Pork and Green Chili Casserole

1 lb ground pork
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can green chiles
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup cooked rice, white or brown
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (or more!)

Cook pork. Stir in all other ingredients, except cheese, and heat until just bubbly. Put in pan. Spread cheese on top and bake at 375 for 30 to 35 mins, or until bubbly.
*If frozen, thaw completely and bake as directed.

White Bean Chicken Chili - October

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 chopped sweet onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 t cumin
1 t oregano
2 1/2 c chicken broth
3 c cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
30 oz northern white beans (drained)
30 oz northern white beans (un-drained)

Directions
Cook onions in olive oil until tender. Mix in garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir, while cooking, for three minutes. Mix in broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Freezer Meal Directions
Thaw. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan.

Ground Beef and Broccoli

Broccoli Dish
Ingredients:

Broccoli
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Turmeric powder – A pinch
Salt – As reqd
Grated coconut
Mustard seeds – A pinch
Oil – A little

Method
1. Grind grated coconut,crushed garlic,ginger,turmeric and little water
2. Chop up broccoli
3. Heat oil
4. Splutter mustard seeds.
5. Add onion and saute.
6. Add ground coconut mix and saute for some time.
7. Add salt and stir well.
8. Add broccoli and stir well.
9. Close the pan and cook well on a low flame til broccoli is cooked and there is not much water left in pan.

Ground Beef Dish
Ingredients:

Ground meat - I prefer ground turkey but used ground beef for the freezer meal.
Vegetable oil
Mustard seeds
Onions
Tomatoes
Kidney Beans
Garlic
Ginger
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Garam masala powder
Salt
Lime juice - dash

Method:
Heat the cooking oil
Add mustard seeds, and when they start to sputter
Add onions. Fry till they turn a pale golden colour.
Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Add spices - coriander, cumin, garam masala and heat them.
Add tomatoes
Brown the meat
Add salt
Add kidney beans
Turn off the heat, add a dash of lime juice

Rice:
I used parboiled rice.

Pickle:
Store bought tender mango pickle

Thawing and Reheating Instructions:
Thaw all the packets, and you may heat all the packets in the microwave

OR

Heat broccoli in saute pan and remove excess water.
Heat ground beef on stove top and add 1/4cup more water (if you desire).
Steam rice for a few minutes till warm.

Simple Grass-fed Beef Lasagna

15 oz ricotta cheese

2.5 oz parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten (Lippert Family Farm free range) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 cups Ragu tomato sauce

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzarella, shredded

1 pound ground beef (Lippert Family Farm grass-fed) 

1. Mix ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, egg, salt, pepper until well combined.

2. Brown ground beef, then add sauce.

3. In 9x13 baking dish spread 1/4 cup meat sauce, place 3 noodle on top and drop 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of each noodle, then spread it to an even thickness. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of mozzarella. Spoon 1.5 cups of the sauce evenly over cheese. Repeat this layering two more times. 

4. For final layer, place the three remaining noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1 1/4 cups sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and then the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Chicken Fajitas

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 TBSP Cornstarch

1/4 c Water

3 TBSP Olive Oil (divided)

1 Whole Chicken Breast cut into 1/2" strips (I used ~12 oz chicken strips: 9 oz onion/pepper mix.)

1 Green Bell Pepper (I used red and green peppers.)

1 Medium Onion

2 TBSP Fresh Lime Juice (I used lemon juice.)

I placed the spices blended in one baggie, cheese blend in another baggie, and chicken/pepper/onion/lemon juice/water/cornstarch and 2T of oil in another baggie.

TO REHEAT/PREPARE:

1. THAW either in microwave OR overnight in fridge.

2. MIX spice blend with chicken baggie.

3. HEAT ~1T oil in pan.

4. ADD chicken/spices to pan.

5. COOK ~6 minutes. Chicken will be cooked through and tender.

6. SERVE with tortillas, cheese, and any other condiment you may enjoy ~ guacamole, salsa, tomato, sour cream, rice, beans. We put rice in fajita tortilla. The girls LOVE them with a touch of sour cream. I especially like the sour cream as it makes a great 'glue' for the rice, chicken, cheese, pepper and onion! LESS MESS ~ YEAH:)

Bruschetta Chicken - September

Breaded Chicken
1 lb chicken
1 c crushed croutons
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1 t oregano
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
2 T flour

Bruschetta Topping
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T basil, minced
1/2 t salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and complete these three steps. First, combine croutons, Parmesan and oregano in a bowl. Next - in another bowl - whip the egg and minced garlic together. Finally, sprinkle flour onto a plate.

