Freezer Meals

Okay, so here’s my attempt to actually organize/share my recipes.  Sorry there will probably not be any artistic pictures of the step-by-step process, if I actually did that I fear I might not ever post this.  I may update these as time goes by with pictures.  I’m going old school and just going with text. 

Starting off:

While Alex took her first nap (approx. 40 min)I looked at the local supermarket ads to find out the best prices on chicken and beef.  In this case, Stater Bros. won! I planned the specific recipes I had in mind and made a list.  After the nap, we shopped. While I shopped I made sure I just stuck to what was on my list.  Shopping with Alex can be a challenge, so if I’m organized the process always goes more smoothly. 

During the second nap I started my meals (approx. 90 minutes), but didn’t really finish until later in the evening. 

Supplies:

Freezer bags, disposable casserole pans (I forgot to buy some…they weren’t on my list, Sharpie, crockpot.

EASY things to make and freeze

Shredded chicken

Place as many frozen chicken breasts that you have on hand in a crockpot.  Fill it with a little bit of water, or if you have it on hand, chicken stock.  Set on low.  Cook for about 8 hours.  As soon as chicken cools place them in about 1 cup portions and wrap with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. 

Things to make with shredded chicken (endless possibilities!) – let me know if you need any of these recipes

·      Chicken salad

·      Curry chicken salad

·      Chicken tacos or enchiladas

·      Chinese Chicken or Cesar salad

·      Tortilla soup

·      Pillsbury chicken squares

·      BBQ chicken pizza

Ground Beef and Ground Sausage

On this last shopping trip I bought a lot of ground beef and sausage because it was on sale.  I just cooked both of the meats (separately) and drained the fat.  I added sautéed onions to the beef (not sure how the onions will do in the freezing process…we’ll find out). 

Chicken Dishes

Most of these dishes are for the grill.  If you don’t have a grill you can either pan cook them or roast in the oven on high heat.  Grilling is usually best though. 

Unless I buy thin fillets, chicken breasts are usually HUGE (like DDs of the chicken world).  I actually, very carefully, slice them in half.  They are still a good size and not so big.  But that’s just my preference.

Stir Fry Chicken* (haven’t tried)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast cut into cubs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• Juice from half a lime
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 diced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 onion sliced

Combine all of the ingredients in a bag.  Seal the bag.  Freeze.  When ready to cook.  Stir fry with a little oil over med high heat.  Toss in broccoli florets and serve with rice.

Tequila Citrus Chicken (you can also use this marinate for fish)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Juice from one lime
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• ½ cup Tequila

Mix all the ingredients in a ziplock.  Seal. Freeze.  Thaw. Grill.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Ingredients:

·      2 chicken breasts (Chicken thighs are really good with this)

·      ½ cup pineapple juice

·      1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

·      1 Tblsn cup light brown sugar

·      2 cloves garlic, minced

·      1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

·      Chili pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a ziplock.  Seal. Freeze.  Thaw. Grill.

Reserve the thawed marinade.  Add one Tablespoon cornstarch and bring to a boil. Let simmer until thick.  Serve over the chicken.

Basil Lime Chicken *Haven’t tried it yet!

Ingredients:

·      2 chicken breasts

·      2 Limes juiced

·      1 lemon juiced  

·      3 T Olive Oil

·      2 T Dijon Mustard

·      2 T Worcestershire Sauce

·      1 T Soy Sauce

·       4 Cloves Garlic Minced

·      2 T Chopped Basil

·       Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a ziplock.  Seal. Freeze.  Thaw. Grill.

London Broil or Tri-Tip

Ingredients:

• London Broil or tri-tip
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon tabasco

Mix all the ingredients in a ziplock.  Seal. Freeze.  Thaw. Grill.

Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese recipe is perfect for a party. You can do it the day before and it feeds a lot of people. Yes it involves a lot of cheese and fat and dairy and goodness, but it's well worth the calories. Everything in moderation. This will easily make two 9 x 13 baking dishes (about two inches deep). You can certainly make it thicker by using a deep dish, lasagna-type pan if you would like to make just one dish. You can also add Tapatio or pepper jack cheese for a little kick.

