So rather than individually sending messages to everyone
that wanted the info, I am just going to put it all together here – on this
blog I rarely remember to useJ
If you do a search here, you will find a few other posts about freezer
meals/once a month cooking that will also include info and different recipes.
Basically, my reason for doing once a month cooking started
because that hour before dinner had been witching hour at our house – dad isn’t
home yet and the kids are cranky and who wants to fight the toddler off your
leg while slaving over the hot stove. Also, I HATE having to make 100 trips to
the grocery store during the month because there isn’t a plan or being stuck at
witching hour without a clue about what’s for dinner much less running to the store
during that time to get ingredients. And oh my goodness, my grocery budget!
This month I filled our freezer for under $200 – no joke. So aside from weekly
funds allotted for fresh fruits or veggies, we are done for the month. Yikes.
Enter freezer meals! The idea is that you would do all of
your cooking in one day. Sometimes we do it this way – a grocery store trip the
night before, and marathon cooking with my hubs and I (or sometimes a friend
and I) all in one day. Sometimes it doesn’t end up working this way. This week
I took the girls to the grocery store and spent the day cooking/reffing/letting
them “help”, so it spread into a day and a half.
What works very well for me is to collect the recipes I want
to use all in one word document. I do have some on actual recipe cards, and
eventually might get in gear and switch everything over, but alas, I haven’t
had the time or gumption yet. SO – I compile a word doc with all of the recipes
– from pinterest, from previous months, etc. I waste my time getting it all in
the same font because I can’t handle it otherwiseJ
I will often start with a calendar document and map out the month – many times
I will do this with themed days because it makes it easier to think of meals
for whichever night (ie “Mexican Mondays”).
So map out the month, compile the recipes – and then comes the grocery
list. I go through each recipe and pick out the various grocery categories and
get it all organized.. It sounds OCD but it isn’t that big of a deal, I
promise. (There are some great (free) printables to help you do these steps too
– check out my pins on the OAMC board.) And of course, part of that grocery
trip needs to be getting freezer bags (gallon sized) and tinfoil pans (SUPER
cheap at the dollar store!).
It will be a big help to prep everything ahead of time – or
start there. For example, if three recipes call for cooked ground beef, get
that cooking while you get something else prepped. I will try to always have
the oven full – so if you get something baking while you then prep veggies and
meats, etc. – it saves time. Chop all of the veggies and just keep them in
separate bowls so you can grab when you need them. I made a triple batch of
waffles that night and served fresh ones for dinner and then just kept making
them while they cleaned up. Waffles take forever – but its worth it, I promise!
Here is what I ended up with this month:
1 Honey-lime
chicken skewers
1 Honey Dijon
grilled chicken
1 Slow-cooker
parmesan honey pork roast
3 Burritos
1 Enchiladas (I used an extra pound of
beef to use the rest of the homemade enchilada sauce. Mixed in a little bit of
beans and cheese, wrapped and then smothered in sauce).
4 Pizza
pockets
2 Ham&cheese
pockets
2 Energy balls
2 Chipotle
meatballs
2 Baked
oatmeal
4 bags Eggo
waffles
1 Mexican
chicken
2 Granola
bars/bites
Homemade enchilada sauce
2 Stroganoff (I just prepped the meat
for this and have the other parts in the fridge)
3 Bags French
toast sticks
24 omelets
(and somehow 2 pounds of ground beef leftover so I will mix
up some burgers)
Below all of this are the recipes. There are a couple of extra in here that I didn’t end up making because I had enough – but we’ve had them before and they are good, so I left them in.
Anything that is going into a bag after being cooked should
be flash frozen first – laid on a sheet pan and frozen for 30min-1hour. This
prevents things from getting smashed together or sticking. It is also SO
important to suck all of the air out. My method is for Steve to stick a straw
in all of the bags and suck it out – but if you have a vacuum sealer thing,
that will work tooJ
I have done this with a friend a couple of times and it
makes things more fun – but it is helpful if you are all doing the same
recipes, because space is limited and things get confusing. I bring 1-2 folding
tables into the kitchen for more work space (and space I can sit down to work)…
AND wear good shoes! Otherwise your feet and back will be upset with you.
