Jambalaya $9/family, Easy, 2 hours prep

Ingredients

2 Tbs butter
4 brats, with casing removed
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
½ Onion

2 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Cumin
½ tsp Cayenne
Ground pepper
Kosher salt
½ can diced tomatoes
1 Cup Brown Rice
3 Cups Chicken Broth

Directions
1) Break up brats and brown in melted butter in large, heavy pot.

2) Slice vegetables and add to brats.
3) Add in all seasonings and sauté together for 1-2 minutes
4) Add diced tomatoes with liquid and cook, stirring for a few minutes to allow some of the water to evaporate
5) Add in brown rice and chicken broth. Cover and simmer until rice is tender (about 45 minutes)

From Frozen
Thaw, re-heat in large pot, add chicken broth and rice. Simmer until tender

Prepare for Freezer
Do not add rice and chicken broth when cooking sausage and vegetable mixture. Freeze separately.

Fruity Breakfast Cookies and Smoothie Mix

Freezer Club instructions: I made two of the recipe below. I used cranberries and apricots in one batch and cherries and prunes in the second batch (these look darker because of the prunes). I gave each family 15 cookies and a smoothie mix pack. Thaw and eat the cookies, blend up the smoothie mix pack with juice or milk.

Fruity Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 -- eggs
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 to 1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1 cup chopped dried apricots or dried plums
1 cup raisins
2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine butter, sugars, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs.
Stir in oats, flax seed meal, whole-wheat flour and 1 cup self-rising flour. Add additional self-rising flour in ¼ cup increments if dough is still sticky. Stir in fruits and nuts until well combined.
Scoop dough onto a baking sheet, using a 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) scoop. Bake 10 to 13 minutes, until cookies are puffy and light tan. Be careful not to over bake. The centers will be a bit doughy and dense. Makes 2 dozen.

Link to recipe and nutritional info

 

 

Smoothie Mix Pack  

The amounts below will make enough for 6 families. 

Put Smoothie Mix pack into blender with juice or milk, blend until smooth and enjoy with your cookies!

 

Ingredients

2 (32 oz containers) Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

6 Bananas

3 bags Frozen Fruit (I used peaches, berry blend, blueberries) 

Instructions

Divide yogurt into ice cube containers, freeze. Slice up one banana per family, add one cup of frozen fruit and 4-5 cubes of frozen yogurt. If I did it again, I would use larger bags (quart size instead of sandwich size) so I could add more yogurt cubes (like about 8 per family) and maybe a little more frozen fruit.

 

Breakfast Burrito, Easy, $4/family

Ingredients:

2 - 16 oz packages of Hot Pork Sausage
1 - 8 oz finely shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 packages of 6 inch tortillas
1 dozen eggs
A little bit of milk to Eggs (optional)
Salsa (optional)

1)  Brown Sausage
2)  Cook scrambled eggs.  I added a little bit of milk, shredded cheese and salt and pepper to my scrambled eggs.
3)  Once sausage and eggs are cooked, create your burrito by adding a small amount of meat, eggs and shredded cheese to each tortilla and roll it up. 
4)  We like to dip our breakfast burritos in salsa!  This, of course, is completely optional.

This recipe made 30 breakfast burritos.  To cook for freezer club, pull out of freezer and reheat in microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute per burrito depending on microwave.

Sausage Kale Tortellini / Easy, $10/family, 1.5 hours prep

Ingredients
1 lb ground sausage
1 (19 oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini
1 large handful of kale
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Brown ground sausage over medium heat while breaking into small pieces. Grab crockpot and turn on high. Place tortellini in the bottom, then the cooked sausage, until all ingredients (except mozzarella cheese) in crockpot. Place cream cheese on top so that it doesn't curdle. Cook for 3-4 hours on high. Stir ingredients all together as many times as possible. Turn crockpot to "warm" or off then take off lid for about 30 minutes to let set up and add the cup of mozzarella cheese. Stir and serve the goodness!

Freezer Club Note
I prepped this as a fresh meal because of the kale. Place frozen tortellini in the bottom of the crockpot, dump in Ziploc contents, add cream cheese block and turn to high for 3-4 hours.

*slightly adapted from http://madeitateitlovedit.blogspot.com/2013/07/crockpot-sausage-spinach-tortellini.html

Golden Mushroom Pork & Apples - Easy, $10/family, 1.5 hours

Ingredients
2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (season with salt/pepper)
2 large Granny Smith apples, sliced  
1 large onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

Seasonings
Onion Powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Italian Seasoning
Kosher Salt
Cracked Pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, combine mushroom soup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and Seasonings. Add to a slow-cooker, sprayed with cooking spray.
Add seasoned pork chops, apples, and onions.
Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

From Frozen
Allow to thaw and then add all ingredients from Ziploc to slow cooker and heat on low for 8 hours.

Prep for Freezer
Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc baggie, seal, and freeze. So Easy!

Chicken Milano: Easy Prep; $8

Freezer Club instructions: thaw; bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until heated through and bubbly. Serve over pasta, if desired.

This recipe is for each family

Ingredients
4 chicken breast
1/4 C flour
1 egg
2 C seasoned bread crumbs
4 T butter
3 C spaghetti sauce
1/4 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C Swiss cheese, shredded
1/8 C Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Directions
Roll each chicken breast in flour, dip in beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Pour sauce in baking dish, but reserve 2 T. Place chicken in dish and cover with cheeses. Top with reserved sauce. Bake loosely covered until cooked through, about 30 min.

Thai Chicken with Sesame Noodles: 1 hour prep. Easy / $7*

Freezer Club: The recipe below is for one family.
*The price is based off of food prices from Aldi/Walmart.

Ingredients
4 chicken breast, cut into strips
2/3 C Kraft Lite Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 T crunchy peanut butter
2 T honey
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 whole carrots, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
8 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 lb spaghetti

Directions
Pour 1/3 C of dressing over chicken, marinate for 1 hour.
Cook chicken in marinade over medium heat for 8 min. until cooked through.
Mix remaining 1/3 C of dressing with peanut butter, honey, and crushed red pepper. Mix carrots, onions and cilantro together. Boil pasta. Toss cooked chicken, Asian sauce, veggies and pasta together. Enjoy!

Freezer club prep: Thaw cooked chicken, dressing and veggie bags. Boil pasta for 7-8 minutes.
Toss chicken, dressing and veggies together with pasta.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Ingredients

-1-1/2 pound Thin Spaghetti, Broken in Half
-4 Tablespoons Butter
-4 cloves Garlic, Minced
-1 pound white mushrooms, Quartered
-1/2 teaspoon Salt
-1 cup White Wine
-1/3 cup Flour
-4 cups Turkey (or Chicken) Broth
-1 block 8 ounce Cream Cheese
-3 cups Cooked Turkey, shredded or diced
-1 cup Finely Chopped Black Olives
-1-1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas
-4 slices Bacon, Fried and Cut into Bits
-1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
-1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
-Salt and Pepper, to taste
-Extra Broth for Thinning
-1 cup Panko bread Crumbs

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until not quite done-al dente according to package instructions.  Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and salt, then saute for a couple more minutes.  Pour in the wine and allow to cook with the mushrooms for several minutes until the roux thickens.

Reduce heat to medium low.  Cut cream cheese into pieces and add to the pot.  Stir it to melt (don't be concerned if the cream cheese remains in little bits for awhile; it'll melt eventually!) Add the leftover turkey, the olives, the peas, the bacon, and the cheeses.  Stir to combine, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Add the cooked spaghetti and stir to combine.  Splash in more broth as needed; you want the mixture to have a little extra moisture since it will cook off in the oven.  If it's a little soupy, that's fine.  Add up to 2 more cups of liquid if you think it needs it.

Pour mixuture into a large baking dish and sprinkle the top with Panko crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the crubs are golden brown.

Freezer club:  I doubled this recipe to make six meals.

This recipe is from the pioneer woman.

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:

8 oz Catalina dressing
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 can of cranberry sauce (Can use the solid or with berries)
4 boned chicken breasts ( I used boneless skinless)

Mix together dressing and soup mix. Pour in freezer bag, and then add uncooked chicken breasts to the bags. Mix the chicken and mixture together.
Lay the bags in a flat container once you have them sealed (Removing what air you can)
This makes them take up less room in the freezer.

When you go to make them, thaw complelty. Place chicken with cranberry sauce in greased baking dish, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour on 350 degrees.

Baked French Toast, 1 hr, 15 min, Easy, $4/family

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing
1 loaf Crusty sourdough or French bread
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbls vanilla extract
Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly Grated Nutmeg, optional
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Warm syrup, for serving
Butter, for serving
1 cup fresh blueberries, for serving


Preparation Instructions:
For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (over night preferably).

For topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top.  Bake for 45 min for a softer more bread pudding texture or for 1-hour plus or more for a firmer, crisper texture.

Note: I baked mine for an hour and I needed to cover with foil after 45 min so the topping would not burn.

Baked Falafel Pitas

Freezer Club: I prepared one recipe below for each family, which yielded 12 patties/family. You will want to thaw, and reheat at 400 degrees for 5 min. or until heated through. Squeeze the Tahini Sauce (included) and serve in pita (my kids like to dip in sauce, and dip the pita bread in hummus separately) with tomato, red onion, lettuce, and feta cheese. Serve with hummus and fresh veggies.

From Tasty Kitchen: Added by janecooks on April 15, 2011 in Legumes, Main Courses

Prep Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 20 Minutes

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 Oz. Size) Chickpeas (I use dry beans)
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Parsley (optional)
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
• 2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 dash Black Pepper

Tahini Sauce:

• 4 Tablespoons Tahini
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

You will want to add these:

• 3 whole Tomatoes, Diced
• 1 block (8 Oz. Size) Feta Cheese, Crumbled
• 1 head Lettuce
• 12 whole Small Pitas

Preparation Instructions

Throw the chickpeas, flour, parsley, and spices into a food processor and pulse until well blended—or mash up chickpeas with a fork or potato masher and mix in spices. Then form small patties out of the chickpea mixture, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place chickpea patties on a lightly greased pan and pop into the oven for 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the tahini and lemon juice and set aside with your other toppings (tomatoes, feta, and lettuce). When the patties are done, put them in a pita with plenty of toppings, and enjoy!

Bobby's Goulash - Easy - 3 hours prep, $14/family

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Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 Tbs butter
3 cups water
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Seasonings:
Italian Seasoning
Onion Powder
Cracked Pepper
Kosher Salt
2 cups dried elbow macaroni

Directions:
In a deep skillet (or dutch oven), sauté the ground beef and ground turkey over medium-high heat, add Seasonings generously, and heat until fully cooked. Drain. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, sauté peppers and onions in butter. When vegetables are tender, add them to the beef and turkey mixture. Add 3 cups water, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, garlic, and all of the Seasonings (again). Bring to just below a boil, cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 20 more minutes or until pasta is tender.

Freezer Club Prep: I cooked all the sauces, tomatoes, and meats and allowed them to simmer together for about 20 minutes before transferring them to the freezer containers. I included the pasta in a Ziploc on the side and directions to add 3 cups of water.

From Frozen: Allow meat mixture to fully thaw and place in a dutch oven. Add 3 cups of water and 2 cups of dried pasta.

*this recipe was adapted (and enhanced :) ) from Bobby’s Goulash found on www.FoodNetwork.com

The Best Lasagna Ever, Easy, $12/family

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomatoe Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1/2 cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
(add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil to Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic.  Cook over medium-high heat until browned.  Drain half the fat; less if your feeling naughty.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt.  After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.  In a medium sauce bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt.  Stir together well.  Set aside.  Cook lasagna until "al dente" (not overly cooked).
To assemble:
Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary.  Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles.  Spread evenly.  Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese.  Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.
Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture.  Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.  Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree overn for 20-30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

This recipe was found via the pioneer woman blog.  I doubled the recipe to make 4 meals.

Momma's Old Fashioned Meatloaf-Easy, 1.15 hrs, $8 per family

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix
3/4 cup cracker crumbs (saltines)
2 eggs
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup chopped green peppers *optional
Ketchup

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 350
In a large mixing bowl. Combine ground beef, soup mix, eggs and salt & pepper. Mix Well.
Add in crushed cracker crumbs and green peppers. Mix together until all ingredients are evenly mixed together.
Shape meat mixture into loaf and place in 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan.
Drizzle meat mixture with ketchup to taste.

Bake uncovered 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Let stand 10 minutes.

Freezer Club:  Thaw completely. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Chicken - Easy, 2.5 hrs, $14/family

Chicken Breading:
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil

Rinse chicken, trim off fat or extras and then cut into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into cornstarch, garlic, and ginger blend and coat all the way and then into the egg mixture. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken over medium high heat until browned. Place in 9x13 baking dish.

Sauce:
 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
 1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

  2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Pineapple juice (drained from can)

Vegetables and Fruit:
1/2 Red Pepper
1/2 Green Pepper
 1 can Diced Pineapple (reserve juice)
 
 

Whisk together sauce ingredients until smooth, then pour evenly over chicken, vegetables, and pineapple. Mix well so that everything gets "sauced." Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. turn chicken and then cook for 15 more minutes.

Reheat from Freezer: (Chicken has not been baked yet!). Thaw completely and follow above directions for baking. 

Chicken Divan

Ingredients  (I tripled the recipe below to get 6 8x8 pans' worth)
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
6 cups shredded chicken, cooked
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.

If freezing, cover with lid or foil and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw completely.

Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Notes

I combined the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a small Ziploc with the frozen casserole with instructions to combine with melted butter and sprinkle on top before baking.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-divan-recipe/index.html

Honey Sesame Chicken

Freezer club instructions: I tripled the recipe below to make enough for 6 families. Reheat and serve with rice.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ¾ cups Honey
• ½ cups Soy Sauce (I used reduced sodium)
• ¼ cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Or Grated Fresh Ginger Root
• 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced Or Pressed
• ¾ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 teaspoons Cornstarch
• ¼ cups Cold Water
• Optional Garnishes: Thinly Sliced Scallions, Sesame Seeds
• 6 cups Hot Cooked Rice, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Very lightly season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker.
Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, canola and sesame oils, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes in a mixing bowl and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. (DO NOT cook any longer on low and do  not cook it on high...this recipe will burn because of the honey...believe me, I burned it the first time!)
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate or bowl and cover lightly with foil, leaving the sauce in the slow cooker.
Stir the cornstarch into the water with a fork or small whisk until dissolved. Whisk the mixture into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover the slow-cooker and turn the heat to high. Let it cook and thicken for 15 minutes.
Carefully transfer the chicken back into the slow-cooker and mix to coat the chicken with the thickened sauce.
Serve the pieces of chicken over hot cooked rice. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

This recipe originally from Tasty Kitchen, found here.