Freezer Meals 2 & 3

To see my first post on freezer meals (meals 1 & 2) please click here: http://midwestgirlcooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/freezer-meals-1-2.html

This week’s focus is on chicken.  I made cheesy, chicken and rice bake and chicken parmesan meatloaf.  These were recipes I found on Pinterest and like always, altered them to fit my family’s needs.

Meal #1 for this session is Cheesy, Chicken and Rice Bake.  (I found the recipe here:  http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/cheesy-chicken-and-rice-bake/ .)

In addition to chicken, this recipe calls for black beans, plain greek yogurt, frozen corn, cooked brown rice, rotel and cheddar cheese.

I will be preparing, freezing and cooking this meal in a foil casserole so I won’t be labeling any gallon freezer bags this session.

First, I bake 3 chicken breasts at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Once I place the chicken in the oven, I start cooking the brown rice.  I buy 10 Minute Boil in a Bag brown rice.  You simply put the bag of rice in some water and microwave for ten minutes.

Next, I drain and rinse the black beans to remove as much salt as possible.

Once the chicken is finished baking, I cut it in strips.  Then I put all the ingredients into a large bowl and combine.

Next, I put the mixture into my foil pans and top with more cheese (we like cheese in my house!).

Lastly, I put the lid (with the cooking instructions) on the pan and place in the freezer.  I do not thaw this meal before cooking.  I simply take it out of the freezer, remove the cardboard top and bake.  Easy!

Meal #2 is Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf.  You could make this as mini meatloaves in your muffin tin or as I did, a traditional meatloaf, in a foil pan.  (The recipe can be found here:  http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.com/2012/02/parmesan-meatloaf-gluten-free.html .)

In addition to ground chicken, this recipe calls for eggs, gluten free crackers (in place of breadcrumbs), basil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion, salt, pepper, parmesan, mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce.

First, I placed the gluten free crackers in a large ziplock bag and used my rolling bin to crush into crumbs.

Next, I chopped the onion.

Then I mixed it all (except for the mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce) together in a large bowl (handle as little as possible to keep the chicken from becoming tough).  Placed the mixture into the foil pans and topped with pasta sauce.

I baked the loaves for one hour.  When they were done baking I added the mozzarella cheese.  I didn’t bake it with the cheese because I didn’t want the cheese to burn during the initial baking and then get worse during reheating.

Once cooled completely, I wrapped the containers in aluminum foil with reheating instructions on the top.  Another easy and delicious recipe!

Enjoy!

Rachael

Cheesy, Chicken and Rice Bake

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups brown rice, cooked

1 package frozen corn

15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup plain, greek yogurt

2 cans Rotel

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

Instructions

Bake chicken breasts at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Cook rice according to package directions. Drain and rinse the black beans.  Cut cooked chicken into strips. 

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and combine. Place mixture into foil pans and top with more cheese. Cover pan with the lid (with the written cooking instructions) and place in the freezer.

When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer.  Remove cardboard cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground chicken

2 eggs

1/4 cup gluten free crackers

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 small onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush crackers to crumbs.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce.  Place mixture into loaf pans.  Top with pasta sauce.  Bake for one hour.

Once done baking, add mozzarella cheese to top.  Cool completely.  Cover with aluminum foil with baking instructions on top.

When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Let set 10 minutes before cutting.

Mini Corndogs

Mini Corndogs!

Okay, so first I want to apologize for the amount of time since my last post.  My day job is in higher education and as anyone remotely involved in education realizes, August is the busiest time of the year.  This also has inspired me to develop a more comprehensive recipe collection of freezer meals…stay tuned…I promise I have plans for a series of posts about freezer cooking.

Now…on to today’s creation.  In my house, we LOVE hotdogs!  We love them so much that I don’t keep any in the house for fear that the ease of preparation would make this tube of meat our dinner every night!  (I know…it’s bad).  One of my main concerns is the amount of sodium in these little bits of meat-as well as the obvious calorie concern.  Although I want to make sure we don’t eat them every night, I don’t mind Kate enjoying them in moderation (as long as it is the right hotdog and right coating).   So…in an effort to make a freezer-friendly, gluten free, toddler size meal I married a couple recipes I have together and created this…a mini corndog-esque dinner.

To start, all you need is Bisquick (gluten free if you are like me), all beef Hebrew National hotdogs without any fillers or preservatives, milk and eggs.

In a bowl, whisk together the Bisquick, milk and eggs.

