January rsvp

RSVP here for January 6th, 7 pm church...

Chili for the crockpot

8 ounces Safeway italian sausage
2 cup (2 large) chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
4-6 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. In crockpot, combine meat mixture, undrained tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil and pepper. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hoursor on high-heatsetting for 4-5 hours.
Makes about 10 cups (8 main-dish servings).

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

8 white bread slices, cut into cubes

1 pound bulk pork sausage, crumbled and cooked

2 cups grated medium cheddar

10 large eggs

2 cups whole milk (do not use lowfat or nonfat)

1 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper

Thyme

Rosemary

Preparation

Grease 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Place bread in prepared dish. Top with sausage and cheese. Beat together eggs and next ingredients. Season with pepper. Pour over sausage mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole until puffed and center is set, about 50 minutes. Cut into squares.

Frozen Preparation

Defrost. Bake at 350°F for about an hour.

Taco Salad

1# ground beef
taco seasoning
1 bag salad mix
1 can kidney beans or black beans
sliced olives
tortilla chips
cheese
sauce*

Sauce:
mix equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, season to taste with extra taco seasoning mix

Brown meat, add taco seasoning according to pkg directions. Let cool. Combine and stir together salad mix, drained beans, olives, and meat. Toss with sauce. Add cheese and crushed tortilla chips before serving.

Frozen Instructions:
thaw taco meat
mix together as little or as much as you want.

Crockpot stew

1can cream of mushroom soup
1pkg onion soup mix
1 can water
Fresh herbs
Onion
Carrots
Potatoes (previously roasted so they can be frozen)
Stew meat

Mix altogether in crock pot.

If frozen, thaw and cook on low all day. Check liquid level towards the end of cooking add more water or white wine if necessary. If you like thick stew make a roué of 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup flour, mix together and add to Crockpot about an hour before finished cooking.

Egg and Sausage Casserole

Egg & Sausage Casserole presented by Bar Fifty Ranch Bed & Breakfast
4 slices of bread 2 lbs sausage, cooked & drained 2 cups grated longhorn cheese 4 eggs 2 cups milk 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dry mustard Pepper to taste Layer bottom of casserole dish with bread pinched into pieces. Top with cooked and drained sausage. Top with cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper and dry mustard together and pour over cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Excellent when mixed together and refrigerated overnight before baking. From frozen: thaw fully a day in advance and bake according to recipe.

Sesame Chicken Fingers

Prep 13 min
Cook: 15 min

1/3 cup stone-ground mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 TBSP lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 lb skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
coooking spray

1.  Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow bowl
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.  Combine sesame seeds and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.  Dip one-forth of chicken in egg whites, and dredge in sesame seed mixture; repeat procedure with remaining chicken, egg whites, and sesame seed mixture.
4. Arrange chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 min, turning once.  Serve chicken with mustard mixture. 

From The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, 2000

Frozen mamas:
Bag 1: egg whites
Bag 2: sesame seed/bread crumb mixture
Bag 3: Chicken
Bag 4: mustard mixture

Follow above directions, omitting step 2 (since I've already done that for you). I used panko bread crumbs instead of regular.

December 9th RSVP

Time to RSVP again! We will exchange before the cookie exchange on Thursday, December 9th, so at 6:45 in room 7/8.

Let us know, yes or no and what you will make.

Martha Stewart Pie Crust

This is my goto pie crust recipe

Martha Stewart/Everyday Foods Pie Crust

http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/making-pie-crusts

Food Processor or Kitchen Aid Mixer version

Makes enough for 2 single-crust pies or 1 double-crust fold-over pie.

1. In a food processor or Kitchen Aid Mixer, pulse 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

2. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining.

3. Add 1/4 cup ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (If needed, add up to 4 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not overmix.

4. Turn out onto a work surface; knead once or twice, until dough comes together. Chill.

It can also be made without a food processor . . .

