Tator Tot Casserole-Easy,$8 per Family

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 can of cream of chicken soup (I typically use two cans to make the dish a little creamier)
4 cups of Tator Tots
1 cup of shredded cheese
Seasoning to taste

*You can always substitute the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery or mushroom. As well as, add vegetables for additional ingredients.

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion; drain.
If beef is very lean , add 1 tsp. olive oil for best browning results.

Transfer meat mixture into a shallow 9x13 baking dish. Cover meat with soup and top with a single layer of Tator Tots and sprinkle cheese across the dish.

Bake at 375 F for 30-45 minutes

*Freezer club: Thaw completely, cover with Tator Tots and cheese. Heat in oven for 30 minutes, or Tator Tots are crispy and cheese has melted.

Chicken Paprikash - Easy, 2 hours ($7-$8/per family)

Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts (I used 16 large breasts for 6 meals)
Seasoning Salt, Cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
1 Tbs butter
 1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs sweet paprika
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt, plus more to taste

Directions
1)  Season frozen chicken breasts with seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. bake at 375 for 45 minutes (chicken can still be slightly pink, as it will continue to cook later). While hot, shred chicken and set aside.

2) In a large saucepan saute butter with minced garlic and onion. Add paprika and flour to saucepan when onions become soft. Mixture will become thick, red, and dough-like.

3) Slowly add chicken broth and stir continously to avoid clumps. Add in diced tomatoes, any additional seasonings desired, and shredded chicken. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add in sour cream during last 7 minutes.

4) Serve over hot cooked egg noodles or rice.

Turkey Meatloaf: Easy; $9-10

Freezer Club Instructions: I tripled the recipe and cooked the meatloaves all the way through for freezer club and gave each family 3 mini loaves (about 1.5 pounds of meat per family). Thaw and reheat.

Turkey Meatloaf
adapted from this Turkey Meatloaf recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste 
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 5 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
• 3 extra-large eggs, beaten 
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, Dijon mustard (if desired) and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf (or 5 mini loaves), stuff with the cheese and place on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake mini loaves for 1 hour (or 1 big loaf for 1 1/2 hours)  until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Stuffed Peppers $6/family, Easy, 1.5hrs prep

Ingredients:
1 lb pork sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup shredded celery
1 1/2 cups *cooked* rice
Seasoned to Taste with:
Cracked Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cayenne (very light)
6-8 medium green peppers - seeds and tops removed


Directions:
Fill a large, deep pan with enough water to cover the bottom about an inch deep, add salt, and bring to a boil. Place the seeded peppers upright into the water and cover, reduce heat to simmer and allow to steam for five minutes. Remove peppers and allow to cool by placing them on a sprayed baking sheet.



Brown sausage in large skillet. When sausage is almost fully cooked, add in the onions, peppers, and celery. When vegetables have softened and sausage is fully cooked, mix in the cooked rice. Stuff the prepared peppers with the filling and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Freezer Club Prep:
Allow the filling to thaw. Parboil seeded peppers (directions above), stuff and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. May top with shredded cheese if desired.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos-Easy, 2 hrs ($9 per family)

Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1-2 green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)
10-12 6-inch flour tortillas
Cooking Spray
Kosher salt
(Additional Ingredients such as Black Beans, more salsa, etc can be added)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425' F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.

Freezer Club: To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup / $7

Freezer club hints: I tripled the recipe for 6 families.This was "intermediate" level and time-consuming, but a very healthy and hearty soup. Use your largest pot when preparing this, as it barely fit in one of mine, I made three different batches.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup 

source: slightly altered from Emeril Lagasse on food network (My friend Hannah Ford shared this with me!)

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 3/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups  2% milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve. Makes 10 servings.

Baked Oatmeal #2

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
3 cups oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Fruit compote
1 cup mixed berries (i used frozen)
1 Tbs sugar

Mix (melted) butter and brown sugar. Then add beaten eggs. Add oatmeal, baking powder and salt to mixture. Finally add milk and stir. Bake  350 degrees 30 minutes. Makes for 8x8 pan.

