Good Recipes for Frozen Dishes

[classyt]

I am a first-time mom-to-be expecting in a week from tomorrow and I am trying to prepare by making some easy-to-freeze dinners so that I won't have to cook when the baby comes.

I know there's the traditional stuff, like lasagna, but does anyone have any recipes that would be easy to prepare and good to freeze, or any sites that they would recommend for frozen recipes?

Thanks.

[JLiebCamm]

Stuffed Shells are really a great dish to freeze in multiple portions. I make the recipe on the back of the shell box up to the point where you stuff the shells. I then cool them and divide them into reasonable portions for DH and me (usually 8 or so) and put the portions in freezer bags. When we want to eat them, I thaw them, put them in a casserole dish, pour sauce over the top, and bake (adding the sauce after you freeze them really helps keep them from tasting mushy).

[August Mom]

I love to freeze soups and sauces. I don't know how you feel about soup in the summer, but chili freezes great. I divide what I make into individual portions and then it's ready to reheat and serve (I usually do so in the microwave).

I have made and frozen a few casseroles too. I'll post recipes below.

Best wishes for a smooth delivery.

[August Mom]

Mexican Potato Casserole

1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion salt
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 can (4 oz.) green chiles, chopped
1/2 cup mild picante sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion salt
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large mixing bowl, toss together potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon onion salt.

3. Press potato mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish.

4. Bake potato mixture for 20 minutes.

5. While potato mixture is baking, brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain and fine beef. Set aside.

6. Stir fry cabbage over high heat 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

7. Stir in ground beef, green chiles, picante sauce, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon onion salt. Mix well.

8. Spoon beef mixture onto partially baked potato crust. Bake 20 minutes.

9. Top casserole with remaining cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes more.

10. Serve with additional picante sauce.

NOTE: This recipe is worth a try even if you aren't a cabbage fan. DH refuses to eat cabbage, but he loves this! (Just don't reveal your secrets. )

When I froze this, I baked it and divided into individual portions. However, I think you could freeze it after baking the potato crust and topping with the beef mixture.

[August Mom]

Mexican Fiesta

1 pound ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Accent
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bag Fritos Scoops
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 cups lettuce, torn
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 cup guacamole
1/2 cup olives, sliced

1. Brown ground beef and onion in a 4-quart saucepan over moderately high heat. Drain and fine ground beef to remove large clumps and return to saucepan.

2. Add onion, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, Accent and sugar to ground beef. Stir well. Cover and simmer over medium heat 30 minutes or until thick. Stir occasionally.

3. Pour meat sauce over individual plates of Fritos. Top with your favorite assortment of the remaining ingredients.

To freeze, prepare sauce completely. Thaw and reheat sauce. Then proceed with step 3.

[August Mom]

Chicken Chimichangas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup picante sauce
1/3 cup green onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Cook chicken breasts in boiling water in a covered saucepan for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Shred chicken breasts.

3. Combine chicken, picante sauce, onion, cumin, oregano and salt in saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes until heated through.

4. Brush one side of tortillas with melted margarine.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on center of unbuttered sides of tortillas. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold tortillas over chicken mixture.

6. Place filled tortillas seam side down in 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Bake for approximately 13 minutes or until crisp.

Freeze after step 3. Then thaw/reheat and proceed to fill tortillas and bake.

[August Mom]

Beef Pot Pies

4 lbs. chuck roast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 c. flour
salt and pepper
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. burgandy wine (or other red wine)
1/2 lb. carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4-6 size B red potatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups beef stock (or broth)
2 bay leaves
1 T. dried thyme
Phyllo dough/Puff Pastry Sheets

1. Toss the meat in flour, season with salt and pepper and brown all over in oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven. Deglaze pan by adding stock (or burgandy) and scraping bits from bottom of pan.

2. Remove the beef and add the vegetables; saute briefly. Return beef to pan and sprinkle with remaining flour (or add extra if needed) and stir to form a roux around the beef and vegetables.

3. Add beef stock or broth and wine. Add bay leaf and thyme. Adjust seasoning as desired. Bring to a boil and cover.

4. Transfer Dutch oven to a preheated 350 degree oven for about 1.5 hours. Alternately, you may use a pressure cooker and cook for about 30-40 minutes and then transfer to oven proof dish or dishes.

