Dinner Tonight and Later - Chicken Spaghetti

Here is a recipe that I found on The Pioneer Woman website. I love Ree Drumond and the way she writes and photographs all of her recipes. I did alter this a bit. I thought I had more soup than I had and I wanted to beef up the chicken. The original recipe can be found here.

This is my version which is very close to the original. I cooked the chicken in a large glass casserole. Since I am oh so lazy I shredded the meat in the same casserole and used it to mix ingredients. I even used it to bake once I had removed half. Easy cleanup!

Chicken Spaghetti - Ree Drumond

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken - my store sells in packs of a little over 1 lb and I used two full packs.
• 1 box Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 1 can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained - I left this out
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper - I left out due to the kids
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

harp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook chicken breasts in the oven. I sprinkle mine with a little salt and pepper and spray with cooking spray. Cook at 350 degrees until done which varies based on the thickness of your breast. Cook spaghetti. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar. I used more stock since I used less soup. Split mixture in half and top each with equal amounts remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

I baked one immediately in the original pan and the other I doubled bagged in a gallon freezer bag for later use. With bread this easily will make 2 casseroles that serve 4.

Meatloaf in Peppers - Freezable

It seems that ground beef does not last but 2 days once purchased. Since I shop on the weekends this often causes a problem. I either have meat go bad, I have to freeze it, or I have to prepare in advance. Yesterday I made 2 different beef dishes. The first is here. The recipe below is modified from a Food Network Recipe by Sunny Anderson. I modified to first double the recipe so I can freeze some, and to work with ingredients I had in the pantry. When I finished I had 3 bags to freeze. They contained the following meatloaves per bag: 4, 6, 7. This is perfect for small meals or larger.

PAN FRIED MEATLOAF IN PEPPERS

Ingredients

• 6 green peppers (I ended up needing 7)
• 2 lbs. ground lean beef
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2 (28-ounce) cans Hunts diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (1 to be used now and 1 for when final meal is cooked)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 egg2
• 2 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
• A few dashes Worcestershire sauce - 6 dashes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove core and seeds from peppers. Slice into 1 inch rings and place on nonstick baking sheet. You should get about 3 rings per pepper. In a large bowl mix together beef, bread, 1 can of the tomatoes, garlic, egg, onion, chopped sage, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Press meatloaf mixture evenly into pepper rings. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Saute meatloaf rings on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Add remaining tomatoes to skillet and bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

To Freeze: Do not brown. Transfer after preparation immediately to a freezer bag. Freeze for 3 months. Once ready to serve thaw in the fridge. Follow above directions.

Ravioli Bale - Freezer Friendz Meal

I found this wonder site via Facebook (of course). Freezer Friendz is a group that each compiles recipes for the month. There are also some great tips. I will begin stocking my freezer in about a week so now if the time to get the recipes out and buy items on sale. This recipe is from an April post and I will be making this in about 2 weeks when I start my meals.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Ravioli Bake by Jen

Ingredients:
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce, you may need more sauce depending on your taste.
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated or frozen cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Assembly: Brown ground beef. Combine first 4 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; toss to coat. Cover with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil.

To Eat On Assembly Day: Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef then combine first 4 ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; toss to coat. Cover. Bake 50 min. or until ravioli is tender. Top with cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

Special Extra: You can also use frozen ravioli - no need to thaw. For a delicious flavor twist, stir 1 Tbsp. pesto or 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil into the hot baked ravioli before topping with cheese.

Freezer Friendz: Thaw, bake covered 50 mins. Top with cheese and let stand 5 mins. or until cheese is melted.

Freezer Recipes - Rachel Ray's Top 20

Where do I go to search for great freezer recipes? Everywhere. This month on Rachael Ray's magazine site she has her 20 favorite freezer friendly meals posted. Try some out and let me know what you think. Follow the link to get to them.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/special-recipe-collections/top-20-freezable-recipes

Colorful Chicken Casserole

This is another recipe from Taste of Home: Freezer Pleasers. I did cube the chicken as the recipe states, but I would almost think large shreds would be better. We also left out the corn and it was just as good. This recipe originally called for a jar of mushrooms. I felt this was a bit much. This recipe makes 2 casseroles that serve 4- 5 people each.