Finally – have a good bath waiting for you at the end of the day. Hello,
infused Epsom salts!
Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers
If you're using bamboo skewers, soak your sticks in water for
at least 5 minutes. Cut chicken into large chunks, and skewer. Allow to
marinate for at least 1 hour.
Ingredients
•
3 tablespoons soy sauce
•
2 tablespoons honey
•
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•
juice of one lime
•
2 garlic cloves, minced
•
1-2 teaspoon Siracha
•
red pepper flakes, to taste
•
2 tablespoon cilantro
•
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
1. In a
small bowl, combine your ingredients, through the cilantro. Mix thoroughly.
2. Pour
marinade over chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for
at least 1 hour.
3. Grill
on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.
Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken
|
Ingredients
• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 T dijon mustard
• 2 T honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 T dried rosemary
• juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
1
Combine garlic, oil, dijon, honey, salt and rosemary.
2
Add chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours (if you are going to make
ahead and freeze, you can mix up all the ingredients, place in a freezer bag
and freeze together)
3
Heat grill to 400-450 degrees
4
Cook for 7-9 minutes per side
5
One cooked, place in tin foil and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over top
of chicken.
6
Wrap in tin foil and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Clean Eating Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
•
3 large red bell pepper
•
1 lb. lean, ground turkey
•
1 tbsp. coconut oil
•
1 small red onion, chopped
•
1 tbsp. garlic powder
•
1 tbsp. onion powder
•
1 tbsp. ground cumin
•
2 tsp. chili powder
•
1 cup frozen corn
•
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce OR 12 oz. jar of your favorite clean salsa
•
3 tbsp. freshly grated cheddar cheese (any cheese will work)
•
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1.
Cut the tops off your bell peppers, remove the stems and chop up the
lids. Set aside.
2.
Cook the turkey in a skillet with the coconut oil until browned. Add the
spices, chopped pepper tops and corn and continue cooking until the meat is
finished. Don’t overcook it as it still needs to bake in the oven.
3.
Stuff the peppers tightly with the meat filling.
4.
In a small casserole dish, pour the tomato sauce into the bottom of the
dish, then place your peppers upright. The casserole dish should be small
enough to fit the peppers tightly so they stand upright for baking.
5.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp. cheese onto of each pepper, then place the baking dish
in the oven.
6.
Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. These taste best if the
peppers are not overcooked. They should still be slightly firm when done.
7.
Cut pepper in half, sprinkle with fresh, chopped cilantro and serve.
Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast
Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2 /3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow
cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic,
oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a
meat thermometer reads 160°.
Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim
fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil.
Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a
boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with
gravy.
Pesto Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
1 package (16oz) penne pasta- cooked and
drained
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese
blend
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
1 1/2 cups milk
1 container (5-8 ounces) prepared basil
pesto
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Step 1
In a bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cooked
chicken, cheese blend, baby spinach, crushed tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, milk, and
pesto.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil,
Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs.
Step 3
Pour pasta mixture into two 8X8 pans. Sprinkle
the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta.
Step 4
Cover pasta with tinfoil and bake at 350
degrees for 40-45 minutes (or freeze before baking). This makes a HUGE batch
and usually is split into 2-3 pans for us.
Freezer-Friendly Pizza Pockets
Dough:
•
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
•
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
•
2 teaspoons sugar
•
2 teaspoons salt
•
4 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
•
5 cups flour (I used unbleached, but half white, half
whole-wheat would also work well.)
Filling: Whatever you want in your pizza. I made pizza
pockets first – with pepperoni, sauce and cheese, some for grown ups with peppers
and mushrooms added in, and then I made ham and cheese pockets with a diced ham
steak and the same mix of cheese – no sauce but more cheese. I doubled this
dough recipe for that.