Taking one piece of chicken at a time, coat with flour and dip into the egg mixture. Then coat that piece with croutons, and place it onto a baking dish. When each piece of chicken has been breaded, add the bruschetta topping. Bake for 20 minutes.

Black Bean Chili with Wheat Berries Burrito (Kimberly's Recipe!)

1/4 c cooked wheat berries
2 c black beans
1 onion, diced
minced garlic cloves

28oz tomato sauce + some water (couple of cups)
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
salt (to taste)
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Drain beans & wheat berries, then combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid to a thick sauce, then reduce the heat and continue simmering, covered, for a total of 30 minutes. Add the cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes more.

* After cooling, I put the filling into flour tortillas with some grated sharp cheddar cheese, then wrapped in foil, then bagged. *

To cook burritos:
Thaw or reheat straight from the freezer.


Microwave:
Remove foil, defrost, and reheat. (I can nuke 'em for 1-2 minutes.)


Oven:
Bake in foil at 375 for 30 minutes if frozen, 300 for 30 minutes if thawed.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Dressing - May

So I'm going to cook and freeze the chicken, make the ginger dressing, and send along peanuts and cilantro. But y'all will have to buy the lettuce, cucumber, and fruit of choice. Don't worry about cutting everything fancy, unless you want to! I just chop into bite-sized peices. And for my kids, I just give them everything separate. Two notes: 1. Make sure you have all the ingredients for the wraps, b/c it's just not the same without that yummy combo of ingredients! 2. Definitely use Bibb or Boston lettuce. Any other lettuce is more bitter and less wrappable.

For rice 1 cup rice 1 3/4 cups water For ginger dressing 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (from a 2- by 3-inch piece) 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil For wraps 2 grilled chicken breast halves, shredded (2 cups) 3/4 lb Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated 1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks 3 scallions, cut into 3-inch-long thin strips 1 (1-lb) firm-ripe mango (or pear or apple), peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Peanuts Make rice Serve wraps Assemble wraps (each person individually) with rice, chicken, handful of other wrap ingredients and then drizzle with dressing.

Turkey Stuffing Casserole

1 box of Stove Top stuffing (made per instructions on box)
2 c chopped, cooked turkey breast
10 oz bag of frozen peas
1 can (10 3/4 oz) of cream of chicken soup
1/3 c milk

Make Stove Top and reserve 1 cup. Spread stuffing (minus one cup) evenly on the bottom of a baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix the soup, milk, peas and turkey. Layer this mixture into the baking dish. Finally, sprinkle reserved stuffing on top. And bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, covered. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS

Thaw completely. And bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Baked Ziti

Hi Ladies. Planning to make Baked Ziti with the same ingredients as Sonia's Lasagna except no sausage and different pasta (ziti instead of lasagna). I'm looking forward to Thursday.

Baked Chicken Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups prepared salsa
2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or Monterey jack
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced
14 soft, round 6-8 inch tortillas

 

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa. Stir in half of the shredded cheese. 

In a second bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. 

In a baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the salsa over the bottom. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling on a tortilla, roll up and transfer to the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat process for remaining tortillas. 

Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Enchiladas may be made up to this point 12 hours in advance. 

Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve warm. Enchiladas may be reheated, covered with aluminum foil.

Korean Chicken Dish-Dak Jim

Ingredients:

1. 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2. 1 1/2 carrots cut to be 2 to 3 inches long
3. 2 potatoes cut to be similar size as carrots
4. 1 large onion cut to similar size as potatoes
5. 2 Tablespoons(Tbs) of all purpose flour
6. 1 Tbs rice vinegar (regular vinegar would work too)
7. 2 Tbs of oil (I use olive oil)
8. 1/2 cup of soy sauce
9. 2 cups or more of water (see directions)
10. 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
11. 1/2 inch long ginger paste OR 1 Tbs of minced ginger
12. 1 inch long garlic paste OR 2 large garlic cloves minced
13. Few pinches of salt and black pepper to taste
14. Few pinches of hot red pepper flakes (optional-I did not add this to the exchange meal)

Directions:

Place chicken in a mixing bowl and pour in vinegar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce then dredge chicken with flour (I usually dump the flour in the mixing bowl and dredge each chicken in the bowl).

