Happy New Year! I've never been so productive on a Monday! Making good
use of our winter break, I got down to business in the kitchen yesterday and
set off to get most of my January cooking complete. And I did! I not only was able to cook for my
family, but my brother requested meatballs for 15 people for a trip he is taking next
weekend, so I whipped up 80 meatballs as well!
I was pooped at the end of the day (and we ended up going out to
dinner—how ironic) but I feel so accomplished and relaxed about the upcoming
month! Usually when I do a large cooking day, I have Angela cooking beside me,
but she is resting and enjoying being a new mommy now that her baby boy,
Andrew, has arrived! Congrats to her and Ryan! With Angela busy, I took on this
cooking day on my own! From start to
finish (and by finish, I mean kitchen and dishes all cleaned) it took me about
8 hours. I did take mini breaks every so
often! It’s a long day, but totally
worth it. If you’re not into doing a
whole day, pick a few meals and start small or with a friend. You could always try our Crock Pot Wonders
page and put together a few crock pot meals, which don’t require cooking on the
day you prepare the meals for the freezer!
I made:
-Gravy and meatballs (3 bags for my family + enough to feed
15 25 year olds on a ski vacation)
-Breakfast Burritos (13)
-Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplins (2 bags to thaw and dump)
-Hot Roast beef and Cheese Sandwiches (12)
-Chili (3 lunch servings)
-Chili Cornbread Muffins (16)
-Chicken Pot Pies (7)
-Chicken Stir Fry
-Homemade Frozen Pizza (4 9” pizzas)
Here are some tips to help your cooking day go smoothly:
-Snag a babysitter! Harper was at my mother in law’s,
which was great because while I love her help in the kitchen, it always takes a
bit longer when she’s assisting. I was
able to focus totally on my cooking.
-Wear sneakers! I made the rookie mistake of starting
barefoot…2 hours in I realized my mistake and put my sneaks on.
-Turn up the jams! I’m so guilty of to Christmas music
year round while I cook. Monday I opted
for the Salsa channel.
-Reuse dishes as much as possible (makes for less
cleanup). For example: I cubed my
potatoes and tossed them with oil and seasoned salt for breakfast
burritos. Once they were in the oven I
used the same bowl to whisk the eggs for the burritos. Two birds, one stone.
-Have a game plan. Even if it’s in your head and just an
idea, it’s better than just winging it.
I started with my potatoes and sausage for my breakfast burritos,
because I have to cook each component, but they need to be cooled completely
for me to wrap and freeze. By making
them first, I could utilize the cooling time to start on my sauce and
chili.
All in all, not bad at all and I’m pretty pleased with
how full my freezer is! Below I’ve included
all of the recipes I used and freezing and eating directions. If you’d like your own planning and shopping
list page, those can be found on our Meal Planning 101 page! I hope you enjoy and venture in the kitchen
soon! We’d love hear about your freezer
cooking day!
Stay full,
NeNe’s Gravy &
Meatballs (aka Angela’s gravy)
{I multiplied this recipe,
but as is it makes an ample amount for freezing!}
Gravy:
1 1/2 med onions, diced small
5-6 cloves garlic minced
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp
Onion powder 1 1/2 tsp
Fresh basil about six or seven leaves ( pulled apart or diced up small) if not fresh, dried is ok, about 2 tsp
3 cans of tomato puree with basil ( I use tuttorosso) 28 oz
2 cans crused tomatoes in puree with basil 28 oz
1 can tomato paste 14oz or 2 ( 6oz cans)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp sugar
5-6 cloves garlic minced
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper 1 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder 1 1/2 tsp
Onion powder 1 1/2 tsp
Fresh basil about six or seven leaves ( pulled apart or diced up small) if not fresh, dried is ok, about 2 tsp
3 cans of tomato puree with basil ( I use tuttorosso) 28 oz
2 cans crused tomatoes in puree with basil 28 oz
1 can tomato paste 14oz or 2 ( 6oz cans)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp sugar
Meatballs
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 med onion (shredded over cheese grater into mixture)
3-4 cloves garlic shredded into mixture
Onion powder 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Dried basil 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Pepper 1tsp
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs Italian style
2 eggs
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 med onion (shredded over cheese grater into mixture)
3-4 cloves garlic shredded into mixture
Onion powder 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Dried basil 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Pepper 1tsp
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs Italian style
2 eggs
Directions
for gravy:
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over med heat until onions are soft. Add tomato puree, just to wake it up a little about one minute. Then add your puree and crushed tomatoes. Mix it all well. Then add all your spices, cheese and sugar. Will take about 45 min to heat through well. While that is cooking start your meatballs.
