Guest Cook: Mexican Pork Posole Soup

This recipe is Gina's family's favorite dish. They make a huge pot of it and eat it over many days.  It is a great meal to have when the entire familia get together for the day. It feeds a lot, and fairly inexpensively. Our family is half Mexican, so when Gina married into the Zárate family it meant she would learn to cook a number of popular Mexican dishes.  This soup originates in Mexico and dates back to Emporer Moctezuma's days (except the meat in Moctezuma's dish had the thigh of a sacrificed prisoner).  Posole tastes and looks a little different in each of the different Mexican regions. Gina's version is authentic to our family who originate in Jalisco. Their posole is prepared with pork and dried poblano peppers. This is a truly authentic soup that freezes very well. You just do the garnishes (lime, cabbage, cilantro and onion) fresh each time you have it for a meal. 

Makes 12 Servings

2 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
3 pieces of chicken cut up with bone in (optional)
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 teaspoon salt
2 (15 ounce) cans white hominy, drained (or fresh hominy, but more time and work)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili powder

Place meat in a large kettle and add about 5 quarts of water or enough to cover meat. (Can replace some water with chicken broth) Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours.
Discard any floating fat and grease.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Serve with garnishes of chopped fresh onion, chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage and lime slices.

Poll Results: Would You Use Freezer Recipes With Fish?

I asked if you would use recipes with fish. After totaling up the results. Just over half of you say you would never use those kind of recipes and just under half of you said that you would use fish recipes (whether occasionally or often).  
Would You Use Freezer Recipes With Fish?
Never  52 votes   54%
On Occasion  14 votes  14%
Yes  29 votes  30%

I don't have any fish recipes on this blog, so I think I had better find some that have been prepared and tasted and add them.  There is a gal who will be a guest cook in the upcoming months who I am going to ask to share some of her favorite seafood recipes.  I am learning that even if my own family and meal group don't like a particular type of food it doesn't mean your families won't want them.  :)

February Meal Swap Menu

Looks like we went with an international Menu this month. (ha-ha-ha)  We've got Hawaiian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, and Swedish.  Recipes will be posted soon.

Beef
Dr. Pepper Spaghetti
Taco Filled Pasta Shells
Cheeseburger Pie
Mexican Beef

Chicken
Chicken Brocolli Alfredo
Sweet and Savory Chicken Stir Fry
Creamy Tomatillo Enchiladas

Other
Hawaiian Kielbasa Sandwiches

Side Dishes/Desserts
Quart jar of homemade Applesauce (Amanda)
2 dozen Chocolate Chip Cookie balls (Mariana)
Candy Bar Dessert (Maggie)
Homemade Dinner Rolls, uncooked (Amity)

Swap Participants are:
Maggie
Amanda
Mariana
Amity

Guest Cook: Gina's Sausage and Rice Casserole

Gina and her brood love to go hunting. There are times of the year when their freezer is full of meat that they have killed, butchered, cut up and packaged themselves. They have developed a favorite recipe using venison and elk meat that they share here for those with the chance to use "the bounties of the hunt". (If you're like me beef or pork would be just fine in these recipes.) These dishes freeze well after the fresh meat has been thawed, prepared and cooked.

1 lb. ground sausage (pork sausage- Jimmy Dean or venison sausage)

1 cup celery chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 c. uncooked (non instant) rice
2 pkg (1 box) dry chicken noodle soup mix
3 1/2 cups boiling water

First brown the sausage. I usually start boiling the water at this point if I have already chopped the veggies. Then add onion celery and pepper to the sausage and saute. (drain the grease ) In your boiling water add the soup mix and just stir it in you can stop the cooking it at this point. (the reason you do boiling water is to dissolve all the chicken bullion in the soup mix other wise you get some spots of really salty seasoned rice and some that is very bland) In a 9x9" pan (or 9x13" if you double it) put the rice in the bottom then add the hot soup mix and then spoon on the sausage mixture on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 min. to 1 hour.

If you are freezing, cover with foil instead of baking. To eat .... thaw overnight then bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Make sure rice on bottom is cooked.

Candy Bar Frozen Dessert by Maggie

(this photo shows the dessert using vanilla pudding instead of chocolate pudding and butter pecan icecream instead of chocolate chip ice cream)  from Allrecipes.com

Makes one 9X13 pan

2 c. graham crackers, crushed
1 c. saltines, crushed
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 c. cold milk
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant chocolate pudding mix
4 c. chocolate chip icecream, softened
1 (8 oz) cartons frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (2.1 oz) bar NESTLE Butterfinger candy bar, chopped

• Combine butter, and crackers. Pat 3/4 of the mixture into a deep ungreased 8x8 pan. Refrigerate.
• In a bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in icecream until blended. Spread over crust.. Spoon whipped topping over pudding layer; spread evenly over top.
• Combine the chopped candy bar and the remaining cracker mixture. Sprinkle over the whipped topping. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours.