5. Prepare phyllo dough according to package directions and cut to a size to cover your baking dish. You can also prepare individual pot pies and cut a crust to fit.

6. Return to oven and bake an additional 30-40 minutes until the crust is lightly browned.

Serves 6-8

**Note: You can change the filling around to suit your tastes. You can add green beans, peas, mushrooms or whatever suits your fancy. This recipe makes a pretty thick stew. Add more stock/broth if you would prefer a soupy consistency. You also can change the topping. You can use your favorite biscuit recipe. Or, refrigerated biscuits and crescent rolls work nicely. BUT, do not freeze these toppings. They do not work well on reheating (I know from experience).

**Tip: I like to make individual pot pies and then freeze the leftover ones. The phyllo crust freezes nicely. When you are ready to bake the frozen ones, place them in a cold oven, set to 350 degrees and bake for around an hour.

[August Mom]

Aztec Chowder

1 lb. dried great northern beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3 boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
tortilla chips

1. Soak the beans overnight, covered in water. Drain beans.

2. Place beans in 6-quart stockpot and add chicken broth. Simmer until beans are tender, about 40 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and saute until tender.

4. Remove vegetable mixture to a dish and saute the chicken until almost cooked through.

5. Puree half of the bean mixture in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Then add the chicken, vegetables, cayenne pepper and half and half.

6. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced and thickened slightly. Add salt and pepper.

7. Ladle into oven-proof bowls and top with cheese.

8. Preheat broiler.

9. Place bowls of soup under broiler until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown.

10. Serve with tortilla chips.


Note: You can used canned beans if you wish. I used around 5-15 oz. cans. Just rinse and drain them. You won't need to cook them as long in the broth, just heat them up. Also, this makes a very thick soup. The original recipe called for more broth (6-8 cups), so if you like a thinner soup, add more broth.

[August Mom]

Here's my Chicken Chili recipe. Actually, it was given to us by Chilis restaurant. DH loved their Chicken Chili. It was taken off the menu and he complained. So, we received this recipe. It is very tasty and freezes great!

Chicken Chili

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons basil
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup crushed tomatillos (canned), drained
1 can green chiles, chopped
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1. Cook and dice chicken breasts. Set aside.

2. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic until tender.

3. In a separate container, mix chicken broth with lime juice and seasonings. Add to vegetable mixture.

4. Add tomatillos and green chilies to pot and bring to a boil.

5. Add navy beans, kidney beans and diced chicken breast. Bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Spoon into individual bowls.


Note: If you use fresh tomatillos, chop them and saute them with the onion, garlic and peppers. If you like a thicker chili, use approximately 2/3 of the amount of chicken broth listed.

[August Mom]

Chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cans (22 oz.) chili beans in zesty sauce (such as Brooks)
2 cans (15.5 oz.) black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz.) Hunts Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Chili
1 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
dash hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
4 dried chili peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a 6 to 8 quart stockpot, brown ground beef over moderately high heat for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from pan and drain. Fine ground beef with metal spoon or knife, or pulse briefly in food processor to remove large clumps of meat.

2. Return ground beef to pan and add the chopped onion. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Add the green pepper, jalapeno pepper, chili beans, black beans, tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato sauce special, chili powder, hot sauce, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for between 30 and 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water or additional tomato juice if chili becomes too thick.

4. Remove all chili peppers before serving.

[August Mom]

Cincinnati Chili

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound ground beef
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons catsup
1 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
tomato juice, as needed
9 ounces cooked spaghetti
1 can (15.5 oz.) kidney beans, drained & heated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart saucepan. Add ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned but still soft. Remove from pan and drain. Fine beef mixture and return to pan.

2. Add tomato sauce, catsup, water and vinegar. As mixture begins to boil, add the remaining salt, spices, herbs, honey and chocolate.

3. Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring. Add tomato juice if the sauce is too dry. It should be a thick sauce.

4. Discard bay leaf.

5. Layer servings of spaghetti on individual places. Top with chili, kidney beans, onion, green pepper and cheddar cheese.