Cut up the hotdogs.  As you see I made mine toddler size- cut in half length-wise and then again into bite-sized pieces.

Grease a muffin tin.  Add the hotdog slices and then the Bisquick mix.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes and then remove.  I let mine cool completely on a plate and then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.  When ready to serve, remove from plastic and microwave for 60 seconds. (Kate likes hers with ketchup for dipping!)

Toddler approved!

Enjoy!

Rachael

Mini Corndogs

½ cup Gluten-Free Bisquick

½ cup Milk

2 eggs

3 All Beef Hebrew Nation hotdogs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Whisk together Bisquick, milk and eggs.  On a separate surface, cut the hotdogs lengthwise and then again into bit-sized pieces.  Put several pieces of hotdog in each muffin tin.  Spoon Bisquick mix over hotdogs.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove from tins.  

Healthy, Freezable Quinoa Casserole

Veggie & Quinoa Casserole (individual servings)

Once Kate transitioned from baby food (purees) to toddler-friendly table food, I researched various recipes for meals that could be frozen and reheated easily while still maintaining good texture and taste.  This recipe is great because it combines one of my new favorite grains (quinoa) and veggies for a nutritional punch.

Speaking of quinoa. . . I was very intimidated by this grain before I started cooking with it regularly.  Now it is one of my favorite, go-to grains . . . especially since it is gluten-free!  I highly recommend you try it if you haven’t had it before.

As you know, I am a working mom and try to prepare meals on the weekends for the week ahead so I can spend more quality time with Kate and TC between work and bedtime.  During Kate's two-hour nap I usually cook the meals and place in freezer bags or containers, labeling with cooking instructions so it is easy for TC to prepare as well.  I prepare this dish in muffin cups for individual servings and then place in large freezer bags to take out one at a time as needed.  This also makes it easier to take to the babysitter’s for Kate to have for lunch.

I start by preparing the quinoa according to the package directions.  This typically consists of one cup of quinoa and 2 cups water.  I bring it to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

While the quinoa is simmering, I steam a package of frozen broccoli and carrots (or whatever veggies you like).  Once the veggies are steamed, I place them in the food processor and chop to fine bits.  I do this because I use veggies that Kate is not fond of eating in whole form.  For instance, she loves eating peas and green beans so I do not include them in this dish since she will eat them whole.  For some reason, she doesn’t mind the veggies diced in this dish.

Once the quinoa is done simmering, I add the diced veggies and combine.

Next, I add the mozzarella cheese.  The cheese is not necessary but I think it gives it a nice creamy texture.

I place muffin tin cups in my muffin pan and then fill with the mixture. I bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Once completely cooled, I place in a large freezer bag and take out as I need.  Delish!

Enjoy!

Rachael

Veggie & Quinoa Casserole

1 cup Quinoa

1 package frozen broccoli

1 package frozen carrots

1 cup Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place muffin cups in a muffin tin.

Add quinoa to 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes.  While quinoa is simmering steam the veggies in the microwave.  Place steamed veggies in a food processor and chop until fine.

Once quinoa is cooked and veggies are chopped, mix together.  Add mozzarella cheese.

Put mixture into muffin cups.  Bake for 12 minutes.

Let cool completely and then transfer to freezer bags and freeze.  Take out as needed.

Eggless Breakfast Casserole?!?!

Cheesy Sausage and Hashbrown Casserole

I always looked forward to holiday breakfasts as a child.  These mostly consisted of hashbrowns, sausage or bacon (sometimes both!), eggs and biscuits.  I could eat this ‘breakfast’ meal morning, noon and night.

This particular recipe started with a search for a Father’s Day breakfast meal that didn’t have any egg (TC and sis have allergies/intolerances) but was still delicious and filling.  Everything I would normally prepare (based on what I had as a child) would not meet the allergen needs.  Pinterest to the rescue!!

I could tell my entire family was skeptical as I explained it was eggless.  So often this means bland and tasteless or funky textures.  This put all those misconceptions to rest.

It was such a hit I included it in the rotation of my frozen meals I cook on the weekend for week night dinners.  Look for a post soon on how I prepare the week’s dinners on the weekend for fast and easy homemade meals on weeknights!  As always, below is the recipe and link.  Please excuse the laundry basket in the photo below! :)

First, I started preheating the oven to 375 degrees and browned the sausage on my stovetop.

Next, I chopped up the cooked ham.  You can purchase it already diced if you like.