1. To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.

3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

1 9 in pie shell, thawed
1 cup cubed ham
3/4 cup minced onion
2 TBSP butter
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
6 oz swiss cheese, shredded

Bake pie shell 3 min at 375.  Saute ham and onion in butter. Combine and beat eggs, half and half, and salt.  Spread ham and onions in baked pie shell, pour in egg mixture.  Sprinkle the swiss cheese over egg mixture.  Place pie on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 45 min or until knife comes out clean.  Serve hot or rooom temperature.

Pie crust - I used homemade pie crust and found that I needed to blind bake it for 15 min before filling. I use Martha Stewart's recipe which I will post separately.

Quiche recipe is from Deanna Duskin and is found in the Shoreline Covenant Church Cookbook, Taste and See that the Lord is Good, 2004, pg 67


Frozen Mamas:  thaw and bake at 375 for 45 min

Caribbean Dump Chicken

1/2 large can of pineapple chunks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup orange juice

3 chicken leg quarters

Dump everything in a large one gallon freezer food storage bag and lay flat to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Pour everything in a 13x9 casserole dish and bake at 350-375 degrees F for an hour. Adjust the cooking time if you are using boneless chicken, 30-40 minutes.

Serve with Organic Brown Basmati Rice: prepare on stovetop or in rice-cooker. RINSE RICE FIRST. 1 Cup rice to 2 1/2 C. water.

Red and White Tortellini

• Ingredients:

• 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini, uncooked
• 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
• 12 oz. jar Alfredo four cheese sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ~20 meatballs

• Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 3 quart glass baking dish, mix tortellini, spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Make sure all tortellini is coated with sauce. Drop Alfredo cheese sauce by spoonfuls over casserole. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, until tortellini is tender. Serves 8

Frozen instructions:

Defrost in refrigerator. Spread red sauce, tortellini and meatballs in casserole dish. Spread white sauce and cheese on top (doesn't have to be perfect). Follow heating instructions above.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 12 oz salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning

Place chicken in a slow cooker. Top with salsa and taco seasoning then cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortillas and taco fixings.

From frozen state:
Thaw(although have many of times stuck frozen chicken in my crock pot!) put chicken in crock pot, top with the baggy of salsa and taco seasoning mixture, and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Shred the chicken with a fork when cooking time is up serve with taco shell provided, and top with your favorite taco fixings!

Taco shells: sorry ladies, I sent my husband to the store for the shells that you cook but unfortunately he came home with different ones. So here is a tip we do at our house; we warm ours up on the stove top in our frying pan, that way they are nice and toasty!-After tasting these shells we didn't love them, sorry! We wouldn't buy these again!

Recipe taken from Better Recipes Website
Submitted by Jodi Carney

Samuelson Meatloaf

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cup bread cubes
1 egg
1 small onion
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 T yellow mustard
1 t salt
8 oz tomato sauce

reserve 1/4c cheese for top. Mix remaining ingredients except tomato sauce and shape into loaf. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Pour off drippings, pour tomato sauce over loaf and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake 30 min longer.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1# hamburger
1/2# ground pork
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
handful of oats
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 C worcestershire sauce

Mix all together, place into loaf pan. Bake 350° for 1 1/2 hours

Topping:
1/2 C ketchup
2 TBSP brown sugar

Mix together, spread on top of meatloaf the last 30 minutes of baking.

Frozen Instructions:
Thaw and bake as instructed above

Crock Pot Applesauce Chicken

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breast halves
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1 T. dried onion flakes (or 1 yellow onion, finely chopped)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red peppar flakes, optional. (I did not add these to your meal, but they are provided if you would like the extra heat)

Mix all ingredients, except for the chicken. Place chicken in a crock pot and pour the mixture on top. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
Can serve with rice - or the veggies I provided.
from the blog: A year of Slow Cooking

October RSVP

Believe it or not it is time to RSVP for October, next Thursday the 28th. Let us know if you are in or out!