Fruit Compote
Cook fruit and sugar in saucepan till saucy and fruit is soft

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Freezer Club: Thaw and reheat. serve with salad and bread! To prep for 6 families, I tripled this recipe.

Ingredients:
6 Large boneless chicken breasts (poached, cooled and cubed)
3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 C chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 can cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) pkg. frz chopped broccoli
1(15 oz) pkg frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 dry sherry
1 (8 oz) crn. sour cream (light)
1/2 C. half and half

Directions:
In a large stockpot, combine chicken broth, celery, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Cook until tender, about 15 min. Add the chicken soup, broccoli, chicken, cheese tortellini, pepper, basil, Italian seasoning and sherry. Bring to boil and turn heat down, simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream and half and half. (This soup is fairly thick, so I use 8 cups of broth when I make it...if you want it thicker, add less...thinner, add more) Serves 8.

Spaghetti Pizza

Ingredients;
1 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 med jar of pasta sauce (24 ozs)
1 pkg spaghetti (approx. 16 ozs)
2 cups 98 ozs) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 stick (6 Tbs.) butter, melted
3 Tbs bottled Italian dressing
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2/3 cup dry Parmesan cheese (divided)
1 egg
Pepperoni slices (about 30)
Black Olive slices (opt)

Directions:
Brown and drain hamburger. (Salt meat lightly).
Cook spaghetti as directed and drain.
Liberally butter a 13x9" baking pan or dish (any baking pan size will work)
Beat egg and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian dressing.
Gradually add melted butter that has cooled slightly
Put spaghetti in the buttered baking pan and mix egg and butter mixture.
Spoon hamburger/Sauce mixture over spaghetti
Toss 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese with the Mozzarella cheese and spoon over hamburger.
Place pepperoni and black olive slices on top.
*Bake at 350' for 30-40 minutes. Cover with foil if needed during the last part of baking time if cheese browns too much.
Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Freezer Club: Thaw completely and then bake at 350' for 30-40 minutes as directed above.

Santa Fe Chicken - Easy - $8/family

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts (can be frozen or fresh)
1 can each: corn, black beans, red beans, rotel
1 package of taco seasoning
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt / Pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.
When chicken is fully cooked, shred and mix with vegetables.
Serve over rice or in warm tortillas.
Spectacular! 

Freezer Club: 
Thaw, reheat, and serve! 

Basil Manicotti

1 box shells (12 in each) I bought extra because some of the shells flatten or split
4 cups mozzerella cheese (1 cup is reserved for the top)
2 cups ricotta cheese
6 Tbs fresh basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (save for the topping)
3 eggs
1 jar of sauce

Cook Shells.
Mix all ingredients except reserve 1 cup of mozz. cheese and the parmesan cheese.
put ingredient in gallon ziplock bag and cut the corner. Squeeze mixture into each shell.
Put a little sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay out the shells. Pour more sauce on top

Freezer club:
Thaw completely...
Bake 350 for 15minutes. Top with reserved cheeses. Bake another 10 minutes till bubbly and hot.

Greek Chicken Pitas - Easy

Greek Chicken Pitas

3 or 4 chicken breasts (or any form of chicken)
1 tablespoon of lemon pepper
Oregano (I think it was 1/2 or 3/4 tablespoon, going off the top of my head)
3 or 4 stalks of celery
Half an onion

Cook it all for 6-8 hours in crockpot on low, at the end add 6 oz plain yogurt.

Pita pockets, tomato, cheese, lettuce (optional additions).

freezer club: thaw and  reheat!

Rocky Mountain Pork Tenderloin

This was a fresh meal but could be frozen

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons honey
2 small shallots, peeled and halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
3 lbs. pork tenderloin

In a food processor (with metal blade), combine lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, mustard, and parsley. Purée and pour over the tenderloin. Turn to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat barbecue on HIGH. Brush the grids with vegetable oil. Place pork on hot grids, and reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW, and grill, turning every 5 minutes to sear each side, for a total cooking time of about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes to reabsorb juices, then slice into medallions.

Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade in a saucepan on the sideburner, and heat to boiling. Boil until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Serve alongside the tenderloin.

Serves 8

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice , medium $6-7

Ingredients: 
1 pound dried red beans
7 cups water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning*
Hot cooked rice**
Garnish: sliced green onions

Preparation: 
Place first 8 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker. (red beans are in the freezer container.)
The other ingredients are in a ziplock bag (no water in the bag).
Add 7 cups of water and cook, covered, at HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender.
Serve with hot cooked rice (brown rice is also in freezer container) Garnish, if desired.

*Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons salt

** Rice directions
On stovetop
1. Bring 2 1/2 C water to boil in 2-quart saucepan.
2. Stir in rice.
3. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer 45 min.
4. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Microwave
1. Mix 3 cups water and rice in 2 1/2 quart microwave dish.
2. Microwave on high 10 min uncovered, then microwave for 20 min at 50% power.
3. Let sit for 5 min 4. Fluff with fork and serve.

Breakfast Casserole - Easy, $8/family

*Freezer club: defrost 24 hours in advance in refrigerator. Bake as directed below. I tripled  the recipe for 6 families in freezer club.

6 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
3 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. small curd cottage cheese
6-10 oz. grated Monterrey jack cheese
6 oz. grated mild cheddar cheese
1 lb. jimmy dean sausage (cook, crumble, drain)
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp. butter

In large bowl beat eggs with a whisk.  Add flour, baking powder & milk.  Cut cream cheese into small cubes.Add cream cheese cubes & cottage cheese to egg mixture.  Add remaining ingredients (except butter) to mixture. Butter bottom & sides of a 9x13 casserole dish & pour mixture in.  Dot with small pieces of butter. Sprinkle lightly with paprika if desired.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Next morning bring to room temperature and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  (I rarely actually bring it to room temp...)

Cilantro Lime Chicken fajitas

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Cook chicken as directed as above and cool. Place chicken in freezer bag. Prepare cilantro lime pesto as directed below. Place a 1/2 cup of pesto in a small storage bag then place inside the freezer bag with the chicken. Freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost and heat chicken. Toss chicken with defrosted pesto. If desired, heat chicken and pesto together before filling tacos. 

 

2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or flank steak is great too!)

 salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cilantro lime pesto (recipe follows)
flour or corn tortillas
preferred taco garnishes (salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc. I used sauteed onion and bell peppers, avocado and sour cream)

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Grill chicken. Toss cooked, seasoned chicken with the pesto. Fill tortillas with chicken and top with preferred garnishes.

Cilantro Lime Pesto

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (do not include stems)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds
3 tablespoons chopped, fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 cup shredded asiago (Parmesan or Romano can be substituted too)
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth

Using a blender, mix together the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, asiago, salt and chicken broth on low speed for 2 minutes.

Crockpot Sausage & Peppers - Easy

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian Sausage (I used half turkey and half regular sausage)
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 large red onion
1/4 clove garlic,minced
2 cans italian diced tomatoes
drizzle olive oil
1 Tbs Italian seasoning

Directions:
Chop sausage and veggies and put everything into gallon freezer bag, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.

From Frozen:
Thaw and empty bag in slow cooker. Cook on low 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
After cooking, serve over hot pasta, rice or on hollowed out, buttered crusty bread.

Cinnamon Rolls - Easy - $6/per family

Prep Time: 80 minutes in bread machine, 15-20 minutes filling and cutting per family. (plus time for rising and baking)
Rolls:
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup melted butter
2 beaten eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp Bread Machine Yeast

Place ingredients into bread machine in the above order and turn to the dough setting.

Filling:1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 TB cinnamon
soft margarine for spreading

Combine sugar and cinnamon and mix until fine.
When dough has finished, roll out onto floured surface until roughly 1/4 inch thick. Dough should have a rectangular or oval type shape.