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over med heat until onions are soft. Add tomato puree, just to wake it up a little about one minute. Then add your puree and crushed tomatoes. Mix it all well. Then add all your spices, cheese and sugar. Will take about 45 min to heat through well. While that is cooking start your meatballs.
Meatballs
directions:
Bring your meat to room temp. Add your shredded garlic and onions. Add all your spices, bread crumbs, eggs and cheese. Mix very well. If it seems to wet then add more bread crumbs. In a large pan, on med heat, warm some olive oil. Make your meatballs, about medium size, and then add them to your heated pan. Sear all your meatballs on both sides then add them into your gravy to finish cooking through. Always taste the gravy to see if it needs more spices or sugar, I usually always add something else. Serve over pasta with bread for dipping and enjoy!
Bring your meat to room temp. Add your shredded garlic and onions. Add all your spices, bread crumbs, eggs and cheese. Mix very well. If it seems to wet then add more bread crumbs. In a large pan, on med heat, warm some olive oil. Make your meatballs, about medium size, and then add them to your heated pan. Sear all your meatballs on both sides then add them into your gravy to finish cooking through. Always taste the gravy to see if it needs more spices or sugar, I usually always add something else. Serve over pasta with bread for dipping and enjoy!
To
make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
1.
Cook according to
directions and allow to cool completely.
2.
Pour gravy into containers, label and freeze.
To
eat:
Thaw
completely and reheat in a saucepan on stove.
Enjoy!
Chicken
and Dumplin’s
1 lb chicken breast
(boneless, skinless)
1 small onion, diced {I
use about a cup of frozen diced onion)
2 cans cream of celery
soup
1 can of chicken broth
1 can refrigerated
biscuit dough
Fresh parsley, chopped
1. Place
chicken breasts into crock pot, along with onion, cream of celery soup and
broth. Cook on low about 6 hours.
2. Remove
chicken and using a fork shred the chicken and return it back to the crock pot.
3. Break raw
biscuits into pieces and place in crock pot until top layer is covered. Crank
that bad boy up to high and cook biscuits for 30 minutes or until done.
4. Sprinkle on
fresh parsley and enjoy!
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Place all ingredients
except for biscuit dough into a labeled freezer bag and freeze.
To eat:
Place contents of bag
into crock pot and follow cooking directions as stated. Enjoy!
Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches,
ala Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:
12 whole Dinner Rolls Or Small Sandwich Buns (I Used Whole Wheat)
1 pound Thinly Shaved Roast Beef Or Ham (or Both!)
1 pound Cheese (Provolone, Swiss, Mozzarella, Even Cheez Whiz!)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Grated Onion (or 1 Tbsp Dried Onion Flakes))
1 Tablespoon Poppy Seeds
1 Tablespoon Spicy Mustard
1 Tablespoon Horseradish Mayo Or Straight Prepared Horseradish
Dash Of Worcestershire
Optional Dressing Ingredients:
Sriracha, Hot Sauce, Dried Onion Flakes Instead Of Fresh, Garlic Powder,
Pepper, Etc.)
Instructions:
Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo,
grated onion, poppy seeds, spicy mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire.
Taste it and adjust ingredients however you wish.
To assemble, spread dressing on top and
bottom buns. Lay on roast beef or ham, then one or two slices of cheese (I cut
them to fit the small buns.) If you're using Cheez Whiz, spread a layer on the
top bun.
Wrap each sandwich in a foil square,
and either keep in the fridge or bake right away. To bake the sandwiches, put
them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns
should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Assemble sandwiches and wrap tightly in foil. Place in container or freezer bag.
To eat:
Either thaw before, or from frozen bake sandwiches as
directed in recipe. If from frozen, make
take a bit longer.
Tip: These make a GREAT
Sunday Funday snack!
Breakfast Burritos
(Makes 13-14 10” burritos)
1 dozen eggs
1 lb of your favorite breakfast meat, cooked
1 lb of potatoes, cubed
Seasoned Salt, to taste
Dash of Milk
2 TBSP Olive Oil
Spinach, onions and peppers, optional
Siracha, optional
Tortillas (13-14)
Directions:
1.
Wash and
cube potatoes. Mix in bowl with olive
oil and seasoned salt, to taste. Place
cubed potatoes on baking sheet. (I line
mine for easy clean up and spray with Pam first).Bake in preheated 400 oven for
about 25 minutes.
2.
While potatoes are cooking, cook up your
breakfast meat. I used sausage and
crumbled it as it cooked. When finished,
place in large bowl to cool.