Here's the recipe...

2 pounds elbow macaroni

6 eggs

1 pound cubed Velveeta cheese -- (I know it's not cheese, but this what makes it creamy)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted

6 cups half-and-half, divided

4 cups grated sharp extra sharp cheddar cheese -- divided

3 cups grated mozzarella

2 cup grated Asiago

1 cup grated Gruyere

2 cup grated Monterey Jack

2 cup grated Muenster

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy.

Add the Velveeta, butter and 2 cups of the half-and-half to the large bowl of eggs. Add the warm macaroni tossing until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining half-and-half, add the cheddar reserving one cup, the remaining grated cheeses, and salt and pepper, tossing until completely combined in the large bowl. Taste to add salt and pepper if needed.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dishes and bake for 40 minutes. (All this can be done the night before -- they day you want to serve it, take it out of the fridge and bring to room temp before putting in the oven.) Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of sharp yellow cheese and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes more.

Packaged Salmon

Oh, my goodness. This salmon is my new favorite. The only unfortunate part about it was that Morgan wasn't home so I had no one to share it with. This was a total 25 minute meal, plus the easiest clean-up ever (second best part!). My fish was about 8 oz, which could have served two people...I had total self-control last night and didn't eat the second serving. I hope the leftovers are just as good.

This is what you need for one:
Salmon fillet (8 oz)
Half an onion thinly sliced
1 zucchini thinly sliced
1 lemon -- 1/2 for the juice, the other 1/2 thinly sliced.
1 teaspoon capers (if you have them)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil - divided
1 large piece of foil

Heat grill -- if you have three burners, put the front and back on medium/high heat and the center burner on low.
Drizzle 1/2 olive oil on the foil. Place 3/4th of the onion slices and lightly salt and pepper. Place zucchini slices on onions and light salt and pepper. Place the fish on the zucchini. Pour lemon juice and olive oil on top, sprinkle with lemon pepper, place remainder of the onions and lemon slices on top. Sprinkle capers on the top and TIGHTLY wrap. Make sure no air gets out. Place fish on the center burner. Cover the lid. Cook for 20 minutes (might be less if you have a thinner cut of fish). Enjoy.

Flank Steak with Red Wine Balsamic Sauce

The marinade and the sauce for this dish can be used for flank steak or tri-tip. The marinade is my go to, the longer you can let the meat marinade the better! Sorry no pictures for now...will post some soon.

Marinade:
1 cup red wine
1/4 soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
6 diced garlic cloves
2 Tablespoon Pepper
2 fresh sprigs of oregano
1 fresh sprig of thyme

1 3 pound flank steak or tri-tip roast --
Mix all the ingredients together. Place in zip lock bag and seal. Store in the fridge for 1 - 3 days.

Sauce:

3 cups balsamic vinegar

1 cup red wine

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 chopped serrano chili

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium sauce pan on medium heat add vinegar and red wine. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Allow to reduce until thick -- about 30 minutes (take a wooden spoon and stir the liquid, wipe the back of the spoon with your finger. If it leaves a line then it's thick enough). Meanwhile prep the other ingredients. In a sauce pan over medium heat saute the onions in the oil. Once soft, add serrano and garlic, stir together and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Add the wine/vinegar mixture. Allow flavors to come together on low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce together (if you don't have an immersion blender use a regular processor or blender but be careful of the heat). Allow sauce to sit for ten minutes before adding anymore salt and pepper.

Flank Steak --

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Remove meat from marinade and allow to come to room temperature before placing the the grill. Place meat on direct heat. Close the lid. Don't open the lid for 4 - 5 minutes. Flip the meat. Then let it cook for another 4 - 5 minutes. Allow meat to rest for 5 - 10 minutes. CUT MEAT AGAINST THE GRAIN (THINK PERPENDICULAR). Serve with sauce.

Lemon Shrimp

Once the shrimp have been cleaned this is a quick dish. I think Trader Joe's has frozen shrimp already cleaned, but I'm not sure. If you do go to TJ make sure you pick up the raw shrimp.

