Freezer meals again!

Back at the grind again!~ This time, I'm being brazen, and making 36 ... yes, THIRTY SIX freezer meals.   I'm tired, so bear with me if there are any typos that I seemed to have missed.  Here's the recipe line up ...

Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup (2)
Cheeseburger Chowder (2)
Hearty Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (4)
Spaghetti and Meatballs (3)
Zesty Italian Pork Tenderloin
Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake (3)
Dilly Pork Chops (2)
Herbed Pork Medallions (2)
*Green Chili Chicken Lasagna (2)
Chicken Tarragon
*Green Bean Chicken Casserole (3)
Beef Burgandy Soup (2)
*Creamy Tuna and Tarragon Noodles  (3)
Honey Mustard Pork Scallopini
*Rainy Day Chicken (2)
*Mexican Chicken Alfredo (2)
*Caraway Pot Roast

The asterisks indicate the recipe is already here on the blog, and to save me some time and sanity, I will NOT be retyping them.  I'm making duplicates here. Anything that's a big hit with the kids gets repeated a few times, hence the numbers following the dishes.

I'm gonna try to come back and edit this in the evening, with a more accurate grocery list. Bummer, I know.  BUT ... I had a few items already on hand, and I also double (or triple, or quad ... ) pretty much every recipe so my list is WAY larger than yours could be.  The recipes posted will be standard recipes, usually for 4-8 servings. Most average 6 .. but make sure you note it, in case you need to double one for your own personal use. :-) Alright ... lets get this going!  I'm getting hungry just seeing this line up!!!

*****ALSO *****

I cook up all my meats and chickens  and dice and chop all veggies as well, before I actually start assembling them. I spent a few hours grilling, chopping, dicing, slicing, and separating veggies and chicken tonight, and have them ready to go for tomorrow.  They're currently in nice ziplock baggies, and in the morning, I'll be putting everything into big bowls for me to scoop stuff out of. I base chicken off 1 cup = one chicken breast.  1/2 cup = veggie (onion, pepper, 2 celery stalks, etc. etc.) Makes for easier and faster meals. :-) Below every recipe, you'll see my quicker version, and what I do for each of these meals.

Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup

6 servings

4c chicken broth

4c. beef broth

4 boneless skineless chicken thighs

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. poultry seasonion

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 1/2c. frozen cheese tortellini

1. In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth and beef broth to a boil; reduce heat. Add chicken and poach, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees. Remove chicken; cool slightly.

2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, soup mix, parsley, and seasonings to the browth.. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. Cool soup. Meanwhile, chop chicken. Add tortellini and chicken to sup. Transfer to freezer containers; freeze for up to 3 months.

***I've made this a few times.  I add everything to a big 2 gallon ziplock freezer bag straight up and freeze that way. Thats right.  Just measure, scoop, dump and done.  I get as much air out, and set it aside. I don't know about you, but I don't have time to poach chicken for 25-30 minutes, and then wait an additional 15 minutes or so, for veggies to get tender.  ***

Cheeseburger Chowder

4 servings

1/2lb. ground beef

1 can (10 3/4oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 3/4c milk

1c. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. dried minced onion

1/2 tsp. chili powder

 *optional*

coarsely crushed corn chips

shredded monterey jack cheese

chopped green onions

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup, milk, potatoes, chilies, onion, and seasonings until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with corn chips, cheese, and green onions if desired.

***This is a new recipe for me, however, I'm browning the ground beef and draining it, and letting it cool overnight (in the fridge, of course!) and will be dumping items into a ziplock bag.  I will be using fresh chopped onions as well.  The green onions and cheese will be in sandwich sized bags and will be taped to the gallon bag, as well, so it will be a quick meal, ready to go once heated through.***

Hearty Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

6 servings

 

1 pkg. fast cooking long grain and wild rice mix.
2 cans (10 3/4oz each) cream of chicken and mushroom soup)
3c. Milk
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 bags frozen Cali medley veggies
3/4c. spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese

1. Prepare rice mix according to package instructions using a Dutch oven. Stir in the remaining ingredients; heat through.

***Alright ... I make the box of rice, and once done, I toss it into a ziplock bag, and then add in the remaining ingredients.  Zip, and done.***

Meatballs

yields 16

1 egg

1/4c. dry bread crumbs

1/4c. finely chopped onion

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1lb ground beef

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into 1 1/2in. balls. In a large skillet, cook meatballs in batches until browned on all sides and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees; drain. 