Let the chicken sit for 15-20 minutes (usually the amount of time to cut the veggies and prepare the pot).

Heat oil in Medium sized pot to medium high and cook the chicken for at least 3 minutes each side. Then add the veggies(potatoes, carrots, and onions) on top of the chicken (I usually place the potatoes and carrots in first because they take the longest to cook). Then add all the other ingredients in the order listed above. Please note: Make sure the water level in the pot covers the chicken and at least one-half of the veggies.

Bring the pot to a boil then simmer at medium heat for at least 45 to 60 minutes. The longer you cook the pot the more flavorful it will be. My leftovers usually taste better to me.

Cook rice and place chicken and veggies on top of the rice. Enjoy.

Parmesan Tilapia

1 lb bag, 4-6 frozen tilapia fillets, thawed

Cooking spray (or Olive Oil)

1 T lemon juice

¼ c mayo

4 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 T thinly sliced green onions

1 T butter, softened

⅛ t hot sauce

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Thaw dish.

3. Pat fish dry.

4. Place fish on broiler pan coated with cooking spray OR olive oil; brush fish with lemon juice. Broil 5-6 min or until fish flakes easily.

5. Combine mayo, Parmesan cheese, green onions, butter & hot sauce.

Spread mixture evenly over fish.

Broil 1 min or until lightly brown & bubbly.

6.Top with fresh cracked pepper!

Side Dish Suggestion: Creamy Spinach

2 T butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bag spinach

½ c heavy cream

3+ T grated Parmesan cheese

Heat large skillet to med-hi.

Add butter & garlic; cook 1 min or until browned.

Add spinach; reduce heat to med. Cook uncovered until spinach wilts & only about 3 T

of liquid is left.

Add cream; cook 1-2 min. Stir in Parmesan cheese. If it is too thin, add more cheese.

Bruschetta Chicken - March

Breaded Chicken
1 lb chicken
1 c crushed croutons
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1 t oregano
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
2 T flour

Bruschetta Topping
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T basil, minced
1/2 t salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and complete these three steps. First, combine croutons, Parmesan and oregano in a bowl. Next - in another bowl - whip the egg and minced garlic together. Finally, sprinkle flour onto a plate.

Taking one piece of chicken at a time, coat with flour and dip into the egg mixture. Then coat that piece with croutons, and place it onto a baking dish. When each piece of chicken has been breaded, add the bruschetta topping. Bake for 20 minutes.

Sonia's Chicken

Hi ladies.

We tried Sonia's biscuits and chicken dish and both were awesome. When you get a chance, can you send me the recipe?

Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredient list:

Chicken breast

Lipton onion soup mix

Cardini's caesar salad dressing

Romaine lettuce

Directions:

Thaw Chicken.

In ziplock bag, coat chicken with olive oil (1/3-1/2 cup) and add soup mix.

Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Grill or Saute in saucepan (the thicker the chicken, the longer you'll need to cook on each side)

Cut chicken into strips and place on top of lettuce, then add dressing.

Beef Pot Roast

Beef Roast 1 1/2#

Carrots 1/2# (~3 lg)

Potatoes 2# (~5 md)

Garlic cloves ~4 medium

Onions 3/4# (~2 md-lg)

Onion soup mix

Salt/Pepper

Olive oil

Either use crock pot, stove top or moderate oven. If stove top or oven, drizzle oil in bottom of pan and rub to coat.

1. Place onions in bottom of dish then drop roast on top in center of pot.

2. Arrange potatoes, carrots and garlic cloves around roast.

3. Add water to dish ~1"-1 1/2"

***you need to do step 3 before adding the oil drizzle or you may end up rinsing off your salt and pepper glue;)***

4. Drizzle oil over veggies and then season entire dish with salt and pepper (especially over the veggies:).

5. Dump 1/2 - 1 pkg of onion soup mix on beef.

6. Cover and cook over low heat for 4-6 hours.

I cooked mine this last time over our wood stove which is NOT reliable with it's temperature. I put it in before church and was done and smelling great when we returned from church. With a roast it is best to over cook to be sure the meat is tender:) It should pull apart easily if cooked.

NOTE: If you find you are doing this as a last minute meal, thaw meat in microwave. Thaw veggies in a bowl of hot water (or microwave if really limited on time). Be sure to put it in around breakfast if serving for lunch OR at lunch if serving for dinner.