12 - 16 medium shrimp -- peeled and cleaned
1 medium onion sliced
1/4 cup Piquillo peppers chopped (found at TJs)
2 garlic cloves chopped - divided
1 lemon juiced
1 lime juiced
1 Tbls tequila (optional)
2 tspn lemon pepper
1 tspn salt
2 Tbls olive oil

Once shrimp have been cleaned place in a bowl. Sprinkle with half of the garlic, lemon juice, and pepper. While shrimp is marinating, add olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions until soft. Add remaining garlic, peppers, and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add shrimp and tequila. Saute for 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

I also served it with roasted lemon broccoli.

Celebratory Stroganoff

This is definitely a celebratory dish...it's rich...it's creamy...it's doesn't come out of a soup can. Be prepared, it takes a long time. You can make the meat the day before or put it in a crock pot in the morning. Make sure you plan accordingly.

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped, plus 2 cloves, minced

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 3 pounds beef short ribs
• 1 can beef broth
  
• 3 pounds mixed mushrooms sliced (crimini or white)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 cup 1/2 n 1/2
  
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 pound egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the chopped garlic, salt and pepper into a bowl. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to create a paste. Add the rosemary and thyme leaves to the bowl and stir to combine.

Set short ribs out on a roasting tray and cover with herb paste. Pour in can of beef broth in the pan. Cover the meat tightly wtih foil. Roast in the oven for 3 hours until they are falling apart.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes until brown. Add shallots and minced garlic and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes until garlic and onion become fragrant. Remove pan from heat and carefully add brandy to deglaze the pan. Return to heat and add cream. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. This takes about an hour. Turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard and sour cream. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Cook egg noodles in salted boiling water according to directions on package. Drain and toss with butter while still hot.

To serve: Pile the noodles high on a plate, top with stroganoff sauce and finish with rib slices. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Dijon "Fried" Chicken

Okay, in my attempt to be healthy this week, I'm trying to keep the meals low cal/low fat. This chicken dish is fast and super easy.

Morgan doesn't like large chicken breasts (I could make some more inappropriate comments about breast sizes but I will refrain), and I hate pounding them out, unless I'm making a rolled chicken dish. So, here's my time saving tip: Take the breasts and a sharp knife and slice it horizontally to make two thin pieces (don't slice them in half, then you'll just have two thick strips).

Ingredients:
2 thin chicken breasts
2 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Pepper

Preheat oven to 475. Coat both sides of the chicken with mustard. Dredge in bread crumbs. Sprinkle with cheese. Place in a pan coated in cooking spray.
Bake for 25 minutes. Chicken will be crispy, flavorful, and juicy!
Serve with a salad and veggies.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

2 pounds crimini mushrooms sliced

1 diced garlic clove

2 medium shallots sliced

1 teaspoon thyme

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

1 pound thin chicken cutlets -- you can buy them this way or pound them out with a meat hammer

Flour

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups dry marsala wine (Get it from Trader Joe's -- I think it's 5.00 or so...DON'T get the kind from the grocery store that says "cooking" marsala wine)

Parmasean cheese

1 pound of bow tie pasta (or substitute for garlic mashed potatoes)

Directions -

In a medium - large saute pan drizzle olive oil to coat the pan. Heat on Med. High. Dredge the chicken in flour -- dust off excess flour. Place chicken in hot pan. Sear on each side for approx. 5 - 7 minutes on each side. (note: you don't need to cook the chicken all the way through at this point) Remove from pan and set aside. Add more olive oil to the pan and add in mushrooms. Salt and pepper the mushrooms (about a teaspoon). Toss in the pan and allow to incorporate. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in shallots and garlic. Toss together. Cook for 5 minutes. Add marsala wine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add Chicken Stock -- bring to a boil. Keep it boiling for approx 10 minutes. Allow the sauce to reduce a bit to have it thicken up. Taste it, add more salt and pepper if needed. Add in thyme. *** At this point, this can all be done the day before. Just allow it to cool and store in the fridge. The next day bring it to room temp. *** Add chicken to the sauce, allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Cook the pasta -- add salt and olive oil to the boiling water. Combine pasta with sauce, top with cheese. Enjoy!