THIS IS WHAT MINE LOOKS LIKE:

I just made this for our meal swap today. Let me tell you and show you how it went:
(those are two aluminum pie pans and 4 of the 8x5x1 in. oblong pans that come in a pack 3 for $1. at Dollar Tree.)  This original recipe (just above) x4 makes 6 of the oblong pans and 2 pie pans.  So pretty good.  Or you could just make the 4 or 5 8x8 pans.

Recipe below makes 4 deep 8x8 pans or about 6 pie pans.

6 c. graham crackers, crushed
3 c. saltines, crushed
1 1/2 c. butter, melted
6 c. cold milk
6 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant chocolate pudding mix
12 c. chocolate chip icecream, softened
3 (8 oz) cartons frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 (2.1 oz) bars NESTLE Butterfinger candy bar, chopped

• Combine butter, and crackers. Pat 3/4 of the mixture into a deep ungreased 8x8 pan. Refrigerate.
• In a bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in icecream until blended. Spread over crust.. Spoon whipped topping over pudding layer; spread evenly over top.
• Combine the chopped candy bar and the remaining cracker mixture. Sprinkle over the whipped topping. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours.

I followed the directions pretty mostly... except I popped the crusts into the freezer to harden the crust a little while whipping up the pudding mixture.  And I didn't read through to the end to see that I was supposed to save some leftover crust mixture to add the butterfinger to and make a topping. I noticed that there was extra crust so I made an extra pie pan or two.  I guess we'll find out how this variation tastes.
My desserts ONLY have one crushed mini Butterfinger on each. I made a total of 8 small pans and had bought one of those $1. packs of 8 mini Butterfingers. 
I miscalculated the 12 c. of softened icecream and undermeasured it.... so my pudding/icecream combo has a little less icecream than it should have.  It seems like this is a dessert that is pretty forgiving if you kinda mix things up a bit. At least I hope it is. :)
Here is a photo of me hammering away at the graham crackers in a bag.  I sure tried to break it into crumbs... but I ended up with quite a few big chunks still.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

This picture is just a sample, your carrots will be cut much thinner and the sweet peas will be cut diagnally.

Serves 6.  Following recipe will make 4 meals.

6 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 c. Apricot Preserves
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. ginger, grated
2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
16 med. carrots cut in very thin strips
8 c. snow peas, halved diagnally lengthwise
4 c. frozen brocolli

Mix preserves, vinegar, ginger, pepper and 1 Tbsp. water. Place mix into a snack sized or quart sized Ziploc bag labeled "Stir Fry Sauce".
Cut chicken into strips 1/4 in. thick. Put into a quart sized bag labeled "Chicken".
Place veggies into gallon sized bag and add other 2 bags and Seal.
Label gallon bag:

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry

Cook Chicken in oil till no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. Add veggies to oil, tossing, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, add apricot sauce.  Cook 2-3 minutes more.  Serve over rice.

****Shortcut: I put 1 1/2 lb. of chicken into each of the 4 quart bags without cutting into strips.  I wrote on each bag that the chicken should thaw in the fridge, but when icy to cut into 1/4 inch wide strips."   

Mexican Beef Tips by Mariana

This is the recipe written for 4 families, serves 6 each.

Spice Mixture
6 Tbsp  Ground Cumin
3 Tbsp  Chili Powder
3 Tbsp  Dried Oregano
6 tsp.  Garlic Powder
3 tsp.  Salt
1 1/2 tsp.  Pepper

Meat Mix
6 lb. beef stew meat
4 large onions, chopped coarsely
2 green bell peppers, cut in strips
6 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 1/2 tsp jarred minced garlic)
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
Masa Harina or all-purpose flour

Label gallon sized bags "Mexican Beef Tips. Thaw. Crockpot on high 3-4 hours. Serve with rice."
Blend spices together in a container.  In separate bowl combine beef and coat with flour.  Just enough flour to lightly coat. Evenly divide meat between bags. Add 5 Tbsp. of seasoning mix to each bag.  Equally to each bag add onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes.  Seal and Freeze.

Dr. Pepper Spaghetti by Amity

2 pounds ground beef – brown and drain 1 package (16 oz) spaghetti – cook and drain
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can Dr. Pepper
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:Stir onions and seasonings into meat, browning in skillet. Add Dr. Pepper, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into meat mixture and cook 5 mins, stirring often. Cook spaghetti noodles while doing above, cooking until al dente. Drain and stir in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Combine all ingredients into two gallon sized ziplocs.

Cooking day: Place in refrigerator in the morning to thaw. At suppertime, preheat oven 350 degrees, then bake for 50 minutes in a 9x13 pan. Serve! Makes great leftovers for lunch

Serves 12

Hawaiian Kielbasa

This recipe is scaled for 4 meals- 6 servings each

8 lb. smoked Kielbasa or Polish Sausage, cut into 3-in pieces or 1/2 inch pieces
4 bottles (12 oz.) chili sauce
3 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, undrained
1/2 -1 c. packed brown sugar

Label 4 gallon sized Ziploc bags "Hawaiian Kielbasa. Thaw overnight. Crockpot on LOW about 4 hours till heated through. Serve on buns or with rice."
Cut sausage and place into bags. In a large bowl combine chili sauce, pineapple with juice, and brown sugar. Evenly divide amoungst bags.  Freeze.