Spanish Rice

From Fix Freeze Feast.... makes 6 entrees, 6-8 servings each

6 lbs lean ground beef
24 cups (6 quarts) tomato/pasta sauce
12 c cooked white/brown rice, cooled (about 4 cups uncooked) - I used organic brown rice
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers
3 (2.25oz) cans sliced black olive (about 1.5 cups)
12 c shredded Cheddar (about 3 lbs)

Brown beef until no longer pink, about 20 minutes. Drain & discard fat. Cool beef, divide evenly among unlabeled 1 gallon freezer bags.

Into each bag of meat, measure 4 c pasta sauce and 2 c rice. Divide the onion, bell peppers & olives evenly among the bags of meat/rice.

Seal bags & massage gently to distribute the ingredients.

Divide the cheese among 1 quart freezer bags (2 c each). Place 1 bag cheese and 1 bag meat/rice mixture into each labeled 1 gallon freezer bag. Seal & freeze.

TO COOK ONE ENTREE:
1.) Completely Thaw in the fridge.
2.) Preheat oven to 350
3.) Put meat & rice mix in an ungreased baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling & cheese is melted.

Mac and Cheese!!

As I already stated, I'm making mac and cheese - but thanks, Rachel, b/c your suggestion worked!! I'll post the recipe later - I'm at work and obviously very busy. :)

Mushroom and Swiss Chicken

I'm repeating one meal from last September (mid-month switch) that rec'd favorable ratings. If you want the recipe here it is: http://supperswitches2.blogspot.com/2010/09/mushroom-and-swiss-chicken.html.

February - Choice?

Is anyone opposed to another choice this month, since I'm about to go make a big variety of different things?

Soup or Chicken

Sorry to be so boring, but I'm thinking about doing the Pascali Soup or the Grilled Chicken again. Please let me know which you'd prefer. Thanks.

Sonia's Lasagna - February

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1/2 c minced onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 12 oz tomato paste
• 13 oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 c water
• 2 T sugar
• 1 1/2 t basil
  
• 1/2 t fennel seeds
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 1 T salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 4 T chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 t salt
• 3/4 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
  
• 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

Directions

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pressed Chicken Breasts with Dried Cherries

Recipe is modified from Williams-Sonoma's Everyday Roasting Cookbook

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 6-7 oz each

1/2 c. pitted dried sweet cherries

1 large shallot, minced

1/8 c. (1 oz) lemon juice

1 1/2 T olive oil

grated lemon zest

1/4 t. dried summer savory

1/4 t. dried thyme

1/4 t. coarse salt (or to taste)

1/4 t. pepper (or to taste)

***Pressing the meat during and after roasting intensifies the sweet-tart nature of the cherry-stuffed chicken breasts. Their pretty red centers are revealed when the slices are arranged on a platter.

***COOKING TIP: Use 2 large glass baking dishes that are the same size (ex: 2 pie dishes)

4 servings

-Working with 1 chicken breast half at a time, place the meat flat on a cutting board. Holding the meat firmly in place, use a small, sharp knife to cut a horizontal slit down 1 side and through the center of the meat, leaving 3 sides uncut.

-Spoon 1/4 of the dried cherries into each pocket. Firmly press on each breast with your hand to flatten the meat and seal the edges together. Arrange in a single layer in a non-aluminum dish.

-In a small bowl, stir together the shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, summer savory, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spoon The shallot mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

-Preheat a broiler (griller). Transfer the chicken to a broiler pan, reserving the marinade, and place under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source. Broil until the meat is browned on top, 4-5 minutes.

-While the chicken is browning, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

-Remove the chicken from the broiler. Set the oven at 375 F. Transfer the chicken pieces to a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the meat, and set another baking dish directly on top of the meat. Roast until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced at the thickest point, 15-20 minutes.

-Remove from the oven and set 2 or 3 heavy cans or 1 or 2 bricks in the top (empty) baking dish to weigh it down. Let rest for at least 20 minutes or for up to 30 minutes before serving.

-Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and cut across the grain into slices. Arrange on a warmed platter, revealing the cherry stuffing. Spoon the dish juices over the top. Garnish with parsley.

