Freezer meal tips and shortcuts Use frozen onions and bell peppers. They are cheaper and already chopped. Use minced

garlic in jars. Cook meat a day in advance. This saves time on cooking day and all ingredients are ready for

cooking. I like to marinate and grill chicken a day in advance when recipes call for cubed chicken. I also like to freeze some grilled chicken breasts that we can use during the month in salads or pasta.

Buy a container that will fit a gallon freezer bag. Fold the edges of the bag over the container. Makes easier for dumping ingredients. Use the freezer bags for mixing. Just seal it up and squish the ingredients.

Lay freezer meal bags flat to freeze. You can easily stack many meals in even a small freezer if you lay flat and stack.

Experiment with the recipes you use every day. Many recipes can be even partially prepared ahead of time – usually the most time consuming parts – which can save a lot of time on serving day.

Pasta and rice don’t freeze well. I wait and prepare these on serving day. If you’re looking for an easy place to start, double your favorite recipe and freeze one. Find recipes that will incorporate your food storage. On serving night, use a rice cooker. Rice in a rice cooker doesn’t have to be babysat so you

can still be running kids or helping with homework while dinner is cooking.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pockets

Crescent roll dough 1/3 c sour cream¼ c grated parmesan cheese ½ c shredded swiss cheese2 c chicken breast, cooked and diced1 c ham, cooked and diced

In a mixing bowl, mix the sour cream, parmesan cheese, and swiss cheese. Add the diced chicken and ham and toss until coated. Evenly divide the filling between the pockets using about ¼ c of mixture per pocket. Fold one side of the pocket over the other side. Seal the edges by pressing with the tines of a fork. Transfer the pockets to a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes careful not to brown.

Cool on baking sheet then freeze individually. When frozen completely, seal in a freezer bag.

Santa Fe Chicken Tortilla Wraps

3 c cooked & chopped chicken 1 can corn, drained1 can black beans, drained & rinsed 1 can black-eyed peas, drained1 can pinto beans, drained 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes1 c salsa 1 T chili powder2 t cumin

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, stirring until evenly mixed. Put in one-gallon freezer bag.

Thaw bag. Heat in a saucepan. Fill tortillas. Top with cheese and sour cream.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced1 onion, chopped 1 c sour cream1 c shredded cheddar cheese 1 15oz can tomato sauce½ c water 1 T chili powder2 T and 2 t chopped green bell pepper 1 ½ t dried parsley1 clove garlic, minced ½ t oregano½ t ground black pepper ½ t salt

Heat cooked chicken with onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and black pepper. Head until cheese melts. Stir in salt, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, green pepper and garlic. Cool mixture and freeze in gallon freezer bags.

From frozen: Thaw mixture. Roll in tortillas, reserving some sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over top of tortillas. Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Cheeseburger ‘n’ Fries Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef 1 can cream of mushroom soup1 can cheddar cheese soup ½ pkg onion soup mix½ pkg frozen steak fries

Brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in soups and soup mix. Pour into casserole dish. Top with fries. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken

½ c soy sauce ½ c sugar1 ½ T red wine vinegar 2 t sesame oil1 garlic clove, minced ¾ t ground ginger

Stir ingredients together and pour in gallon sized Ziploc bag with 1 lb frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

From frozen: thaw. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or grill on outdoor grill.

Cashew Chicken½ c catsup 4 tsp soy sauce ½ tsp salt2 T Worcestershire sauce 3 T sugar 1 ½ tsp sesame oil¼ tsp cayenne pepper ½ c chicken broth 2 T fresh gingerroot, minced3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 1 T minced garlic1 onion, chopped 1 can water chestnuts, drained1 can bamboo shoots, drained 1 c cashews2 cups cooked rice

Combine Catsup, soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, and chicken broth and set aside.Saute chicken, gingerroot, garlic and onion until chicken cooked through. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Add catsup/soy sauce mixture and cook until it comes to a boil. Cool and freeze in gallon bags.From Frozen: Thaw bag in fridge overnight. Reheat over medium heat until just boiling. Add cashews if desired. Serve over rice. Serves 4.Nutrition Facts: (minus the cashews) Calories – 145, fat – 3g, fiber – 4g, protein – 20g.