Here is the recipe scaled for TWO families of 2 adults and 4 children:
Ingredients

•3 pounds smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 3-inch pieces
•2 bottles (12 ounces each) chili sauce
•1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits, undrained
•1/4 cup packed brown sugar
•12 hoagie buns, split (opt. or serve with rice instead)

Directions
•Place kielbasa in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the chili sauce, pineapple and brown sugar; pour over kielbasa. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Serve on buns. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts
1 sandwich equals 663 calories, 35 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 76 mg cholesterol, 2,532 mg sodium, 64 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein.

2 Versions: Cheeseburger Pie by Amity and Cassie

Amity’s Cheeseburger Pie (bakes in a pie plate)
1lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1.Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2.In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
3.In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
4.Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

CASSIE'S VERSION (bakes in a 9x13 pan)

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. homemade bisquick mix
2 c. water
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan and place thawed cooked hamburger on the bottom. Top with cheese. Pour thawed bisquick mixture over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. My husband likes to place ketchup on top to make it taste more like a cheeseburger.

Creamy Green Chicken Enchiladas by Maggie

HERE IS MY PLATE!  YUMMY!!

(just before serving I topped mine with some shredded lettuce and pico de gallo (mixture of diced tomatoes, purple onions and a few spritz of lime juice... wish I had cilantro, too, but I didn't)

Recipe below makes one 9x13 pan. About 12 enchiladas.

1 pound uncooked chicken breast strips (save about 1/2 c. of broth to use in the chicken mixture)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into strips
1 can (4.5 ounces) Old El Paso chopped green chilies
1 package (12 count) Old El Paso flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas
1 can (10 ounces) Old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
Heat oven to 400°F.
Lightly grease 13x9x2 inch rectangular baking dish (to eat tonight) or a foil aluminum pan for freezing. Cook chicken in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center.
Add cream cheese and chiles; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until blended and cream cheese is melted.
Spoon chicken filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
PHOTO BELOW WAS TAKEN WHEN MAKING MEAL SWAP FOOD. WE HAD 4 IN THE GROUP 3 LARGE FAMILIES AND 1 SMALL FAMILY SO WE DIVIDED THEIR MEALS IN HALF.

Recipe came from Old El Paso Green Enchilada Chili sauce can label.

Taco Filled Pasta Shells by Cassie

SERVES 2 FAMILIES

1 Lb Ground Beef
1 Envelope of Taco Seasoning
1/2 pkg of Cream Cheese
1/8 C Butter, melted
24 Uncooked Jumbo Pasta Shells
1 C Salsa
1 C Taco Sauce
1 C of Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese shredded

Optional to add at end of cooking:
1 1/2 C of Crushed Tortilla Chips
1 C Sour Cream
3 Green Onions, chopped
Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning; prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until melted. Transfer to a bowl; chill for 1 hour.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture. Place 12 shells in 2 freezer containers. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen shells: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours (shells will be partially frozen). Spoon salsa into a greased 9-in. square baking dish; top with shells and taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover sprinkle with cheeses and chips. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions.

***Below is a slight variation on the recipe above***

Amanda's MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS
(SERVES 2 FAMILIES)
My updates/changes to the recipe:
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 Envelope of Taco Seasoning
1/2 pkg of Cream Cheese (need 4 oz)
1/8 C Butter, melted
24 Uncooked Jumbo Pasta Shells (1/2 a box)
1 16oz jar Salsa (divided)
1 C of Cheddar/ Monterey Jack Cheese shredded (or Mexican blend)

 Optional toppings:
1 C Taco Sauce (for cooking)
1 1/2 C of Crushed Tortilla Chips
1 C Sour Cream
3 Green Onions, chopped

Directions:

In a large skillet, season (onion flakes, salt, pepper) and cook beefover medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning;prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese; cook andstir for 5-10 minutes or until melted. Transfer to a bowl and letchill in the fridge while you cook the pasta shells. Bring water to a boil. Add noodles and boil for 3-4 minutes . Gently toss with butter. Drain noodles (they will be firm and crunchy still). Arrange noodles on a cookie sheet with open side up. Filleach shell with 1 heaping tablespoon of meat mixture. Freeze shells oncookie sheet uncovered for about 1 hour (this is called flash freezing and allows you to stick them in a bag/ container to freeze and prevents them sticking to one another. See photo). Remove shells from cookiesheet and place in gallon sized freezer bag. (This batch worked outto be 22 shells per family). Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen shells: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours (shells will be partially frozen). Spoon salsa into a greased 9x13-in. bakingdish; Drizzle on top of shells more salsa OR taco sauce. Cover andbake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheeses andchips if desired. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through.Serve with sour cream and onions.

NOTE: I doubled the meat recipe (2 lb of meat, etc) and it make enough meat to fill 88 shells (2 boxes of shells) which equals 4 meals sothis recipe goes a long ways!  Each person gets a bag of 22 shells, small baggy of shredded cheese (inside the bag of shells), and an unopened jar of salsa to keep in the pantry until time to cook the meal.