Frugal Freezer Fabulousness, Round 2

The second installment of the fabulousness that is freezer cooking with on-sale ingredients.

You are welcome to join in our freezer cooking frenzy at the Evangelical Pietist Church in Chatfield on Wednesday at 6:30pm. Bring kids, they have activities for elementary on up.

Freezer cooking menu for 10/16/13

Menu: Jen's Spicy Sausage Pasta, Southwestern Meatloaf, Crock Pot Pizza Soup,

Pork and Veggies, Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Jen's Spicy Sausage Pasta

(don't be afraid of the title. Use smoked sausage and mild rotel for less spicy)1 lb turkey kielbasa, cut into thin slices
1 can Rotel
1 cup cubed colby cheese
1/2 c. Italian dressing
12 ounces rotini pasta

Freezing directions:Brown the sausage. Place your sausage, rotel, cubed colby cheese and 1/2 c. Italian dressing in your gallon freezer bag, label and freeze. Reheating directions. . Boil pasta for 8-10 minutes and drain. Add contents of bag to pot. May warm on low heat if desired. This dish may be served cold, just simply rinse pasta under cold water (we like our dish warm, with the cheese melted- we call it spicy mac and cheese!).
We added corn bread and loved it with this dish! http://mealplanningmommies.blogspot.com/

Southwestern Meatloaf

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 pounds ground beef (90 percent lean is suggested)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup plain yogurt (not nonfat)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons ketchup, optional

Warm oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn; sauté 2 minutes.Transfer to a large bowl to let cool slightly.

Add beef, bread crumbs, egg, yogurt, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to bowl. Mix gently until well combined; do not overmix. Transfer to baking sheet and shape into a 12-by-4-inch loaf. Freeze.

Thaw. Bake at 375 until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160ºF, about 1 hour. Spread with ketchup, if desired, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving. http://mealplanningmommies.blogspot.com/

CrockPot Pizza Soup Recipe

--1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
--3 empty jars full of water
--1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
--1/2 red onion, chopped
--1 cup sliced mushrooms
--1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
--2 already-cooked Italian sausage (I used chicken Italian sausage)
--1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters (Hormel turkey pepperoni is labeled gluten free)
--8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried)
--1 T dried oregano
--1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (if your pasta is tiny, use 1/3 cup. if it's big, do 1/2. I used 1/2 cup Trader Joe's brown rice penne)
--shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4 hungry adults, or 2 hungry adults and 2 kids with enough leftovers to feed them all again.

Wash and prepare veggies. Cut up the sausage into small pieces--I sliced, then cut the pieces in fourths. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too. Add basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water. Freeze.
Thaw, dump in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.

Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high. My pasta only took 20 minutes to soften quite nicely.

Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-pizza-soup-recipe.html

Pork and Veggies

1 lb Pork Roast, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
4 Carrots, sliced
½ pound Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Combine ingredients in a large ziptop bag, freeze. Thaw contents of bag and place in a slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over hot rice. Serves approx. 5-6 people.http://www.lovingmynest.com/learning-activities/cooking/freezer-crock-pot-recipes/

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk for dairy allergies)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth

Put all ingredients in a Ziploc bag except chicken broth and milk. Freeze. Thaw and put in slow cooker and add chicken broth and milk. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in 3 cups prepared noodles. Serves 7-8 people.

http://www.lovingmynest.com/learning-activities/cooking/freezer-crock-pot-recipes/

Shopping List (*item on sale at Kroger)

• *2 lb turkey kielbasa or smoked sausage
• 1 can Rotel
• *1 cup cubed colby cheese
• *1/2 c. Italian dressing
• 12 ounces rotini pasta

• *1/2 red bell pepper
• *2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cup frozen or canned corn
• 2 pounds ground beef (90 percent lean is suggested)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup plain yogurt (not nonfat)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• --1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
  --3 empty jars full of water
  --1 cup sliced mushrooms
  --1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
• *1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
  --8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried)
  --1 T dried oregano
  --1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta
  --shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)
• 1 lb Pork Roast, cut into 1/2 inch strips
  4 Carrots, sliced
  ½ pound Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
  1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
  1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• *2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk for dairy allergies)
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth