freeze it up - part done!

Freezer Cooking Day has come and gone for me this month. All in all things turned out pretty successful.

After driving in from out of town and getting home and settled in a little past midnight, and not having my grocery list already planned out, I got a later start on cooking than I had planned. So after braving the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, I was home and ready to cook by 1.

I started full force and just got busy cooking as much as I possibly could. I did take about a 1 hour break around 3:30 to run a load of dishes and regroup myself. But by 7 everything was done!
Or at least all my freezer meals anyway.

I skipped over a few of the crock pot meals I had planned for later in the month as the meats were not currently on sale and knew since I'd be running back for milk from time to time could pick those up and the weeks pass.

I've posted a few recipes today of some of the meals I cooked up.
I haven't tasted them yet, but they smelled delicious as I was cooking!

I can't wait to try this again for March.
My new tips to try would be:

1. Prepare a grocery list before the cooking day
2. Grocery shop the day before if possible
3. Clean out the freezer for more space before cooking
4. Start early!

Let me know if you decide to try this out or have any other great recipes! It really was a lot of fun!

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
Courtesy of my good friend Brenda

Filling:
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups chicken
2 cups vegetables

1. Melt butter.
2. Stir in flour, salt and pepper.
3. Gradually stir in broth and milk until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in chicken and vegetables.
5. Place in a foil lined baking dish and freeze.

From Freezer: Thaw. Place cresent roll dough on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Recipe: Meatballs

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp milk
Salt and Pepper

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Roll meatballs into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls
3. Place in a foil lined cookie sheet at bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Once cooled, place in a freezer ziplock bag for later use.

Recipe: Freezer Beef & Broccoli

Beef & Broccoli

1 lb beef strips
1 red pepper, chopped large
1 onion, chopped
4 cups broccoli florets
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Cooking oil

1. Heat a small amount of cooking oil in skillet and saute pepper, onion and broccoli about 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Remove veggies from skillet.
3. With another small amount of cooking oil, stir fry beef until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add soup, water and basil, mixing well.
5. Add vegetables, bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and cook over low for 10 minutes.
7. Add cheese, stirring until melted.
8. Allow to cool then transfer to freezer containers.

From Freezer: Defrost and then reheat over low heat in skillet.

Recipe: Caesar Chicken Casserole

Caesar Chicken Casserole

2 lbs cooked chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup creamy caesar dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
1 12 oz package of tubed pasta (such as penne or macaroni), cooked and drained
1/4 cup croutons

Combine all ingredients but croutons, mixing well, in a 2 quart baking dish. Allow to cool and freeze.

From Freezer: Thaw. Top with crushed croutons and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes or until topping is browned and casserole is bubbly.

Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna

Ravioli Lasagna
Courtesy of Parenting.com

Prep: 7 minutes
Bake: About 40 minutes
Bake from frozen: 1 hour 25 minutes
Serves: 6

26 oz jar marinara or pasta sauce
Two 13 oz packages of raviolis (your flavor choice)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a foil lined baking dish.
2. Spread 1 package of ravioli in a single layer on sauce.
3. Top with 1 cup of sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella.
4. Layer the second package of ravioli on top, then 1 cup sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.
5. Cover pan with foil and freeze until ready to use, or bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.

To bake frozen lasagna: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake covered for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is melted and starting to brown, and the inside middle is hot (about 25 minutes more).

freeze it up - part one

I have a lot of things coming up this month - birthdays, holidays, craft shows, preparing for craft shows... OK, honestly most of it all revolves around craft shows, but I'm busy none-the-less.
So, I have this idea to spend a Sunday afternoon cooking up as many meals as I possibly can and store them away in my freezer. Many refer to this as OMC - Once a Month Cooking. I don't have a full 30 meals planned out and I'm only planning dinners - as most breakfast and lunches we eat away from home.
But I do have a plan. That's the best way to start, right?

Here is my menu plan for cooking:

All of these I will pre-cook and freeze:

• Meatloaf x 2


• Meatballs x 2 (Meatball Subs and Swedish Meatballs)


• Chicken Pot Pie x 2


• Pancakes x 2 (Add eggs and sausage for dinner)


• Spaghetti x 2


• Taco Meat x 2 (Tacos and Mexican Casserole)


• Chili


• Ravioli Lasagna


• White Cheese Chicken Lasagna


• Caesar Chicken Casserole


• Beef with Broccoli

Planned Crock Pot Meals:

• Fajitas


• Ribs (I'm thinking a romantic Valentine's Day Meal?)


• Savory Herb Chicken


• Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes


• Spinach Lasagna


• Brisket Stew

Total Meals = 23.
Very possibly enough to get me through the entire month of February as some nights we will be out of town, eat out or will eat leftovers.

Next step: The grocery list and shopping.
To Be Continued...