Serves 4.

This dish is traditionally served with oyster crackers. You can use as many or as few toppings as you'd like. The sauce also can be used to top hot dogs or baked potatoes.

To freeze, do so after step 4. Then, when ready to use the sauce, reheat it, cook your spaghetti and prepare your other toppings.

[cdmamatutu]

This looks so yummy! I'm going to have to try it this week! :) One note: my ds got horribly gassy when I ate cabbage or broccoli while I was still breastfeeding. It doesn't seem to bother my dd as much. If you will be breastfeeding, you may want to wait to make this one until you are sure of how your kiddo will react. :)

[cdmamatutu]

If you do a google search for OAMC or Once A Month Cooking, you should find all kinds of recipes that you can freeze. I am intrigued by this concept, but have never done the whole "cook for a day, eat for a month" thing. I do make double or triple recipes quite frequently and freeze the leftovers. That's an easy way to build up your stash.

A week from tomorrow!! Sounds like you're nesting. :) You should be resting. ;)

[amp]

I did not read the other replies, so don't know if these were already mentioned.

We loved having lasagne.
Also love Mexican lasagne and regularly freeze it. Recipe below.
Also, we regularly make beef and chicken burritos and freeze them. We just make our meat, add toppings and grill them lightly in a pan w/ a tad of oil and freeze.
Also, for time savers, we regularly cook ground beef and grill or marinate and grill chicken and slice it, ahead of time and freeze for quicker meals. It makes cooking so much easier!


MEXICAN LASAGNA

1 lb ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 taco seasoning pkt.
Lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese (we ended up using more like 4+ cups)
3 cups salsa
1 1/2 - 2 cups water

Brown ground beef. Drain. Add taco seasoning pkt and mix according to directions on pkt (I substitute salsa for part of the water). Mix in refried beans. Cover bottom of 9x13” baking dish with lasagna noodles. Cover noodles with 1/2 beef mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheese. Add another layer of noodles, the rest of the beef mixture and more cheese. Cover that with another noodle layer and a sprinkling of cheese (you’ll add more later). Mix salsa and water in bowl (original recipe called for picante sauce, but we used salsa, which isn't as watery, so you may need a bit more water). Pour over entire dish of lasagna, making sure some water gets around edges or your noodles won’t cook and soften properly. Either freeze or put in refrigerator with foil over until ready to cook (we left in fridge for several hours). Preheat oven to 350. Cook with foil on for 1 hr. Remove foil. Top with more cheese. Bake additional 5 min. to melt cheese. Remove from oven and let sit about 20 min to cool.

[classyt]

My mom is coming on Sunday and she does the OAMC thing, so she's bringing her cookbook and hopefully will be helping me with this. She also LOVES crock-pot cooking and makes a lot of good dishes in that and then just freezes half (like shrimp gumbo, chili, etc.).

Thanks to everyone for the recipes so far. I can't wait to make some of them. Did anyone experience difficulties with breastfeeding and spicy foods? I love mexican dishes, but am a little nervous about it.

And you're right, I think I am nesting some, but resting a lot too. I stopped work a couple of weeks ago so now I'm just trying to fill my days and stay out of the heat (we live in Colorado and it's in the mid to upper 90's here).

Thanks again everybody.

[pritchettzoo]

Here are some websites I have bookmarked:
http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm
http://geocities.com/decemberbabies2002/Recipes.html
http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-fancy_nancy/makeaheadmeals/index.html

Additionally, your library probably has some freezer meal or OAMC books.

Enjoy your nesting! And good luck with your delivery. :)

Anna

[MelissaTC]

Great links. I bookmarked all 3. Thanks!

[August Mom]

Sounds yummy! How do you reheat your burritos?

[August Mom]

We didn't have any problems with spicy food or potential gassy foods. You just never know until you try. Some babies have trouble with a lot of foods and some don't have any problems. FWIW, I ate a ton of Mexican while pregnant and BFing and DS loves Mexican now too (even salsa).

[amp]

We just nuke them. It's hard to heat them evenly, but we heat and then let sit for a minute, reheat and so on. It works for us for lunches and dinners. And they are better than those you buy in the freezer section of the store!