Spread dough with margarine and then sprinkle the Cinnamon Sugar over the top.
Begin rolling the dough by starting on the long side and rolling towards you in a jelly-roll fashion. Cut rolled dough into 1 inch slices and place in a greased 9x13inch baking dish. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm oven or place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Bake for 15-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Icing:
1 stick of butter, softened
2 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Beat ingredients together with a mixer, top the rolls when they come out, and watch them disappear! :-)

If Preparing From Frozen: Allow rolls and icing to thaw completely overnight. While rolls are baking (400 15-25 mins), leave icing at room temerature and squeeze the baggie as a therapeutic stress release for you as you warm up the icing :-). Cut off a corner of the bottom of the baggie to squeeze icing onto rolls when they come out.

Freezer Club Prep Note: I made each family's rolls individually and used one FC container and then filled a Lg Freezer Ziploc with the remaining rolls. I did make all the icing at one time in the mixer and then seperated into smaller freezer bags. Make sure to plan enough time for the rolls to rise before freezing.

Mexican Lasagna easy $7 per family

2 lbs ground beef
1 cup onions
1 cup milk
1 cup olives
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 (10oz) can cream of chicken
1 (10oz) can cream of mushroom
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cups monterey jack cheese
2 cups colby cheese
package of flour tortillas

cook meat with onions till brown. drain.
In saucepan combine milk, olives, chiles, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, enchilada sauce-boil
Stir in meat
Layer sauce- Tortillas (I tore up the tortillas), cheese, and repeat.

Cook: Cover for 30 minutes
           Uncover for 20 minutes

Serve with chips, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream

Chicken Schawarma (a variation of) Easy ($11 per family)

Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts (2+ lbs per family for FC) pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

Marinade:
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Yogurt Sauce:
plain Greek yogurt
1 Tblsp dill
1-2 Tblsp fresh minced garlic (only used 1 for FC)
squeeze of lemon

4-6 pieces of Naan or pita bread

Directions:
Marinade chicken all day or over night.  Grill chicken.  Allow to cool and cut in thin slices.  Assemble chicken on naan or pita and top with yogurt sauce.

Additional Toppings: grilled veggies, sliced cucumbers
Side dish:  quinoa

Freezer Club Instructions:
Allow chicken to thaw completely and sit in marinade at least 5 hrs.  Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  Grill.  Slice chicken thin and assemble on pita.  Top with yogurt sauce and your choice of grilled veggies or cucumber slices.

**The yogurt sauce is very bland as I only used 1 Tblsp of garlic.  The actual recipe calls for 2 Tbls. so you may want to add some.  I was concerned about it being too strong for the kids. 

Olive Garden's Toscana Soup (Easy)

Ingredients:


4 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half (or cream, or milk)
2 medium russet potatoes or 5-6 red (I like red)
4 C chopped kale (I use the whole head)
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage (I used Scimeca's)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Combine stock and milk in saucepan, heat over medium heat. Cut lining off of sausage links (or use bulk), brown and drain. Add meat to soup, add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for about 2 hours. Serves 4.

Pimiento cheese burgers (medium) $10 per family

For the Pimiento cheese sauce--
2 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sharp cheddar, shedded
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar sliced pimientos (2 oz), drained

Burgers--
2 lbs ground chuck
salt and pepper
4 slices onion (1/4" thick)

Process the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar, and seasonings for the pimiento cheese. add pimientos; pulse to combine.

Shape ground chuck into eight 4 oz portions on wax paper. press each portion into a 4" patty using a fork, then season with salt and pepper.

Top 4 patties with a slice of onion. cover with remaining patties, seal edges with a fork, and season again.

(Makes 4 patties)

Freezer Club:
I gave this to you fresh so you can decide whether you want to freeze it or not.

Grill burgers on an oiled grate for 4 minutes; flip and cook 2 more minutes.
Spoon 1/4 cup pimiento cheese on each burger; grill 2 minutes longer.

Serve burgers on kaiser rolls. (optional with bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce)

Sante Fe Soup $9 per family easy

2lbs ground beef with onions (cooked and grease drained)
2 pks taco seasoning
2 pks ranch seasoning
2 cups water
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
2 cans shoepeg corn
2 cans tomatoes diced
1 cup diced celery

I  4x this recipe to make for 6 families.

Mix all ingredients and simmer for 2 hours
 can serve with scallions, sour cream, cheese and corn bread.

Freezer club: thaw then heat throughly. May need to add some water if too thick

Green Tacos ($13 Easy Prep)

Ingredients:

10 Tortillas (corn or flour)
Flank Steak -1lb per family
2 tsp sugar
salt
pepper

Cilantro Pesto:
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 green onions (white and green parts)
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeno
olive oil

Pickled Red Onions:
1 red onion
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Liberally sprinkle flank steak with sugar salt and pepper on both sides.  Rub into meat.  Marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.

Thinly slice red onion.  Take vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the boiled vinegar over the sliced onions, cover and let marinate for at least 2 hours.  To be served with the tacos. 

Take the 3/4 cup cilantro, 4 green onions, 1/4 diced and seeded jalapeno and garlic and whizz in a food processor.  Drizzle in 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil until it reaches a pesto consistency.
Grill the marinated flank steak on medium until desired tenderness, let rest 5 minutes and slice meat thinly, against the grain, at an angle. 

Toss the sliced flank steak with the cilantro pesto.  Grill or heat the tortillas.  Place meat, then onions (I would highly recommend making guacamole) and guac on top.  You can add other toppings such as cheese, salsa, sour cream as well. 

To Make for Freezer Club:

I made this as a fresh meal but meat could be frozen.  Each family got a little over 1 lb of meat and 10 tortillas.  I prepared the onions (although this mixture probably will not freeze well).  I also made the peso, minus the olive oil.

***Instructions when preparing for your family:

Marinate the meat with sugar, salt and pepper as instructed above.  Place pesto in a bowl and whisk in ~1/8-1/4 cup of olive oil.  Pesto is now ready to be tossed with the cooked, cooled and sliced meat. 

Sausage Pesto Pizzazz - $8/family, 3 hrs prep, Medium

1 lb Ground Sausage (regular), cooked and seasoned with: kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste.
½ jar Basil Pesto (or about ½ cup if making your own), divided
½ Red bell pepper
1 Roma tomato
½ small onion
2 TBS soft margarine or soft butter
1 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
Honey Kissed Dough (recipe follows)

Honey Kissed Dough:
3 cups Flour
1 pkg Yeast
1 ¼ cup Hot Water
1TBS Honey
1 Tsp Salt
1 ½ TBS Oil
Mix half of flour together with yeast and salt. Add water *with honey mixed in it*. Combine gently with fork. Add in remaining flour. Knead gently until all flour is combined then roll into large ball and coat with oil, squeezing the oil slightly into the ball. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

1)      Brown Sausage

2)      Make dough (for freezer club, a doubled dough recipe makes about 2 ½ dough balls, I made 5 batches and distributed the dough into 6 balls).         

3)      Roll dough ball onto floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness into a rectangular shape.  Spread with softened butter then spread about 2 TBS of pesto on top of butter.

4)      Mix remaining pesto together with browned, seasoned sausage and spread out over the buttered dough, leaving a ½ inch around the edges.

5)      Top sausage with red peppers, onions, tomatoes and shredded cheese.

6)      Fold shorter sides over sausage, then begin rolling the longer side like a jelly roll. Place seam side down on greased cookie sheet.

7)      Spread the top with butter or egg wash and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Freezer Club Prep: I used 2 onions, 2 red peppers, and a little more than 5 lbs of flour. When the meal was completely assembled, I placed the filled dough on foil that was sprayed with olive oil. I also sprayed the top of the dough with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Baking From Frozen: Either allow to thaw on the counter for several hours and then bake with directions above or to prepare straight from the freezer, bake at 400 for 30 minutes, unwrapping foil for the last 5 minutes. *Place in the oven immediately before pre-heated if baking from frozen*
**Side Note: This dough recipe is our family's pizza dough recipe. It makes 2 large pizzas – it is *so* good!!

Simple Cheesy Lasagna: Easy; $13

Freezer Club: Thaw and bake 350 (the black dishes will melt for the higher temp) for 45-60 min. If baking straight from the freezer, allow about 15-20 min. extra. Serve with a big salad, you'll need it to balance all of the cheese!


Ingredients:
2.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 (32 oz) jar marinara sauce (I like the kind with mushrooms)
1 lb mozzarella cheese (grated)
2 lbs Monterrey jack cheese (grated)
1 oz box ribbed lasagna noodles (I put them in uncooked)
1 2.25oz can ripe olives or more to taste

Instructions:
Brown beef and onion until done (about 10 min). drain. grease a 9x13 dish and layer: noodles, beef mixture and both kinds of cheese, then olives. Continue until it's all used. Place a layer of cheese on top. Mix spaghetti sauce and about a 1/2 jar of hot water. Pour over the top and bake. 400 degrees for 45-60 min.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin kabobs- Medium $9 per family

Marinade for Pork: (doubled maybe tripled this for the pork)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2Tbs dry white wine
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove crushed

6-6.5 lbs. of Pork (tenderloin)
8 onions
12 peppers (I did yellow and green)
1-2 fresh pineapple
2 (pints) of cherry tomatoes
2-3 (8oz) baby portabella mushrooms

Other options:
baby red potatoes
corn on the cob
zucchini
squash

Cut up pork and add to marinade.
Marinade for at least an hour in fridge.
Cut veggies and fruit.
Thread on to skewers.
Grill

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (Easy - No Idea $$)

Ingredients:

30 chicken breasts (i did 5 per family)
3 bottles of bbq sauce (I used 2 kc masterpiece original and 1 gates original)
2 cups zesty itialian dressing
9 Tbls. worchestershire
3/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook 4-6 hrs.  Shred chicken and let sit another 30 minutes.

To Serve:  Thaw and reheat.  Serve on hamburger buns or rolls with cheese and pickles.

*I paid no attention to the cost of this meal.  So sorry!

African Meatballs - Medium difficulty $8 (3 hours prep)

African Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small can chopped black olives
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
Generous shakes of cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatballs:
1 egg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

First - Make The Meatballs:
In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and combine gently after each addition. Rolling with your hands, make 16 meatballs.

In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs until golden on all sides (the centers will continue to cook in the sauce). Add more oil, as needed. When golden brown, remove from pan, cover, and set aside.

Second - Make The Sauce:
In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, sugar and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Third – Transfer:Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes, serve over rice.

Freezer Club Notes: I made these in two batches of 3 meals each and did *not* cook the meatballs all the way through before freezing in the containers. The meatballs will continue cooking while simmering in the sauce. I froze the sauce in a Ziploc baggie to keep the meatballs from getting soggy. Thawing:Thaw meatballs in fridge (can thaw sauce in microwave on defrost). Simmer meatballs and sauce together over medium heat until heated throughout. Serve over rice.
*This recipe is adapted from Melissa D’Arabian from Food Network  J

Stuffed Manicotti (Medium; $9)

Freezer Club: Thaw completely in oven all day, set temp to 350 and bake about 40 min. or until bubbly. Serve with garlic toast and salad.

Ingredients:
14 uncooked manicotti shells
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
1 lb lean beef
1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion
3/4 C milk
3/4 C Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
4 C. marinara sauce
2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese (for top)

Instructions
In large skillet, brown ground beef, sausage, and onion, stirring to break up the meat. Set aside. In medium bowl, beat eggs; mix in milk, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Add cooked spinach and meat mixture. Stuff each UNCOOKED shells (so much easier!) with about 1/4 c meat mixture. Spread 1 C. marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13"dish. Place the filled manicotti shells in dish. Spoon remaining3 cups marinara sauce over filled manicotti. Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the sauce. Place baking dish in cold oven. Set temp to 350. Bake about 40 min. Serve immediately. (Freeze extra filling and use it later...there's a lot of left-over filling!)

Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wraps $9-10, medium (2-3 hour prep)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Southwest Chicken Marinade (see recipe below)
Southwest Ranch Sauce (see recipe below)
8 pieces bacon, baked or fried, crumbled
½ c cheddar cheese (I sub'd Mexican cheese blend)
½ c mozzarella cheese (I sub'd Mexican cheese blend)
shredded lettuce
tomatoes, diced
4-6 whole wheat tortillas (8 flour tortillas)

Instructions

Marinate chicken for 1 hour or longer in fridge. Grill over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink inside). Let meat rest and then slice into long, thin pieces.

To assemble wrap: Add grilled chicken pieces, bacon pieces, some of each kind of cheese, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes to each tortilla. Roll up like a burrito. Dip in Southwest Ranch Sauce or add inside the wrap.

Freezer Tip: Obviously, you can’t freeze the lettuce or tomato, but I packaged the following items individually in freezer bags and froze them: uncooked marinated chicken, cooked bacon pieces, cheese, ranch salsa, and tortillas. After thawing everything, grill the chicken, cut it up, and cut up the veggies (if you want lettuce and tomatoes). Then assemble the wrap.



Southwest Chicken Marinade:

2/3 cup oil

1/3 cup vinegar

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground


Southwest Ranch Sauce:

About 1/2 cup ranch dressing (I used plain Greek yogurt mixed with Ranch seasoning)

About 1/2 cup mild salsa (I used Pace)

Italian Beef (easy) $11 per family

Italian Beef
Serves 6-8
4 lb roast (rump or arm)
1/4 jar peperoncini with juice
1 small bell pepper (thinly sliced)
2 crushed bouillion cubes (beef)
1/4 onion thinly sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 onion powder
1/4 black pepper

Directions
Add all ingrediants to crockpot
I added some water (maybe 1/2 cup)
Cook for 6-7 hours or until beef pulls apart
shred beef
add some of the juice onto the beef
Serve with ciabatta or torta bread
We like it with provolone, peperoncinis, and garlic and herb mayo

Blueberry French Toast (Easy, 2 hour prep, $5-6 family)

Bri's extra large portions

8 loaves of French Bread (not crusty, soft rolls)
(I bought 3 of Sam's giant size 2 packs=6)
44 eggs
14 cups of milk
5 cups brown sugar
4 tablespoons vanilla extract
8 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 cups fresh frozen blueberries


Makes ~24 pieces per family


Get comfortable:) Slice bread. Truly takes time!

Grease Pans.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. (I did this step twice in a Kitchen Aid)

Because of the large quality and the smaller containers I found it best to dip each piece of bread and then place in the the pan. I stacked the pieces to fit as many as possible into the pan (around 14 pieces). After all pans were filled, I put the pieces in freezer bags. You can pour any remaining mixture evenly over all pans.
You could stack the slices in the pans and then pour the mixure if you were making a single batch.

Cover with blueberries and freeze.


To Prepare from frozen for individual family: defrost frozen pan, take slices out and place in a 9x13 greased pan and pour mixture over it. In small sauce-pan, heat 1/8 cup (2 T) of butter with 1/8 cup brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Drizzle over blue berries. Bake in 385 F oven for 30-35++ minutes until set. Dust with Powdered Sugar and Maple Syrup.

Chicken & Bacon Tortellini Alfredo - Easy, 1 hour prep, $9 family

Ingredients:

4 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

2 cups frozen peas

18 oz frozen tortellini

1/4 cup bacon bits
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Spices:
dashes of seasoned salt, cracked pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder
 

Freezer Club Note: I doubled the portions for Brooke's family and my own.

Directions:
Boil tortellini in large saucepan until pasta floats to the top. 
Mix cream cheese, milk, parmesan, and spices in large saucepan until well blended. Stir in tortellini, shredded chicken, bacon bits, and peas; cover.
Cook on medium-low heat 5 min., stirring occasionally. Serve and Enjoy!

From Freezer:Thaw chicken, peas, and bacon in refridgerator.
Allow alfredo sauce to thaw and then bring to a boil in small sauce pan over low heat while bringing tortellini to a boil until pasta floats.
Drain tortellini and mix together with alfredo sauce, chicken, bacon, and peas.
 