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 tub herb cream cheese
1 can mushroom soup
1 envelope italian salad dressing mix, dry
1/3 c water

Mix together, pour over chicken and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours.

If frozen, defrost first.

Hot Potato Salad with Sausage

8-10 medium yukon gold potatoes
1 stick butter
1/4 cup dijion mustard
1/4 cup capers
4 tsp fresh dill
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 links chicken sausage, sliced
3/4 cup parmesean cheese, shredded

Boil potatoes, drain, cool, peel, then slice.  Arrange potatoes and sausage in layers in a baking dish.  Melt butter with mustard, capers, dill, chicken broth to make a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over potatoes/sausage.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 375 for 30 min.

Based on a recipe by Joan Archer from Shoreline Covenant Church

Freezer Kit
Bag 1 - sauce
Bag 2 - cheese
Pan - layer potatoes/sausage in foil pan, place Bag 1 & 2 on top of potatoes/sausage, cover with foil

Frozen Mamas
Thaw, pour sauce over potatoes/sausage, sprinkle with cheese, bake at 375 for 30 min

Chicken Fettuccine

2 Sticks Butter (use salted butter-I forgot, so make sure and either put salt in your sauce or salt to taste.)
1 pint half and half
5 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Parmesan Cheese
Chicken pieces
Penne noodles

Melt butter add garlic, half and half and 1/2 cheese. Warm through and then add nutmeg, once nutmeg is dissolved add your chicken. Keep on low/medium don't let boil or stick to pan it will burn! I stir continuously! Boil noodles while sauce is heating, drain noodles and pour sauce over noodles put back on burner on low, mix all together and the other 1/2 of cheese and let sit for just a few minutes. It will be a little liquidy but after a few minutes it will come together! Enjoy!

From frozen state: Thaw chicken, you can thaw sauce or do from a partially frozen state(that is how I did it!) Melt all the sauce package ingredients together, stirring constantly. (Boil your noodles at the same time.) Once sauce is melted add half the cheese package, save rest for later, melt through and then add chicken. Heat till chicken is warm and sauce is warm. Once noodles are done add the two together and the other 1/2 of cheese and put back on burner on low for a few minutes as it all comes together! Enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti
1# bacon
3 TBSP butter
3/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
parsley
black pepper

Cook spaghetti, and drain. While spaghetti cooks, fry bacon until desired crispness, drain on paper towels. Clean pan of all bacon drippings. Melt butter and saute onions. When the onions are still somewhat crisp, move them to one side of the pan, and add spaghetti. Move onions to the top of spaghetti. Put 1/2 the cheese on top, then drizzle the beaten eggs over all. Toss with 2 forks and continue cooking on medium low heat. The eggs and cheese mixture will coat the spaghetti. When dry, add the bacon and toss to warm. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top, and add parsley for color and black pepper to taste.

September RSVP

RSVP here for September. We will meet Thursday, Sept 30th at 7pm, church...

Pineapple Meatballs

Frozen Meatballs
1 cup your choice Teriyaki sauce (I used a big bottle from Costco)
1 cup water
1 can pineapple

Stir Fry Veggies
Rice (1 1/2 cups)

Heat meatballs and sauce in sauce pan until warm or on low in crockpot 6-8 hours. Stir fry veggies and cook rice to desired doneness.

Serve meatballs and veggies over rice.

Slow-cooked Pork Tacos

Take pork roast (I buy the 4-pack from Costco) and place in Crock Pot
Cover with a generous amount of salsa (I use the Kirkland brand Organic Salsa)
Slow cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours
When it is done cooking, shred pork with a fork
Serve shredded pork with flour tortillas

I usually garnish with cilantro, cheese, sour cream, cabbage, whatever I have :)

To use frozen:
Thaw in refrigerator (takes two days to thaw)
Place contents of the bag in Crock Pot and slow-cook
Serve with tortillas

Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken (Cancer Chicken)

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons margarine, melted


Combine all ingredients except margarine. Marinate, covered, 2 hours of overnight in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain chicken and coat with Bread Crumb Coating (recipe follows). Place on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and chill for 1 hour (if time permits). Drizzle chicken with margarine. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender and golden brown.

Bread Crumb Coating
2 cups dry bread crumbs or
Italian bread crumbs 1/4 grated Parmesan Cheese


From the Freezer--I defrosted and baked for 55minutes. I really enjoyed this chicken and plan on serving it for my Scrapp'n Retreat.

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken

Chicken

Raspberry Chipotle Marinade

Rice

Cooking Instructions

Completely defrost chicken, allowing time for the marinade to make an impact. Cook on the grill or bake in the oven for ~45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook rice separately, combine with 3 cups water, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer. Add lid to pot. Cook for 18-20 minutes. Combine with cooked chicken. I recommend serving it with roasted cauliflower because that is my go-to vegetable these days. :)

Crockpot Chicken with Dijon Mustard

• 4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves (I used frozen breasts)
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 can 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• dash black pepper

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry; place in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over the chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Crock pot chicken Dijon serves 4-6

Serving suggestions: good served over rice, or noodles. (from website users)
I did forget to dash a few of the bags with black pepper sorry! (You may want to pepper yours!)

By Diana Rattray, About.com Guide

August RSVP

August is here already! Our next exchange will be pushed back to August 26th so that we have food in the fridge for the crazy weeks following the start of school, that way we won't have to figure out how to exchange meals while everything is starting up again.

RSVP in or out for the 26th and what you might make...

Brats and Beans

Calico Beans
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bacon-fried crisp
1 onion
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
15 oz pork and beans
15 oz butter beans - drained
15 oz kidney beans - drained

Cook meat, onion and stir in cooked bacon, drain and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and bake 1 hour at 350.

FROM FROZEN: Defrost and reheat on stove top for 20 min or bake in oven for 1 hour or heat in crockpot for 4 hours on low.

BRATS: Deforst and then BBQ until internal temp is 160.

French Dip Sandwiches

Roast Beef
Baguettes
au jus dip
Horseradish sauce

Prepare your au jus dip as directed on package. Then warm your meat in your au jus dip on the stove. Toast your baugette, and then spread some horseradish sauce on it. Then pull your meat(one sandwich at a time-to ensure that your meat stays warm!)out of the au jus and place on your roll. Once all your sandwiches are done, spoon out your au jus dip into bowls, and dip your sandwiches into the au jus as you eat.(Like I need to tell you that!)

Thai Beef Skewers

1 pound top sirloin or top round

Marinade:
1/4 c soy sauce
2 TBSP sesame oil
green onions
crushed garlic
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp rice vinegar
black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Slice meat into thin strips. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Pour marinade over sliced meat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally during marinating.

Remove from marinade. Alternately thread uncooked beef onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water. Weave skewer in and out of meat to create a serpentine effect. Grill skewers 1-2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

** We like to put a strip of meat on a lettuce leaf topped with peanut sauce and then roll up to eat with our fingers.

From Frozen: Thaw meat and follow above instructions.

July RSVP?

Anyone want to exchange this month? It is on the calendar for next Thursday, July 15th. If we don't get more than 4 we will pass until August...Please reply with an in or out!

Gary's Roast

2 lbs chuck roast
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup catalina dressing
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 T worcestershire sauce

Add all to a ziplock bag and marinade over night.

FROM FROZEN: Thaw and then cook on med-high BBQ for 45-60 minutes. Baste with leftover sauce as you cook and turn. You can use the remaining sauce for dipping if you boil it. I have never baked in the over or cooked in the crockpot, but I am sure you could do it!