Roasted Red Pepper BBQ Beef Sandwiches

1 lb lean ground beef ¼ tsp salt1 (7oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped1 medium onion, chopped ¼ tsp pepper2 tsp liquid mesquite smoke 1 (10oz) can tomato soup

Brown ground beef. Add onions and sauté with beef.Stir in tomato soup and peppers; Simmer 5 minutesStir in salt, pepper and liquid smoke.Spoon mixture evenly onto buns and serve.Serves: 6

From Frozen: Thaw on countertop or overnight in fridge. Heat in saucepan until warmed through. Add water as needed.

Nutrition Facts: Calories – 346, Fat 5.2g, Carb 45.6g, Fiber 1.9g, Cholesterol 51mg, sodium 665mg. Rebecca Morgan

Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 Beef Roast 1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 small onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped

Place roast in crock pot. Put chopped onion and pepper on top. Cover with jar of spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup water. Cook 6-8 hours on low.Remove roast from crock pot and shred beef. Put shredded beef back in crock pot with sauce and juices and mix together. Serve on buns with slice of cheese.

From frozen: Thaw completely. Place meat in saucepan and heat thoroughly. Add water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts (Beef only – 3 oz serving):200 calories, 0 g fiber, 8.5 g fat, 0 g carbs

Porcupine Meatballs with Spicy Cranberry Sauce

Meatballs:1 beaten egg (I used egg beaters) ¼ cup tomato soup (uncooked)¼ c brown rice 2 T finely chopped onion1 T parsley 1 lb 90% lean ground beef½ t salt 1/8 t pepperCombine all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Form meatballs. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Sauce:1 can jellied cranberry sauce 1 jar chili sauce Combine sauces and simmer until bubbly. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve. Serve over brown rice

Nutrition facts: 6 meatballs (264 calories, 15g fat, 0 carbs, 0 fiber), ½ cup sauce (150 calories, 0g fat, 37g carbs, 1g fiber)

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

1 8oz pkg baby carrots 1 ½ c lentils, uncooked1 ½ lb frozen chicken breast 2 T minced garlic¾ tsp salt ¾ t ground turmeric½ tsp ground red pepper ½ tsp ground cinnamon2 (14 oz) cans fat-free chicken broth

Place all ingredients, in order listed, in a 4 or 5 qt electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 7 hours.

For freezer meal: Freeze all ingredients except lentils in 1 gallon freezer bag.

From frozen: Thaw and place in crock pot with lentils.

Yield: 6 (1-cup) servings

Nutrition Facts: Calories 320, Fat 2 g, Protein 40.5g, carb 33.3g, Fiber 6.7g

Deep-dish pizza casserole

1 lb lean ground beef 1 15oz can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce1 can refrigerated pizza crust dough1 cup 2% mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook meat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain if necessary and return to skillet. Add tomato sauce and cook until heated.Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust and press into bottom and halfway up sides of dish. Sprinkle half of cheese on crust. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 12 minutes.Yield: 6 servingsFor freezer meal: Freeze meat and sauce mixture in gallon freezer bag.From frozen: Thaw and prepare as above.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 337, Fat 11.4g, Protein 30.5g, Carb 28g, Fiber 1.8g.

Bacon Cheeseburger with Rice

1 lb 93% lean ground beef 4 slices pre-cooked bacon 1 can tomato soup, undiluted 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained¼ or 1/3 pkg onion soup mix 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 Tbl prepared mustard ¾ c 2% sharp cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Add soup, tomatoes, onion soup mix, bacon pieces and cheese. Simmer on low until cheese is just melted.

To serve, thaw overnight in fridge. Heat in saucepan until bubbly. Serve over brown rice.

Nutrition facts: Serving size = ¼ recipe. 345 calories, 13g fat, 3g fiber, 23g carbs.

Honey Balsamic Slow-cooker chicken

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (As many as you like)½ c chicken broth 1/3 c soy sauce1/3 c olive oil ¼ c honey1 t Worcestershire sauce 2 t balsamic vinegar2 t lemon juice 1 t sesame oil2 T minced garlic

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in crock-pot and pour sauce over. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 5 hours.