Chicken Curry with Cashews: Easy, $6.50

I may get voted off the island with this one, but I wanted to share it with you! This is one of my favorite Indian dishes. I didn't think I liked curry, but went out on a limb and enjoyed it, so give it a try...warning: it's spicy! 

Freezer Club instructions: reheat and serve over rice and garnish with cilantro; I serve with fresh fruit salad and broccoli.  I provided you with brown rice (not instant, so allow 45 min.)

Chicken Curry with Cashews

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 (3.5-40lb) chicken, cut into 10 pieces (I use 1.5-2 lbs boneless chicken breast cubed)

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/4 C cilantro

3/4 C cashews

3/4 C plain whole-milk yogurt (I use fat free and sometimes fat-free plain Greek yogurt)

Heat butter in 5 to 6 quart wide heavy pot over moderately low hear until foam subsides, then cook onions, garlic and ginger, stirring, until softened (about 5 min). Add curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, 2 min. Add chicken and cook, stirring to coat, 3 min.Add tomatoes, including juice, cilantro, and bring to a simmer. Then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 min. (If making ahead see below)

Just before serving: pulse cashews in a food processor or blender until very finely ground, then add to curry along with yogurt. Simmer gently,  uncovered, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Note: Curry, without yogurt and cashews, can be made 5 days in ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat over low heat before stirring in yogurt and cashews. 

(For freezer club, I took a chance and added it anyway, yikes! Hope it works out!)

Makes 4-5 servings

Creamy Baked Ziti - Easy $8/family/1.5 hrs prep time

Ingredients per family:

1 box uncooked pasta
16 oz spaghetti sauce
6 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup Sour Cream

8 oz shredded mozzerella
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:  1) Heat oven to 375.

2) Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package. Remove from pan; drain, and set aside. Combine spaghetti sauce and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

3) Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

4)Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

To Make For Freezer Club: I made the creamy sauce for everyone's family all together and then divided it into the containers. I then combined the sour cream and mozzarella for each family and then distributed it into separate ziplocs for each family - labeling it as "middle layer". Lastly, I measured out the parmesan and remaining mozzarella for each family and distributed it into another ziploc labeled "top cheeses".

To Make From Frozen/Fresh: Thaw creamy sauce completely. Cook pasta and mix together with creamy sauce. Layer half the pasta mixture into 9x13 pan, squeeze "middle layer" sour cream mixture and spread around over pasta. Finish spooning the remaining pasta mixture over creamy mixture and top with "Top Cheeses".
Bake for 20 minutes at 375.

Chili (Easy) $10-$11

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground, lean pork
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 oz. hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can beer
3 Tbls chili powder
2 Tbls instant beef bouillon
2 Tbls cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce
1 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp flour
1 tsp warm water

In a large saucepan brown beef and pork.  Drain all but a few Tbls of the fat.  Add the garlic and onion and cook until tender.  Transfer meat to a pot and add tomato sauce, water, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, cocoa, and hot sauce.  Mix well. 
Bring to a boil then reduce hear and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. 
In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well.  Stir into chili and cook, covered for an additional 20 minutes.

Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Pasta ($8) Easy

Freezer club prep: Thaw, reheat and EAT! Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Ingredients:
1 (13 oz) box shell pasta
1 tsp butter
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 8 oz package reduced fat (not fat free) cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
Additional Parmesan for serving

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, sour cream, then add lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan cheese and chicken
3. Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.
*I made 6x this recipe for freezer club and it made about 8 (8x8 square) containers. (I did divide the cost by 8, so the price wasn't skewed per meal)

BBQ Meatballs (Pioneer Women) Easy $9

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 C. Oats
1 C. Milk
3 TBS. Finely minced onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1tsp ground black pepper

Combine all to form meatballs. Put in freezer for five minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in skillet over med-high heat. Dredge meatballs in unseasoned flour, then cook in hot oil just until brown on the outside. Place in baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sauce:
1 C. Ketchup
1 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. vinegar
3 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
6 Tbs. finely diced onion

Combine ingredients and pour over meatballs. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbling.

Freezer Club: Thaw completely. I froze them after cooking them on the stove...so they need to be baked in the oven for above time!

Serve with mashed potatoes.