To make dough:
Mix yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Mix
well and dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.
To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the
dough): Brown ground beef with onion (and green pepper, if desired).
Drain. Add pasta sauce and mix together. Add other optional filling
ingredients, if desired.
To make Pizza Pockets: Divide dough into
15-20 pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Flatten balls into circles with rolling
pin. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with
cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 10-15
minutes until browned.
To freeze: Cool completely and store in an
airtight ziptop freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
To serve: Remove desired number of pizza
pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about
two minutes or until heated throw. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees
oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Homemade Energy Bites
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup peanut butter or other nut butter
2/3
cup honey
2 cup coconut flakes, wheat germ, sesame seeds, or a mixture of all
three (can also substitute oatmeal or protein powder, if you prefer)
1 cup
ground flaxseed
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix all ingredients together. Roll into balls.
To freeze: Place balls on a cookie sheet and
freeze for one to two hours. Remove from cookie sheet and place in an airtight
ziptop freezer bag (or other airtight container).
To serve: Remove desired number of balls and
thaw at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Can also warm for 30 seconds or
so in the microwave. Or, you can be impatient like me and eat them straight
from the freezer.
Makes around 3 dozen energy bites. **I don’t do coconut,
so again, I added cocoa, wheat germ, vanilla protein powder and some extra
oats.
Chipotle
Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
2 egg yolks
Cilantro for garnish
Sauce: (I used roughly 1c of tomato sauce instead of 2,
and just skipped the broth)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp oregano
s & P
I flash
freeze these – parchment lined baking sheets, with the sauce “dolloped” on top.
Then put them into a tinfoil baking dish (I think I ended up with 14 in each
pan). I like the taste better when they are frozen raw rather than after
baking. Bake at about 400degrees for 10min or so depending on the size of your
meatballs. Serve with rice. I put the extra sauce in snack sized bags and froze
it – so when I go to bake these I can use that.
Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal
•
1/3 cup butter, melted
•
2 large eggs
•
3/4 cup raw sugar (or brown sugar)
•
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
•
1 teaspoon cinnamon
•
1/4 teaspoon salt
•
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
•
3 cups oats (regular or quick oats)
Beat eggs, sugar and butter together. Mix in baking
powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir in milk and oats. Pour into a greased 9×13 foil pan
or baking dish and cover well. (Can use a Ziploc freezer bag, if freezing).
Freeze.
To serve: Thaw overnight in the
refrigerator. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until set
in the middle. Serve warm with milk. (We like to sprinkle sugar on top before
pouring the milk on.)
If you want to serve it without freezing it first, let
it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then bake it at 350 degrees for 35-45
minutes in the morning.
MEXICAN CHICKEN
1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Seasoning
for Tacos
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
4 ounces cheddar cheese,
shredded
3 green onions, chopped
Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning; grill or sauté.
Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a greased 8x8" baking dish; season
with salt to taste. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken.
Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and bake at 350º for 10-20 minutes, until
hot and bubbly. Scatter the green onions over the top.
**Freeze before baking. Thaw and then bake. Serve over rice or with
quinoa or on shells/nachos. I use the homemade sauce for this too.
Instant
Oatmeal Packets
Into
small bags:
1/3 cup quick oats
1 tsp milk powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
to cook – 2/3c boiling water
Burritos
1lb gr beef
15oz pinto beans
4.5oz green chiles chopped
15.5oz red enchilada sauce
1pkg taco seasoning
8oz Monterey jack cheese
8oz shredded cheddar
15+ tortillas
Brown beef. Add seasoning, simmer and then drain fat.
Combine beans, chilis, beef and ½ can sauce, ¾ Monterey jack & cheddar in
large pan. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is thick. Let
simmer a couple minutes. Fill tortillas and place in pan to freeze. Cover with
remaining sauce and cheese. Cover with foil to bake and/or freeze. Thaw and
bake at 350 degrees for 30-45min or from frozen just over an hour.
**This recipe makes a TON. I use the homemade enchilada sauce (recipe
below). I like to freeze them uncovered for about 30min first so the stuff
doesn’t stick to the tinfoil.
Homemade Enchilada
Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic,
minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1
cup chicken stock or water
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion
and saute for a few minutes, until starting to brown on the edges, about 5
minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for an additional minute
to toast the spices.
Add in the tomato sauce, as well as the chicken broth. Stir to
combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, and pour the sauce through a fine-mesh
strainer set over a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, push down on the onions,
forcing as much sauce out as possible. I like to just toss the strained onion
mixture into whatever enchilada filling I’m making, but you can discard it if
you like.
Season sauce to taste with salt and black pepper before using.
Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3
months.
Makes about 2 cups enchilada sauce.
Chewy
Granola Energy Bars
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup Rice Krispies
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup mini M & M candies
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground flax
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
** I have never made these according to the recipe, but
included the original here. I skip the cereal, coconut, peanuts and m&ms. I
use wheat germ, oats and flax to make up the difference and add mini chocolate
chips.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Use muffin papers or spray the pan.
I have used mini muffin tins and square individual brownie pans as well.
In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix together
until well combined.
Press into prepared pan. Bake 8-12 minutes, until golden
brown.
Cool completely before removing from the pan – this is
important because they will totally fall apart otherwise.
Eggo Waffles
Ingredients:
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose
flour
• 1.75 cups milk
• 0.5 cups butter,
melted
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking
powder
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 0.5 teaspoons vanilla
• 0.5 cups mini
chocolate chips, blueberries, or dried strawberries
Directions:
Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with a
whisk until well beaten and fluffy. Using the whisk, mix in flour, milk,
butter, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth. Add in
chocolate chips, blueberries or dried strawberries. Pour mix onto
hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.
Freezing Directions:
Flash freeze. After freezing, place into gallon freezer
bag. Label and freeze. To serve: reheat in microwave for 30
seconds.
Hot and
Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken
IN THE
BAG- 2 cups onions, 2 cups carrots, 2 cups zucchini, 1 red pepper, 1/2 t grated
lime peel, 2 T lime juice, 2 T soy sauce, 2 T flour, 4 garlic cloves, 2 lbs.
cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast.
TO COOK-
Dump contents of bag in slow cooker. Cover with 3/4 cup chicken broth and 3 T
peanut butter (whisked together). Cook on low for 5-6 hours. For the last five
minutes, add in 1 can of coconut milk and 1 bag of frozen peas.
TO
SERVE- To make it spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of red curry paste before serving (I
kept our unspicy for the kiddos). Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.
Serve over rice.
Omelets – I use 11-12 eggs per 12 hole muffin tin. I added
seasoning and then chopped peppers and mushrooms and ham and cheese (all
leftover from pizza pockets!). Be sure to grease the muffin pan well – pour in
eggs and then add the extras. Baked these at 450 for about 10 min. Flash freeze
on a sheet pan before putting into a bag.
French Toast Sticks
Loaf of texas toast bread (I used 2 loaves and had to
triple this recipe plus added two eggs at the end)
1/4 cup
butter, melted
4 eggs
1/3 cup
sugar
2/3 cup
milk
2 teaspoon
vanilla
(or just pour like I do)
1/4
teaspoon cinnamon
(I add way more)
pinch of
salt
Preheat
oven to 350ºF.
Cut the
thick bread slices into thirds so you have 3 sticks per slice of bread. I skim
the two crusts off the side pieces because its fast and my kids fight about the
ones with no crusts.
Combine
remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, beat well to combine.
Dip bread
sticks into the egg mixture one at a time, and place on a baking sheet that has
been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake in a
350º oven for about 30 minutes. Flip the sticks over halfway through baking
time to crisp both sides.
**To
freeze, allow to cool completely before wrapping well in a freezer bag. To
reheat, pop in a 350 oven for about 8 minutes to refresh, or microwave.