17 March 2009

Frozen Favorites

As many of you know, we are on our 3rd week of cooking and freezing our meals for the week on a Sunday afternoon.  It has been my saving grace as I have energy to come home and work out or run errands.  A few people have asked me to post some of our favorites to freeze.  

My favorite tomato-based recipes to make are my own recipe for chili and Rachael Ray's "Cacciatore Stoup with Turkey Sausage Meatballs."  Both are easy and you can throw them together with things you probably already have in your cupboard.

Another good recipe to freeze I'll post is broccoli casserole.  Let me know if you use any of them and how you like them.  Also, I am always up for new recipes!!  Share!!

Cacciatore Stoup with Turkey Sausage Meatballs

olive oil
portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean and chopped into bite-size pieces (or baby portobellas)
2 pepperocini peppers (optional)
1 large red bell pepper
1 large onion, chopped into bite-size pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
3 slices white bread
1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 egg
couple of handfuls Parmigiano or Romano cheese
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
chopped fresh basil, for garnish
a loaf of crusty, who grain bread

Pour two turns of olive oil in large soup pot.  Add mushrooms, peppers, onion and the two smashed garlic cloves, and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes.  Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.

While vegetables cook, rip the bread into small pieces and soak them in the milk in a mixing bowl for about 5 minutes, until most of the milk has been absorbed.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the soup pot with the veggies and turn up the heat to bring the stoup to a bubble.

While waiting for stoup to bubble, make the meatballs: Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread and discard it.  To the mixing bowl with the soaked bread, add the ground turkey, egg, grated cheese, parsley, the remaining grated garlic clove, salt and pepper.  Mix everything with your hands to combine.

Form the meat into 2-inch meatballs.  Once the stoup is bubbling, drop in the meatballs then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

To serve, ladle the stoup into shallow bowls and garnish with basil and Parmigiano cheese.  Pass some crusty whole grain bread at the table for mopping up the leftovers. 

***When I am in a hurry, I skip the meatballs and just brown the ground turkey and dump in the mix...It still tastes great!!!!***** 

Kristin's Chili

1 1b. lean ground beef
1 sweet onion, chopped (not too fine)
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2-8 oz. cans kidney beans (can substitute 1 can for butter beans or black beans)
2-3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
salt, pepper, ginger root, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, brown sugar

Brown ground beef and mix with tomatoes & beans in slowcooker.  Sautee onions with a little olive oil, then add garlic and ginger.  Add salt, pepper, crushed pepper flakes, and chili powder. Let cook for about 45 minutes.  Add about 1/2 cup brown sugar and let cook for another hour or so.  

I usually make cornbread to go with my chili.  And of course, I top it off with a little shredded cheese. 

Broccoli Casserole
4 chicken breasts, cooked or use leftovers (rotisserie chickens are great for this!)
1 16-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli (cooked, but not a lot)
sauce (mix in small bowl): 
    1 can cream of mushroom soup
       1 tsp. lemon juice
      1/2 t. curry powder
    1/2 cup Miracle Whip

add cut up chicken
layer in 2 qt. casserole dish-1st broccoli, then chicken and sauce
Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese

Melt 1/2 cup butter in small pan and add 2/3 slices of bread (broken into small pieces).  Sprinkle over top of cheese and freeze.

When ready, cook for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.  Serve over rice.



   

5 comments:

Allison said...

Im confused....do you completely cook these meals and THEN freeze or are they frozen and ready t pull out and stick in the oven? Sorry, I guess Im a little slow:)

Allison said...

okay I see the freeze step for the broc. casserole so I guess it's the first one that I don't get when to freeze.

Jessica Perry said...

I make the chicken casserole a lot...good recipe!

Allison said...

I've printed the borc. casserole to make this week! Thanks!
...and wouldn't ya know, I went to the pampered chef party and we put together these recipes but you have to buy the book to get them! I spent enough on new gadgets that the cookbook will have to wait! :(

rebeccavalentine said...

thanks...i needed some new meals. this is a good idea. we should all start sharing recipes on our blogs.

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