Freezer Food?!
Answers: My husband is getting surgery next week and I want to have some meals I can just pop into the oven or quickly assemble. I have till next Wednesday to do the preparation. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
I have had to do the same thing so I know what you are saying. I hope all goes well for your sweet hubby.
Run off a copy of the following suggestions for future use:
1. Dinner recipe videos, turn on your sound and click this link:
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/CookingScho...
2. Foil-Pack Dinners-turn on your sound (video):
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/cookingscho...
3. Favorite Brand Name Recipes:
http://www.fbnr.com/finder/searchlists/1...
Take a look at these recipes from Campbells:
http://www.campbellsoup.com/Supper_Bakes...
4. In a rush? Smithfield, Hormel, Armour have packages of PRE-COOKED beef tips, roast, pot roast, pork roast, chicken, ham, meatload. Use this for your meat dish with a side dish or two of vegetables, rice, or potatoes. You will find these packages near the meat section, they are not frozen.
5. Tyson's fully cooked whole chickens are delicious. I serve them often with S&W canned sweet potatoes, Stove-Top dressing, microwave chicken/turkey gravy in jars, a canned vegetable, canned cranberry sauce, and frozen Pillsbury Microwave Biscuits which are better than I can make. A frozen pie defrosted and fully cooked. Perfect for one or two people at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
6. Another thing you can do is cook in a slow cooker or a crock-pot. You put the meat meal into the crock-pot in the morning and it cooks all day long. The meal is ready at dinner time. Crock-pots can be bought at your grocery store, WalMart, Target, etc. BE SURE to read the booklet that comes with the crock-pot.
Here are some crock-pot recipes for you:
.
Beef Recipes in Crock Pot (see other types of meats at the very bottom of this link):
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/beef-...
.
Chicken Recipes in Crock Pot:
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/chick...
TEXAS crock pot recipes:
http://www.texascook.com/crockpot/
7. If you are in a hurry, go to your grocery store and pick up a roasted chicken that you can buy in the deli section. They also have side dishes such as veggies, salads, desserts, and etc.
8. Frozen dinners are always a good choice. Our favorites are Stouffer's, Marie Calendar's, Michael Angelo's, Boston Market's. Just add a side dish, salad, or fruit salad. Desserts can be bought at their bakery section.
9. Ragu Sauces- Italian (in jars, just pour it on).
Scroll down this screen, click a category and then click "Find Recipe" at the bottom of the screen:
http://www.eat.com/recipe_landing.asp
10. Quick put together desserts:
Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk videos-turn on your sound:
http://eaglebrand.com/videos.asp?v=fudge...
Kraft's Chocolate Passion Bowl (video):
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/cookingscho...
11. Tossed Salad (video):
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-make-th...
Caesar Salad - chef style (video):
http://www.ifoods.tv/site/video.jsp?vide...
Quick five minute Caesar Salad (video):
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-make-a-...
12. Guacamole Dip video (peppers can be left out if you wish):
http://www.5min.com/Video/how-to-make-gu...
lasagna is an obvious answer. Have you ever tried Rachael Rays pizzagna? Its so good. I used italian sausage along with the pepperoni in her recipe
Pizzagna
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
1 pound pasta curls (recommended: campagnelle by Barilla; short fusilli or cavatappi twists may be substituted)
Salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls
Handful parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced
1 onion, quartered then thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
12 crimini mushrooms (baby portabellos), thinly sliced
Black pepper
1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Loaf of crusty bread
Preheat broiler.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt the water.
While the water boils combine ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley and pepperoni in a large bowl and reserve.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute 6 to 8 minutes until tender and mushrooms are dark. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to low.
