzanne
Chicken: Alison
Pasta: Elisha
Other: Elizabeth
Soup: Josie

How do you get started??

A friend of mine (who lives far away) recently asked about starting her own freezer meal group. We chatted back and forth and I answered her questions. I just found this article via Pinterest and it spells out how to get started and covers way more than I thought of (but have each been addressed in our group at one time or another). I also saw this month on one of my favorite blogs, Freezer Friendz, "How to Conduct a Swap" which is very similar to how we do things. I thought the tips she provides are helpful too. We keep it very no-frill and simple...which I LOVE.
Have I said how much I love having meals in my freezer that I didn't make?? :) It's too sweet for words.

Chicken Pot Pie

I found this recipe at one of my favorite freezer cooking blogs Freezer Friendz. Enjoy! (Athough I have to confess, I hope it's a bigger hit at your house than it was at mine. It was the veggies--that they were blatantly there and not more hidden. Uggh. Kids!) It's good left over, too...I know. ;)

Crockpot Chicken Chili

This is a repeat recipe.

Here is the link from before, if you need to see ingredients:

http://www.dinnersinthefreezer.blogspot.com/2010/01/suzannes-crockpot-chicken-chili.html

Thaw bag enough to slide into crockpot. Cook 8-10 hours on low. Shred chicken. Serve with cheese and tortilla chips!

:)

We're Baaaack!

After a crazy fall for all....We're back! Yippee!
Swap is Thursday, February 16 at 10.
Assignments are:
Beef: Alison
Chicken: Elisha
Pasta: Elizabeth
Other: Josie
Soup: Suzanne