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
Swedish Meatballs
Cheeseburger Pie
Mexican Beef

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

Other
Hawaiian Kielbasa Sandwiches

Swap Participants are:
Maggie
Amanda
Mariana
Amity

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 4 deep 8x8 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

1. Combine butter, and crackers. Pat 3/4 of the mixture into a deep ungreased 8x8 pan. Refrigerate.
2. 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.
3. Combine the chopped candy bar and the remaining cracker mixture. Sprinkle over the whipped topping. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours.

ORIGINAL QUANTITY FOR 1-  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

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.

IKEA Swedish Meatballs by Maggie

THIS RECIPE IS STILL IN CONSTRUCTION. THE INGREDIENT AMOUNTS WILL BE ALTERED SHORTLY. WHEN FIXED, THIS MESSAGE WILL DISAPPEAR.- MAGGIE

Serves 5 families- about 45 meatballs per family (from an IKEA website)

2 pt. cream or half and half (4 quarts)
1 1/4 pt. beef stock/broth  (3 quarts)
4 Tbsp. white flour
4 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
salt
pepper
4- 32 oz. pkg. swedish or homestyle meatballs (do not use Italian meatballs)
2-3 c. sour cream (optional, for a richer flavor)

You will need a LARGE stock pot to make this recipe as written. Bring beef broth to a boil. Add the cream. In a small bowl combine flour with cool water. Blend well to make a creamy consistency.  Add to the pot. Add seasonings. Simmer until sauce thickens. If you are going to add sour cream then do it now. Add meatballs (this recipe is for about 225 meatballs). Simmer meatballs till heated through  and sauce has thickened somewhat. It will thicken upon standing.   Serve over mashed potatoes (to be like the IKEA cafeteria), rice or egg noodles. For freezing ladle about 45 meatballs into each of the 5 gallon sized bag FIRST. Then go back and ladle about 6 1 cup scoops of sauce into each bag.  Let cool and then freeze flat.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
On 5 gallon sized freezer bags write:
Swedish Meatballs
Thaw. Reheat. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles.

Recipe for one family:
1 quart half and half cream
1/2 quart beef stock
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp white flour
1 Tbsp cool water
salt
pepper
32 oz. package Swedish Meatballs or Homestyle Meatballs.

**Prepare as described above***

Chicken Brocolli Alfredo by Ann

[Ingredients]
8 oz Fettuccine Noodles
1 bag Broccoli Florets, 12-16 oz
1/4 cup Butter
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 bottle Alfredo sauce, 16 oz
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/8 tsp Pepper

To prepare for freezing
Cube chicken, then cook in butter. When cooked, add Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and pepper.  Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Then let cool and pour into gallon sized bag.  Freeze flat.
When you swap give each person a bag of sauce, frozen broccoli and box of dry fettuccine noodles.
To cook after freezing
Defrost chicken and sauce. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Heat sauce in separate pan. I steam my broccoli in the microwave then add it to the sauce. When the noodles are done, I mix it altogether.
Serves 6.

Most blog readers do Freezer Meals on their own!

The first poll on this blog came to a close this morning.  The amount of participation was wonderful! We had 209 votes total and the results were really interesting. See the poll results below:

Regarding Freezer Meal Cooking what are you?

Going at it alone- 132 votes, 63%

Just Curious- 37 votes, 17%
Wanting to start a meal group- 22 votes, 10%
Part of a meal group- 18 votes, 8%
(209 Votes total)

This tells me that the majority of You (my blog readers) are cooks who prepare freezer meals for yourself and loved ones without the help of a group. You may be doing this because it's just easier to not have to work with different families tastes and other's schedules.  This may be your choice because you don't know others who are interested or how to find others who would like to do this type of meal preparation.  Whatever your reason, I am SUPER happy that you have found this blog and are using the recipes from it.  Please post your comments when you make a recipe from this blog.  I love to hear from you.