Add a ladle of starchy cooking water to the ricotta just before you drain the pasta. Drain pasta then toss with ricotta and pepperoni mixture. Pour pasta into a baking dish and top evenly with peppers, onion and mushroom sauce. Top with a layer of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes. Place under hot broiler and melt cheese until golden and bubbly. Remove and serve with crusty bread.
you could also whip up some chicken noodle soup and freeze it as well. Maybe also some meatloaf
Edit: Prayers are with you and your family. Hope all goes well
edit: I just thought of a couple more things. Chicken pot pie, beef stew. Rachael Ray also did a mean shepherds pie. You may want to check her 30 minute meal recipes, that way its something you can throw to gether pretty quick
Baked spaghetti freezes really well. In a 9x13 pyrex start with a layer of your favorite sauce recipe - I usually use a can of sauce and add fresh peppers, onions, and spices to it. Then put a layer of cooked angel hair pasta down and then a layer of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Just keep alternating the layers ending with sauce. When ready to eat, heat at 350 until center is warm and then top with some more cheese mixture and bake until bubbly. I kind of adapted my version from this recipe from Paula Deen:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
You can also just bake some chicken ahead of time and shred it or cube it and then freeze it and then once thawed you can just add it to whatever dish you want to make, like chicken tacos, quesadillas, top salads with it, etc. OR leave it as breasts or cutlets and then all you have to do is thaw, heat and serve with some rice or salad.
One recipe I recently tried that is absolutely amazing, quick, and filling is:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
The only thing I do differently is I use a block of sorrento mozz cheese instead of the fresh the recipe calls for and I also dice the tomatoes instead of using slices so easy to bite into.
Casseroles are good for this. Just assemble, cover, and freeze. Pop it in the oven when you get home. You may have to double the baking time though, since it'll be frozen.
**Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole**
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Any kind of casseroles will freeze well.
Lasagna, chilli, casseroles, meatloaf, brothy (non-creamy) soups.
you may make a few diff things w/ chicken , chicken + dumplings is easy on the stomach + freezes well , just freeze the dumplings separate . chicken veggie soup , cook the veggies til near done , they will finish when re-heating . avoid seafood , no one really likes frozen then re-heated seafood . marinated steak partially cooked w/ veggie sides, fin cooking when re-heating . you have a pretty good list to chose from . it's all iin how you cook , wrap + freeze these items as to how good they will come out later . get all the air out of the bags as poss . don't bother w/ containers . air stays in them
Bacon and Egg Slabs
Grease a rectangular oven dish and line with flaky pastry. (I use ready rolled)
Fry off trimmed and diced bacon and allow to cool on paper towels. Place in dish and make wells to drop 4 eggs in. Pierce the yolks and cover with another sheet of pastry. Pierce the pastry several times with a knife for steam vents. Brush with milk.
Bake in a 180C oven for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Turn out and allow to cool a little then cut in 75mm squares.
When cool put into freezer bags. Reheat in the oven. This isn't a meal, but makes a great snack, with something else for lunch.
Salmon Croquettes.
3 Large peeled potatoes, chopped.
1 Small onion finely chopped.
2 210 g of Pink salmon, drained and flaked.
1 T Chopped fresh parsley.
2 t Grated Lemon Zest.
? C lemon juice.
1 T Vinegar.
1 Egg, lightly beaten.
? C Plain Flour.
S&P.
2 Eggs lightly beaten.
11/2 C Fresh Bread Crumbs.
Oil
(I)
Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender.
Drain and mash.
Place in a mixing bowl. Add onion, salmon, parsley, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, one whisked egg and pepper.
Stir to combine.
(II)
Divide mixture into 16 portions and form into patties or sausage shape.
(III)
Combine flour and pepper and roll the patties or croquettes to cover. Shake off excess flour and dip in the two beaten eggs, then into the crumbs to coat evenly. Store in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
(IV)
Heat oil in a deep fry pan and lower a few at a time into medium hot oil for about 5 minutes turning over.
Remove and drain on paper towels and keep warm.
At the end of step three they can be refrigerated for up to a couple of days.
Meatloaf is always a good standby to have on hand. Make as usual & either freeze, then bake when ready, or bake/slice/package/zap.
Start a crockpot of ribs (I like to use boneless country style), 4 potatoes in 1/4s. a can of whole corn, drained, a medium sliced onion,& a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Cover & cook low 8 hrs or longer. All you need is a salad & some good bread.
Put a chuck roast in the crockpot. (Did you notice I couldn't survive without a crockpot??) Dump 2 cans of mushroom soup on, then sprinkle with an envelope of dry onion soup mix. Cover & cook 8hr on low. Add mashed potatoes--you already have some awesome gravy with NO work involved!! Add a veggie & hard rolls. You can do this with pork or chicken as well--all are good, but roast beef is the BEST!!
i hope these are some help, & that you both recover well!! Congratulations on planning ahead--you've already won half the battle.