***These are for my spaghetti. I usually make a big batch of them, lay them on a greased cookie sheet to freeze, and then I transfer them to a ziplock bag for later use.  These will probably be one of the first things I do, so that way they can freeze while I prep everything else.  Once it's time to load freezer up, I'll take them out, and pop into a bag.***

Zesty Italian Pork Tenderloin

4 servings

 

 

1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), cut into 8 slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil 

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon butter

 

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork, about 2 minutes on each side; remove from the pan.
2. Add wine to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in dressing. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

3. Return pork to pan; simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in pork reads 145°. Stir in butter. Let pork rest for 5 minutes before serving

***I slice my tenderloin into about 1/4 inch slices, and lay flat in a ziplock bag.  If I need to overlay, I do.  I sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and then place in the bag. In a seperate bag, I add the white wine or chicken broth and dressing to add to the pan once cooked.***

Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake

two casseroles (6 servings each) 

2 pkgs. (12oz each) bow tie pasta

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1in. strips.

2 Tbsp  olive oil, divided.

2 bunches reen onoins, choped

2 medium green peppers, chopped

2 medium red peppers, chopped

1 can chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4c. milk

2 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasonion

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2c. shredded Colby-Montery Jack cheese

 1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until juices run clear. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, saute onions and peppers in remaining oil until tender. Add the broth, soups, milk, cajun seasonion, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

2. Drain pasta. Add pasta and chicken to soup mixture; toss to coat. Divide between two greased 13x9 baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake casseroles at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

***I used diced chicken, as it's easier and smaller bites for my kids than the strips.  To assemble this one, I toss in everything but the oil, cheese, and pasta into a gallon ziplock bag and set aside.  When it's time to make, I cook the pasta while I heat the bag contents. Once pasta is done, I drain, and toss in with the sauce.  Bam! Dinner is served. 

Dilly Pork Chops

6 servings

1/4c. butter, melted

1Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 to 1 1/2tsp. dill week

1/8tsp. garlic powder

1tsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 boneless pork loin chops (1/2in thickness and 4oz each)

In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients; spoon over both sides of pork. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 4 mintues on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160.

***I've done this one a LOT when my girls were younger before Charlotte and the Twins came along. I usually doubled or tripled the sauce part, and had it in either a deep casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9 worked great) and I would coat both sides and toss into a skillet and pan fry them. To make this a freezer meal, I'm basically making the sauce for the chops and putting into a sandwich ziplock bag. I'm laying chops into a ziplock bag into a layer or two, and putting sauce bag in with, and freezing that way.  ***

Herbed Pork Medallions

6 servings

1 1/2lbs Pork Tenderloin

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp.dried thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. honey

Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices and poiund to flatten. Combine butter and garlic powder; brush over pork. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over pork. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 4 mintues on each side. Brush with honey, broil 1 minute loner or until meat juice run clear.

***I do NOT use honey in this recipe.  I will be broiling these, then cooling and placing in a bag, ready cooked, so when I grab them for dinner, all I need to worry about, is the sides.***

Chicken Tarragon

4 servings

4 boneless skineless chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/3c butter, divided.

2 medium zucchini, julienned

3 small carrots, julienned

4 large mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon, or 2 tsp. dried tarragon

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken with paprika. In a skillet, brown chicken in 2 teaspoons of butter. Place the vegetables in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with the chicken. Melt the remaining butter; stir in the tarraon, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and vegetables are tender.

*** I will be cooking the chicken breasts as the recipe states, and will toss in a ziplock bag with the veggies, and sauce. Once time to cook, I will throw into a casserole dish, cover and bake as direction. This is a NEW recipe for me, so we'll see how the kids like it.***

Honey Mustard Pork Scallopini

4 servings

4 boneless butterflied pork chops (4oz each)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

1/3c crushed butter flavored crackers (about 8 crackers)

1/3c. dry bread crumbs

1 Tbsp veetable oil

1 Tbsp. butter

Flatten pork to 1/8in. thickness. In a small bowl, combine honey and mustard; brush over both sides of pork. In a shallow bowl, combine cracker and breadcrumbs ; add pork and turn to coat. In a large skillet, cook pork over medium heat in oil and butter for 2-3 minutes on each side or until crisp and juices run clear.

***I'm making this one for the first time as well ... and will basically assemble it as a meal "kit" Where it will have all items needed in seperate bags for me to put in bowls and such to toss and coat and bake.***