To freeze: Pour sauce over chicken breasts in a freezer Ziploc bag. Double-bag with another freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. (Even better this way because the chicken marinates while freezing). The cook, thaw in fridge overnight or partially thaw in microwave in the morning. Place in crock-pot and cook as above.

Beef and Beans

1 ½ lb boneless round steak 1 cans diced tomatoes, undrained1 T prepared mustard 1 T chili powder½ t salt ¼ t pepper1 garlic clove 1 medium onion1 beef bouillon cube, crushed 1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drainedHot cooked rice

Cut steak into thin strips. Combine mustard, chili powder, salt if desire, pepper and garlic in a bowl.Add steak and toss to coat. Freeze with sliced onion.

Thaw. Transfer to a slow cooker; Add tomatoes, onion and bouillon. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in beans; cook 30 minutes longer. Serve over rice.

Lemonade Marindade

1/3 c Worcestershire sauce ¾ c frozen lemonade concentrate1 t celery seeds 1 t seasoned salt½ t pepper ½ t minced garlic

Mix together and pour over chicken to marinade. Grill chicken.

Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips

½ c honey ¼ c orange juice2 T soy sauce1 envelope good seasons oriental sesame dressing mix

Mix ingredients together. Slice chicken breasts into strips. Skewer for shishkabobs. Pour sauce over chicken to marinate.

For freezer meal: freeze already-skewered meat in 2 gallon freezer bags. Pour marinade over skewers. Sealt bag and freeze.

Jambalaya

1/4 c vegetable oil 1 pkg smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" rounds2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into cubes1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 T Emerils original essence3 c chopped onion 1 c chopped green bell peppers2 T garlic 3 c long grain rice1 bay leaf 1 c chopped green onion5 c chicken stockHeat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook suasage 5 minutes and remove from pan. Add chicken, cayenne pepper and 1 T essence to pan. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Add onions, bell peppers and remaining essence and garlic to pan and cook 8-10 minutes until vegetables are softened. Combine all ingredients, cool and freeze.

On serving day, add rice and cook, stirring 3-5 minutes. Add stock and bay leaf. Increase heat to med-high heat and bring to boil. Cover and reduce to low. Cook 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Let stand, covered 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and stir in green onions to serve.

BBQ Beef

1 1/2 c Ketchup1/4 c brown sugar1/4 c red wine vinegar2 T dijon mustard2 T worcestershire sauce1 T liquid smoke1/4 t garlic powder1/2 t salt1/4 t pepper

Mix all ingredients together and freeze.

On serving day, pour over roast beef in crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Shred beef with a fork and stir together with sauce.

Coconut Curry over noodles

2 T vegetable oil 1 red onion, thinly sliced1 lb beef or chicken. 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced1 T Thai red curry paste 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk1 T fresh lemon juice Angel hair pasta

Saute chicken or beef until cooked through. Remove from skillet. Add onion, bell peppers and ¼ c water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Add curry paste; Cook 1 minute. Return meat to skillet and add coconut milk. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Cook and freeze.Serve over pasta.

Chicken Parmesan Tenders

1/3 c Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs 2 T parmesan cheese½ t garlic powder 1 egg, beaten1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 can tomato sauce¾ c shredded mozzarella cheese

To freeze: Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic powder in shallow bowl. Slice chicken breasts into 3 long strips (tenders). Dip tenders into egg and then coat with mixture. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Turn chicken over. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and freeze solid on baking pan. Once frozen, place in zipper freezer bag.

To serve: thaw. Reheat chicken in 375 oven. Spoon tomato sauce over chicken, sprinkle with cheese and bake 3 minutes until cheese is melted.

Romano Ham Linguine

12 oz linguine 2 T butter2 T flour ½ t salt12 oz evaporated milk 4 oz mushrooms1 1/3 c water 1 chicken bouillon cube4 c cooked ham, cubed ½ c romano cheese, grated1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 T vegetable oil

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and salt, adding evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one more minute. Ad liquid from

mushrooms, water and bouillon cube. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sightly thickened and bubbly. Add romano cheese and stir until melted and

smooth. Add ham and mushrooms. Cool and place in freezer bag. To serve, thaw and reheat. Serve over linguine.

