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.