One of the absolute best things I did to prepare for birth of my daughter was to make freezer meals. And when I say "I", I mean my husband. I did the research and planning but he did the cooking. It was a glorious sight to behold, but I'm rambling...
Anyway, to make things easier for YOU, I've compiled a list of all the recipes I used for my stash. Before we get started, a few tips:
- Label the freezer bags before you add the food. Include name of dish, directions, and any extra ingredients needed to prepare the meal.
- Lay the bags flat to freeze- it will help save you some space and help make defrosting easier.
- Give yourself at least 24 hours for the bags to thaw in the fridge.
Slowcooker Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Fill a freezer bag with:
1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 jars Alfredo sauce (16oz)
1 bag frozen broccoli florets (16oz)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup real bacon bits
Directions: Place thawed contents in slow cooker and cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High 4-6 hours. Serve over pasta with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Creamy Italian Chicken
Fill a freezer bag with:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut up into 1" pieces
1 bar of cream cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup*
1 packet Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups green beans, frozen or fresh
Directions: Place thawed contents in slow cooker on Low for 7-8 hours or High for 4-6 hours. Serve chicken on top of noodles and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Note: This was a favorite at our house, even with the picky 4 year old.
*Want to avoid canned soup? Try this swap instead:
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. milk
salt & pepper to taste
Crock-Pot Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
Fill a freezer bag with:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced (I added more because, well, garlic)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo (I doubled this but watch out, it has a kick)
1 tsp ground cumin (I added a bit more because, well, cumin)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cans (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained
Directions: Place thawed contents in crock pot. Add 2 c. vegetable broth. Stir to combine, cook on low 8 hours or until squash is tender and liquid has reduced a bit. Serve with avocados, tortilla chips and fresh cilantro.
Teriyaki Chicken
Fill a freezer bag with:
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. Teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 c. chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
Directions: Place thawed contents in slow cooker and cook on Low for 7-8 hours or 4 hours on High.
Optional: To thicken sauce at the end, whisk together 1/2 c. of the cooked sauce with 2 tbsp. cornstarch and pour back in the slow cooker. Turn cooker on high for an extra 10-15 minutes so sauce can thicken. Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.
Sausage with Onions & Peppers
Fill a freezer bag with:
1 16oz package sausage (we used Kielbasa)
1 onion, sliced
3 bell peppers (one green, one yellow, one red), sliced
2 cans diced tomatoes, fire roasted and not drained
1 chicken bullion cube
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Directions: Place thawed contents in the slow cooker for 5-6 hours on Low or 3 hours on High. Serve over rice.
Chinese Beef & Broccoli
Fill a freezer bag with:
2 lbs. beef, sliced (sirloin works well)
1 can beef consume (found in the soup aisle)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 c. fresh or frozen broccoli (separate into a smaller bag)
Directions: Place thawed contents in slow cooker on Low 7-8 hours or High for 4 hours. Add the broccoli 30 minutes before cooking is complete.
Optional: To thicken sauce at the end, whisk together 1/2 cup of the cooked sauce with 2 tbsp cornstarch and pour back in the slow cooker. Turn cooker on high for an extra 10-15 minutes so sauce can thicken. Serve beef and broccoli on top of rice and garnish with chopped green onion, if desired.
Enchilada Pasta Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce (I used red sauce)
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 can (4oz) diced green chilies (I doubled this because we love green chilies)
12 oz. egg noodles
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In large pot, bring water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a very large skillet, brown the ground beef then drain the fat. Return to skillet and add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add in the cream cheese. Stir until melted.
- In a large bowl, combine sour cream, enchilada sauce half the cheddar cheese, half the Monterrey Jack cheese, corn, and diced green chilies. Stir to combine.
- Pour mixture over the beef and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- While that simmers, drain the pasta. Then add it to the beef mixture. Make sure everything is coated in the sauce.
- Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Put in freezer bag.
When ready to cook: Thaw completely in the fridge (allow a few days, at least). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place noodle mixture in a large casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until dish is warmed completely. Add remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack and bake until cheese is melted.
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