3.
In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs. Add a dash of milk and salt and pepper. Cook eggs in the same pan you used for the
meat, stirring to create scrambled eggs.
When eggs are almost finished, add a handful of chopped baby
spinach. Remove from pan and add to
large bowl with sausage to cool.
4.
When potatoes are done, add to the large bowl
and stir ingredients. Allow all to cool.
5.
Lay tortilla flat in front of you. Smear siracha on tortilla, then place a few
spoonfuls (1/3 to ¼ cup) of breakfast mixture on tortilla. Wrap up like a
burrito and repeat process.
6.
Wrap each burrito tightly in saran wrap and
place in container or gallon bag.
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Wrap tightly in saran wrap, place in bag and freeze.
To eat:
Thaw overnight and remove from saran wrap. Microwave for 30 seconds. Enjoy!
Game Day Chili
{serves 6}
3 lbs ground beef
2 28oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
3 bell peppers, chopped (any colors)
2 medium to large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (can omit if you'd like to lower the heat level)
1 small can, chiptole in adobo
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 6oz can tomato sauce
3 tbsp chili powder (more to taste)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
Directions:
{serves 6}
3 lbs ground beef
2 28oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
3 bell peppers, chopped (any colors)
2 medium to large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (can omit if you'd like to lower the heat level)
1 small can, chiptole in adobo
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 6oz can tomato sauce
3 tbsp chili powder (more to taste)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Heat
large dutch oven and add beef. Break apart as meat browns.
2. As meat browns, roughly chop bell peppers, onions, jalapeno and garlic.
3. Remove meat from dutch oven, draining off fat. Add chopped veggies to hot Dutch oven and sauté until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. As meat browns, roughly chop bell peppers, onions, jalapeno and garlic.
3. Remove meat from dutch oven, draining off fat. Add chopped veggies to hot Dutch oven and sauté until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4.
Sprinkle seasonings over meat mixture and stir.
5. Add
tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, tomato paste and tomato sauce to peppers and
onions and stir to combine. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add
meat and seasoning mixture back into dutch oven. Stir to combine all
ingredients. Allow to cook together for 5-10 minutes. Once meat is
completely cooked through, taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
7. Allow to simmer for as long as possible...chili only gets better as it sits!
Serve in deep bowls with shredded cheese, diced onion, and sour cream on top.
Extra notes:
*The chipotle in adobo adds a lot of spice, so if you're someone who doesn't like a lot of heat, I'd just add some of the sauce from the can and leave the jalapeno out.*
*If your chili needs more liquid, I add beer or beef stock*
*Want to stretch this further? Cook 1/2 lb small pasta (small penne works great) and add cooked pasta to chili mixture and stir to combine!*
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Cook as directed, allow to cool completely and ladle chili into Tupperware containers and freeze!
7. Allow to simmer for as long as possible...chili only gets better as it sits!
Serve in deep bowls with shredded cheese, diced onion, and sour cream on top.
Extra notes:
*The chipotle in adobo adds a lot of spice, so if you're someone who doesn't like a lot of heat, I'd just add some of the sauce from the can and leave the jalapeno out.*
*If your chili needs more liquid, I add beer or beef stock*
*Want to stretch this further? Cook 1/2 lb small pasta (small penne works great) and add cooked pasta to chili mixture and stir to combine!*
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Cook as directed, allow to cool completely and ladle chili into Tupperware containers and freeze!
To eat:
Microwave or heat on stove.
Chili Cornbread Muffins
2 tubes Grands CORNBREAD Biscuits
2 cups of chili
Shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1.
Carefully pull apart a cornbread biscuit to
create a pocket. Fill pocket with chili
(about a TBSP) and a bit of cheese.
Carefully pinch ends shut.
Continue process until all biscuits are filled. Be sure not to over stuff…it’s very tempting!
2.
Place filled biscuits on baking sheet and bake
according to package directions.
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Cool chili biscuits completely. Wrap individually in saran wrap and place in
contrainer or gallon bag.
To eat:
Thaw over night.
Microwave for 30 seconds, or until hot in. Enjoy!
Chicken Stir Fry
Marinade Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy
sauce
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. rice
wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. corn
starch
1/8 tsp.
coarsely-ground black pepper (or more/less to taste)
Dinner ingredients:
1 lb. thinly
sliced chicken strips
2 Tbsp. olive
oil
12 mini sweet
peppers, thinly sliced (or 2 regular-sized bell peppers, thinly sliced)
2 scallions,
sliced diagonally into 1 inch pieces, white and green pieces separated
1 cup broccoli
florets
2 Tbsp. minced
fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves,
minced
1 cup jasmine
rice, uncooked
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
1. Chop
veggies and place in large ziplock bag.