I love that many readers are new to my blog discovering it for the first time. Curious cooks are great!  To those who are wanting to start a group- Welcome! I know that you will be able to find something beneficial to help you organize your new group.  I have quite a few articles about different ways to organize your meal group.  From cooking together to cooking alone and swapping a week later.  For you experienced ladies already in a meal group, I would guess that you are using this blog as a resource for recipes. Please do!  If you make anything from this blog, please leave a comment so that we can learn from each other.  If any of you would like to share your freezer cooking experience please email me and I'd love to have you as a guest cook.  (soyprincesa2@hotmail.com)

Guest Cook's Recipe: Pulled Pork

February's Guest Cook: Gina Zarate

 My sister-in-law, Gina is a wonderful cook who loves to experiment and try new foods. She is a very busy mom, but is always looking for recipes that expand her family's eating experiences but also appeal to a couple of very picky eaters. Gina comes from a large family where the women are good cooks and everyone likes to get together often for meals. Her six siblings and their families make for large gatherings! They often meet at her parent's home where the number of children is at least 2 or 3 times the number of adults, thus a goodly amount of kid friendly meals are needed. Her husband (my brother John) and their four children have all loved this recipe for pulled pork that Gina prepares and freezes for later use in several different dishes including tacos, fried rice and mixed with coleslaw it makes a yummy sandwich.

Gina's Favorites

Movie: Suspenseful ones!!

Dessert: Pumpkin Rolls

Vacation Spot: Southern California beach

Hobby: Corraling kids

Her claim to fame: The best chicken herder in Nevada (or so her kids think!)

If I got to spend 1 month on a beautiful tropical island all by myself, what 3 things would I take with me:

I'd take crushed red pepper, scriptures, it's a toss up between my pillow and red vines.

Pulled Pork

2 boneless pork shoulder roasts (about 5 lbs. each), cut into 1-inch chunks and excess fat discarded

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, zest

1 lime, zest

Salt and pepper

1 c. chicken broth (may add more)

1.Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450°. Place all of the pork in a large roasting pan. Mix garlic, lemon zest, 1 tbsp. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. pepper in a mixing bowl. Add roast chunks and mix well, massaging the garlic and zest into the meat. Transfer half of the pork to a large rimmed baking sheet and place both the roasting pan and the baking sheet in the oven. Roast until the meat is browned on top, about 40 minutes. Turn the pork chunks over and roast to brown the other side, 15 minutes. Remove both pans from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325°.

2.Using tongs, transfer the pork from the baking sheet to the pork in the roasting pan. Pour the pan juices from the baking sheet over the pork and add the broth. Tightly cover the pan with foil. Continue roasting the pork until nicely tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.

3.Let the pork cool for at least 15 minutes, then, using 2 forks, shred it a few pieces at a time. As you work, transfer the shredded pork to the clean baking sheet and let cool completely. Pour the juices into a bowl to cool. Skim and discard the fat.

Serves 15

FREEZE IT!

Divide the pork into 2-cup portions and transfer to resealable plastic sandwich bags. Pour a little pork juice into each, squeeze out the air and flatten. Seal and store flat in 2-gallon freezer bags.

USE IT!
Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour, or pop into the fridge in the morning and let thaw all day. Heat on stovetop.

4 WAYS TO CHANGE IT UP!

• Add some oregano or rosemary to the rub.
• Marinate the pork in lime juice, soy sauce and ginger for 1 hour before roasting.
• Toss the pork with adobo sauce, orange juice and chicken broth in Step 2.
• Toss the pork with some BBQ sauce in the last 10 minutes.

Turkey or Chicken Pot Pie by Stephanie

Recipe originally published on this blog March 6, 2008.

This meal is Turkey or Chicken Pot pie filling.  You can give everyone the bagged filling (frozen flat) and a frozen pie crust for them to make their own pie when they are ready to eat it. Or you can go ahead and pour it into the pie crust in the pie tin.  As shown below when Stephanie made it for our group she gave it to us in a Ziploc bag along with a tube of Pillsbury biscuits. It was a delicious chicken dumpling dinner. You put the cold soup on the stovetop to simmer in a larger pot. Then top with cooked biscuits and cover with a lid as it simmers about 5 minutes. The bottoms of the biscuits get soggy like real chicken dumplings.  Oh it is really really good.