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. chopped green (bell) pepper

3/4 c. chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. frozen corn

1 c. frozen peas

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 c. cubed chicken (I prefer shredded), cooked

1 package (7 oz.) spaghetti or elbow macaroni (we used 8 oz. mac and then 8 oz. corkscrew)

1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Saute' celery, green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, corn (if desired), peas, salt and pepper. Heat through. Stir in chicken and pasta. Divide between two 2-quart baking dishes coated with cooking spray.

Cover and freeze one casserole up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

To cook the frozen casserole let sit on counter for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until heated through. This can vary if your freezer is super cold.

Texas Potatoes

Here are two recipes for Texas Potatoes. My mother-in-law fixes this MANY times a year. The first version is from her mom, and the second she has altered a bit. We do prefer the second. I have to say I like to have it with extra cornflakes and butter. Coming tomorrow...my mom's Cheesy Veggie Soup.

Texas Potatoes - Elinor Bradley

4 lbs. shredded or cubes hashbrowns, thawed (we use the cubed)

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. butter (for topping)

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped onion (or more)

1-2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1 carton sour cream

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix together in 9x13 casserole . Top with corn flakes. Drizzle with 1/4 c. melted butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Texas Potatoes Divine - Susan Bradley Dube

2 28 oz. bags Ore Ida frozen Potatoes O'Brian (if you can not find this you add onions and bell pepper)

26 oz. can cream of chicken soup

16 oz. sour cream

2 cups corn flakes

1/2 c. melted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above 4 ingredients and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with 2 cups crushed cornflakes mixed with 1/2 c. melted butter.

Bake at uncovered at 350 degrees for at least one hour.

You can freeze this dish for probably a month or two. Just thaw in the fridge before baking.

Baked Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

Pesto can be expensive. Basil plants grow really well and can grow very large. If you can keep plants alive think about making your own pesto and freezing in ice cube trays.

Nonstick cooking spray

2 pounds Frozen Cheese Ravioli

1 pound cooked chicken breasts 1/2 inch slices

2 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds (on sale lately)

2/3 cup chicken broth (This week BOGO at Publix)

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup (I bought a small jar) store-bought basil pesto sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Spray one 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

I actually put it into two of the smaller square baking dishes. We have 2 adults and one child who eats. I am able to make this meal and have leftovers for lunch.

Directions:

Combine the ravioli, chicken, chicken broth, zucchini, bell pepper, scallions, pesto, salt,

pepper, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Stir gently to mix the ingredients. If you are

preparing a triple batch, divide the remainder equally between two resealable freezer bags.

Preheat the oven to 350◦F. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours or

until bubbly.

To freeze

Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before baking as

directed above.

This was modified from the Dream Dinners Cookbook

Rosemary Chicken Penne

This recipe was adapted from the Dream Dinners cookbook

1 pound diced cooked chicken

1 pound penne pasta (cook according to package instructions

1 cup (4 ounces) low-fat shredded cheese blend (Italian cheeses make sure to add Parmesan)

1/2 cup yellow onion(s), diced

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups nonfat milk

1 15-ounce can(s) Cream of Mushroom soup

Recipe says to spray one (three) 9 x 13-inch baking dish(es) with nonstick cooking spray. I actually stored in 2 one gallon freezer bags

Putting the pasta together

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to two

resealable freezer bag

For dinner tonight

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the contents of a bag into the prepared baking dish and

cover with foil. Bake for 1 to 1 º hours. Or, place in a crock pot, set on low heat, and cook

for 5 to 6 hours.

To freeze

Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as

directed above.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings - (Cara's note: I split this into two smaller casseroles. Eat one and freeze one.)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles (Cara's note - I use mild Rotel. The original is too spicy for the kids)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided (I use a ton more. Create a pretty thick topping.)

Preparation

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 2 months, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2000

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bacon

I bought a new freezer meals cookbook this week and just had to try out some recipes. Here is one. I have altered it so the Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers cookbook was the inspiration.

You will need:

I lb. of bacon

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Cut the bacon pieces in half and dip in the mixture. Twist the pieces as you place them on your sheet. Cook for 20 minutes. Take out of the over and get rid of grease. Turn the pieces over. Cook for another 5 minutes. Let cool and them place in freezer containers for up to a month. Microwave to reheat.