Add garlic and ginger.
2. Place
chicken strips in a smaller, separate ziplock bag.
3. Add
marinade ingredients to a separate small ziplock bag.
4. Place
ziplock bags with marinade and chicken into large bag with veggies and
seal. Place in freezer.
To eat:
1.
Thaw overnight in fridge.
2.
Cook jasmine rice according to directions.
3.
Combine marinade and chicken strips, set aside.
4.
Saute veggies in olive oil until softened, about
5-7 minutes. Remove from pan.
5.
Remove chicken from marinade and cook in
pan. Reserve marinade.
6.
When chicken is done (5-7 minutes) add veggies
and marinade to pan and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
7.
Serve over rice and enjoy!
(recipe adapted from http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/easy-pepper-steak-recipe/
)
Chicken Pot Pie
For the filling:
-1 stick of butter
-8 TBS flour
-4 ribs of celery, diced
-1 medium to large onion,
diced
-2 large carrots, diced
-1 16oz bag of frozen
mixed veggies
-1 lb of chicken, cooked
& shredded
-about 6-8 cups of
chicken stock, heated
-1tsp poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
For the pastry: (Ina Garten's recipe...NEVER fails)
For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Cooking instructions:
1.
Make dough according to above directions.
Preheat oven to 375.
2.
Melt
butter over medium heat in large sauté pan; add celery, onions, carrots,
poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and bay leaf. Sauté until soft,
about 5-7 minutes
3.
Slowly
add flour and whisk into butter/veggie mixture until incorporated.
Stirring constantly, cook mixture about one minute. Continuing to whisk,
slowly add in warm chicken stock to veggies. Stop and stir to combine
occasionally, stopping when you get to the desired consistency for your filling
(add more liquid if you like it soupy...add less if you like it more like a
stew).
4.
Let
simmer, taste and season as needed. Add chicken and about half of the bag
of frozen veggies. Feel free to add the whole bag, or a bag of just peas!
It's totally up to your preference!
5.
Turn off
burner, ladle filling into tins and cover with dough (if eating right away).
6.
Brush
dough with egg wash, salt and pepper. Poke several holes into pastry dough to
allow steam to escape.
7.
Bake in preheated oven (on a cookie sheet) at
375 for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
To make
FREEZER FRIENDLY:
Follow directions up to number 5, but allow mixture to cool once in tins before putting on pastry dough. Brush with egg wash, salt and pepper, wrap tightly & label and pop into your freezer.
To eat:
Thaw overnight in fridge.
Remove foil, and poke several holes into pastry dough to allow steam to escape.
Place on baking sheet to catch and spills and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.
Follow directions up to number 5, but allow mixture to cool once in tins before putting on pastry dough. Brush with egg wash, salt and pepper, wrap tightly & label and pop into your freezer.
To eat:
Thaw overnight in fridge.
Remove foil, and poke several holes into pastry dough to allow steam to escape.
Place on baking sheet to catch and spills and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.
Homemade Frozen Pizzas
Dough
(double amounts to make 4 personal pizzas)
1
package active dry yeast
1 tsp
white sugar
1 cup
warm water (110 degrees)
2 ½ cups
flour
2 TBSP
olive oil
1 tsp
salt
Toppings:
1 16oz
can pizza sauce (we love Dom Pepino)
4 cups
mozzarella cheese
1
chicken breast, cooked and cubed
½ cup
Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Any
additional toppings you like!
Directions:
1. Preheat
oven and pizza stone to 450.
2. Combine yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl
and let stand until the yeast has bloomed and doubled in size (about 10-12
minutes).
3. Stir
in flour, salt and oil. Stir until
combined and smooth then let rest, about 8 minutes.
4. On
a floured surface, turn out dough and shape into a ball. Cut ball into half (or quarters if you have
doubled the recipe). Take each piece of
dough and roll out into a 9” round.
5. Poke
holes in crust with a fork and bake each crust for 4-5 minutes and allow to
cool on a cooling rack.
To make FREEZER FRIENDLY:
1.
Once crusts are cooled, grab a piece of
cardboard, wrap it in foil and place your crust on it.
2.
Create the pizza of your dreams! Add sauce, cheese, toppings—whatever you’d
like.
3.
Wrap the whole thing tightly in saran wrap and
freeze!
To eat:
Thaw in fridge.
Preheat oven to 450 and cook until cheese is melted and
bubbly!
(Dough recipe from: www.allrecipes.com)