SHORT HAND COOKING INSTRUCTIONS for Switches:

1)Thaw

2)Broil Chicken (without marinade) 4-5 minutes on Broil

3)Roast Chicken (with marinade) 15-20 minutes at 375 F

(Roast covered either as noted above with 2 glass dishes OR I think that some of you may have accidentally baked your dishes with the plastic wrap covered with foil so the plastic doesn't melt/burn:)

4)Allow to rest for 20-30 minutes (before uncovering)

I think that we just ate ours with a LOT of veggies when I first made this in the summer but I think it may also go well with rice or a pilaf dish even a baked potato.

Doro Wat (an Ethiopian chicken curry) - January

1 1/2 c chicken
1 c onion
1 T minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1 t ginger
1/4 t cardamom
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 c butter
3/8 c water
1/8 c white wine
1 T paprika

Cooking Instructions. Combine onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and butter in saucepan. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Add water, wine and paprika. Cook briskly for 3 to 5 minutes (until the sauce is consistency of cream). Add chicken. Cover and simmer for half hour.

Reheating Instructions. Thaw completely and reheat in a saucepan.

Choices for January....

So I am COMPLETELY out of freezer space unless I go get a chest freezer this week, and my in-laws ordered pizza instead of eating up some pork chops, so even though I planned on making manicotti this week, I thought I would offer a variety of other things if people were interested.  This will help me empty some of the redundancies in my freezer (making room for swapping), so I can still participate and enjoy everyone else's cooking as well!

Let me know what ya'll think. I was thinking of still making 4 manicotti (instead of 6), so your options would be:

2 Wild Rice and Nut Bake (wild/brown rice, walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts, blend of cheese, eggs)
2 Shrimp/Fish Curry (shrimp, cod, and scallops in a creamy curry sauce) with a bag'o'rice
3 Margarita Pork Chops (boneless chops, margarita mix, s&p)
3 Manicotti ( actually already have all the ingredients to make 8 of these, so if folks all want this I can).

Let me know thoughts - is it making this too complicated? (Say yes so I can tell Arch I'm buying a freezer instead of a kitchen table that doesn't wobble...)

;-)
Obviously a little obsessed with the freezer meal concept.

Cheese Steaks (from December)

This is another from Fix Freeze Feast, it makes 3 entrees, 6 servings each.

1 pkg (6 lbs) sirloin tip beef or other beef suitable for slow cooking (some of you got sirloin tip and some got english pot roast, depending on what was on sale)
6 tsp beef bouillon granules (I use cubes)
3 c water
3 large green bell peppers, cut into strips
3 large onions, cut into strips
18 slices deli cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or swiss) (I included provolone)
18 long bread rolls (hoagie rolls - Kroger has them, I haven't seen them at Meijer though I've looked...)

3 two gallon freezer bags, labeled
3 one gallon freezer bags
3 one quart freezer bags
Plastic wrap

On hand for cooking each entree: 2 tsp veg. oil, foil

1. Rinse and trim beef as desired. Cut beef into three equal pieces, place a piece of beef into each 1 gallon freezer bag. Into each bag measure 2 tsp bouillon (I did 2 cubes) and 1 c water. Seal bags.

2. Divide bell peppers and onions evenly among the 1 quart freezer bags. Seal.

3. If necessary, divide cheese and rolls into three portions of 6 each, enclose in each plastic wrap (rolls and cheese separately).  Obviously I skipped this step, hoagie rolls come in packages of 6 and cheese in packages of 8, so I went with that.

4. Place a bag of beef, a bag of peppers and onions, a stack of cheese slices, and a packet of rolls inside each 2 gallon freezer bag.

Seal and freeze.

To Cook:

1. Thaw in fridge or not. Dump beef bag into slow cooker or big pot on low heat, cook for 5-6 hours, until the beef is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. Shred beef, reserve broth for dipping.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat, stir fry veggies until soft, about 3 minutes. Divide beef and veggies evenly among the rolls, add a slice of cheese, close and wrap in foil (I just covered mine in foil). Heat in the oven for 10 minutes. Unwrap and EAT! Add horseradish mayo or broth if you want.

Cost analysis: I bought the meat and cheese on sale, so this didn't end up being astronomically expensive: about $10.23 per entree, or $1.71 per serving.  On the high end (compared to pasta or beans, or burritos which average 75 cents per burrito, depending on what you include), but I think for a meat-intensive meal it worked out nicely, a little cheaper than some of the chicken dishes I've done. And tasted GREAT. Freezer space is definitely an issue with these, though.  For those who weren't there, I ran out of space so all I froze was the meat, and kept the buns/cheese in the fridge until swap day.