In a large bowl (and I mean seriously large) I combined the hashbrowns, ham, sausage, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Next, I spread the mixture into the casserole dishes.  My mixture made enough for 3 small casserole dishes.

Bake for one hour.  The top should be golden brown.

This dish can be served as a casserole (as I made) or in individual ramekin dishes.  Next time I think I will add green peppers and maybe some other veggies.  What would you add, if anything, to this dish?

Enjoy!

Rachael

Cheesy Sausage and Hashbrown Casserole

1 (32 oz.) package of frozen hashbrowns

2 packages pork sausage

10 oz, cooked ham, diced

2 (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup

1 (16 oz.) sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease the desired casserole dish (at least one 9 x 13).

Brown sausage in a skillet on the stovetop, drain and set aside.  Chop cooked ham.  In a large bowl, combine hashbrowns, ham, sausage, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Spread evenly onto desired baking dish.

Bake for one hour, until lightly browned. 

http://www.travelandphotographytoday.com/cheesy-sausage-and-ham-hash-brown-casserole#more-4953

Fresh Blackberry Cobbler

BLACKBERRY TIME!

One thing you should know about me is that I am a wannabe gardener.  It never fails that every March I tell my husband, TC, how I would love to plant a garden that year.  We could plant tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, strawberries, corn….and the list goes on and on.  (Yes, I have very lofty goals!)  He looks at me, smiles politely and every year, asks, “But who would water it and pick the veggies in July when it is so hot outside you complain about having to walk from the air conditioned house to the air conditioned car?”  (This man truly knows me).  Needless to say, we do not have a garden.

We do, however, as I learned a couple weeks ago, have blackberry bushes.  I have lived in this house for almost six years and this is the first I have heard of these blackberry bushes!  (After TC’s comment above- you have probably reached the conclusion I do not take frequent walks on our 3.5 acres to inspect what kind of plants and bushes we have growing.)

What should one do with ripe blackberries?  Make blackberry cobbler, of course!

After putting Kate to bed this evening I went, measuring cup in hand, to the blackberry bushes I have heard so much about.  Wow!  There were a TON of blackberries!  They were a bit smaller than I am used to seeing but with the unusually dry spring this made sense.  In the 15 minutes it took me to pick 1.5 cups of these beautiful berries I was reminded of a story my grandparents enjoy telling about my mom. 

When my mom and her brother were young, my grandparents would take them blackberry picking every summer.  The blackberries they picked would be sold and they used the money for their family vacation fund.  It never failed that my mother would just sit and cry in the middle of all these bushes because she hated the heat, was getting bitten by bugs, hated the outdoors, etc., etc.  (Apparently, she was quite the drama queen when she was a child!) I used to join right in and make fun of her with the fam….not anymore!  When I got back to the house this evening I was sweating so much I had to shower and change clothes to be comfortable and I was bitten by so many mosquitos I had to take some Benadryl to keep from scratching the skin off of my feet.  Mom- I am so sorry I made fun of you.  It will not happen again!  J

The recipe I used to make the cobbler is from www.allbisquickrecipes.com .  I had all the ingredients on hand (TC has a gluten intolerance so I used gluten-free Bisquick) so I decided to give it a go.

I removed any remaining stems and washed the berries well.

I mixed cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, water and the blackberries in a pot, bringing the mixture to a boil and cooking for two minutes.

While this mixture was cooking on the stove, I started on the topping.  In a small bowl I combined the gluten-free Bisquick, sugar, melted butter, and milk.

Once the wet mixture finished cooking on the stove I dumped it into an 8 x 8 glass casserole dish and placed the dry mixture on top. 

I baked it for 25 minutes.  Once cooled, I enjoyed mine with some vanilla ice cream (TC likes his with Cool Whip) and settled into the recliner for some dessert and a rerun episode of the Big Bang Theory.  Perfect way to spend a Thursday night!

I posted the recipe and link below.  Make sure to leave a comment on what you think!

Enjoy!

Rachael

http://www.allbisquickrecipes.com/bisquick-cobbler/bisquick-blackberry-cobbler/

Bisquick Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

2 tbsp cornstarch

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup water

1 ½ cup blackberries

Topping:

1 cup Bisquick

2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. butter, melted

¼ cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and blackberries.  Bring to boil.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Pour into casserole dish and cover with topping.  Topping:  mix Bisquick, sigar, butter, and milk.  Bake until golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.