Sweet and Tangy Flank Steak

1/3 c soy sauce 1/3 c brown sugar¼ c slice green onions, white and green parts1 T sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds2 t garlic, minced 1 ½ t gingerroot, minced¼ t chili pepper flakes 2 lbx flank steaks.

Mix together all ingredients except steak in a bowl. Add to freezer bag. Add steaks. Freeze.

To serve: Thaw and grill.

Teriyaki Burgers

1 lb hamburger ½ c water chestnuts, chopped¼ c soy sauce ¼ c orange juice1 t minced garlic 1 t molasses1/8 t ginger

Mix hamburger and water chestnuts. Form into 4 patties. Place on parchment paper on pan to freeze. Once frozen, combine patties into freezer bag. In a separate bag, combine all other ingredients and freeze.

To serve: place thawed patties in shallow dish. Pour sauce over patties. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours, turning once. Grill until done, basting frequently with

marinade.

Chicken Wraps

2 c cooked cubed chicken 1 8oz pkg neuftachel cheese4 T butter ½ t pepper1 - 4 oz can mushrooms or olives (optional)1 t Accent green onion3 cans reduced fat crescent rolls Italian seasoned bread crumbsParmesan cheeseCombine chicken, neuftachel cheese, butter, pepper, mushrooms, acent and green onion in a bowl. Separate roll dough into 4 sections. Press together the seams of

the triangles to form 4 rectangles from each roll dough can. Fill with filling. Press edges together. Coat with bread crumb and parmesan cheese mixture. Bake

on pan at 375 for 15-17 minutes. Cool and freeze individually. To serve: thaw and bake on pan until lightly browned and heated through.

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 can mushroom soup 1 lb ground beef1/3 c dry bread crumbs 1 egg beaten¼ c finely chopped onion 1-4oz can mushrooms, drained

In a bowl, mix together ¼ cup of the soup, beef, bread crumbs, egg and onion. Shape into 4 patties. Freeze individually on parchment paper. Once frozen, combine in zipper bag. In a separate zipper bag, combine remaining soup and mushrooms.

To serve: in a skillet over medium heat, cook patties, a few at a time, until browned on both sides. Stir in remaining soup and mushrooms, reduce heat to low and cover and simmer 20 minutes or until done, turning patties occasionally.

Other ideas:

Quesedillas – grill chicken ahead of time. Freeze whole grilled chicken breasts. Saute other ingredients like onions, bell peppers, corn, black beans along with some taco seasoning. On serving day, thaw all ingredients on countertop. Thinly slice chicken breasts and combine ingredients inside tortillas and grill on quesadilla-maker or in oven.

Shishkabobs – Cut up raw chicken and other veggies to be skewered. I usually use canned chunk pinapple, bell peppers, and onions. Skewer chicken and veggies. Place in 2 gallon freezer bags. Coat with your favorite marinade.

Hawaiian haystacks – Cook chicken and dice (or use canned chicken). Combine with cream of chicken soup or chicken gravy. Freeze. On serving day, top with cheese and veggies over rice.

Calzones – Thaw frozen bread dough but don’t rise. Roll out loaf and cut in 3. Fill with your favorite fillings and cheese. Bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes (not quite brown). Individually freeze on cookie sheet. When frozen solid, combine in freezer bags. On serving day, thaw and bake until warmed through.

Meatballs - I make and freeze hundreds of meatballs at once. Use your favorite meatball recipe or mine for porcupine meatballs above. I bake them, then cool and individually freeze on the

cookie sheet. Once frozen, I double freezer bag about 30 of them at a time. On serving day, I cook in crock pot or in pot with my favorite sauce.

Freezer meal cooking websites:

http://www.christysclipart.com/oamc2.htmlwww.30daygourmet.comhttp://www.recipezaar.com/ www.allrecipes.comwww.meals.comwww.kraftfoods.comwww.weightwatchers.comwww.recipesource.comwww.foodtv.comwww.bettycrocker.com