Bacon and Prawn Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 7 ounces macaroni or penne pasta
• 10 slices bacon, chopped
• 15-20 of cooked prawns, tails off
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cook bacon and chop it, set aside
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
4. In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, cook onion until transparent, about 10 minutes. Add butter and cook until melted. Stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni, cooked bacon, cooked prawns and Cheddar cheese.
5. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Frozen Directions

Defrost. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Twice Baked Potatoes and Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin

Potatoes
Butter - melted
Sour Cream
Sharp Cheddar Cheese - grated
Green Onions - chopped
Salt and Pepper

Wash and dry potatoes. Rub a tad of shortening over skin. Bake until soft. Cool.
Cut a thin lengthwise slice from each cooled potato; scoop out inside, leaving a thin shell.
Mash potato, pour in desired amount of melted butter, sour cream, cheese, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Fill shells with potato mixture. Bake uncovered 350° to 375° 20-30 minutes or until filling is hot and golden brown.

Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin
Thaw and grill or bake according to package directions

Frozen instructions:
Potatoes - thaw and bake as instructed above or if frozen, bake for approx. 1 hour.

Honey Lime Chicken

Honey Lime Chicken Freezer Recipe

5 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup honey

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice and honey, stirring well. Put chicken in a ziploc bag or freezer container and pour sauce over top. Refrigerate for about 1 hr( I didn't do this; I turned them in the freezer), turning every 15-20 minutes. Place container or bag in freezer.

To cook:
Thaw chicken in refrigerator over night. Remove chicken from marinade and barbeque on the grill, or cook in the oven at 350F for 35-45 minutes (time will vary depending on chicken) until juices run clear and thermometer registers 165F.

Recipe taken from momsbudget.com

Chicken and Provolone Stuffed Focaccia

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cups warm fat-free milk (105° to 115°)
3 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
1 cup semolina or pasta flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
8 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese, divided
8 ounces thinly sliced chicken deli meat, divided
Additions of your choice (sundried tomatoes, artickoke hearts, pesto)

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir in 3 cups bread flour, semolina, oil, and salt to yeast mixture to form a stiff dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining bread flour, one tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down; divide dough ball in half.  Roll 1st half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Place 2 ounces cheese down the center of the short length of dough; top with 2 ounces chicken and any other additions. Fold one short end of dough over filling. Place 2 ounces cheese, 2 ounces chicken, and other additions on top of fold. Fold remaining short end over filling, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat process with 2nd ball of dough.  Cover focaccia, and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Uncover dough. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

Adpated from a Cooking Light recipe for Prosciutto and Provolone Stuffed Focaccia, October 1998

Frozen Mamas - Thaw.  Reheat entire loaf wrapped in foil in oven until warm or heat individual slices in the microwave.

Cold Strawberry Soup

2 pints strawberries, washed and hulled
1 cup half and half (low-fat)
1 cup sour cream, plain or greek yogurt (low-fat)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

In a blender or food processor puree strawberries.  Pour into a large bowl and add half and half, sour cream/yogurt, sugar and lemon juice.  Stir until well combined.  Chill. Serve with garnish of mint leaves
Adapted from the Food Network

Frozen Mamas - thaw and serve chilled

June RSVP

Time to sign up for June! We will exchange on Thursday, June 10th at 7pm at church. RSVP to this post by June 6th if you would like to exchange meals.

I think we talked about trying to come up with meals that can go on the bbq or in the crockpot for the summer, easy and cool cooking! Let us know what you are making.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 cups salsa of your choice

2 T. brown sugar

Directions

Cook ground beef, add salsa and brown sugar.

Frozen directions

Defrost. Heat up ground beef (it is already cooked), lightly toast buns, combine.

Pot Pies

I doubled the recipe to feed: 8

Ingredients:

For mix: (put into 9x 13 pan)
Mix 2 cans of cream of potatoes
2 cans 10ounces each chicken (the original recipe called for 9 ounces)
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup of milk
black pepper

Topping
Mix: (stir together and pour over Chicken mixture)
1 cup of milk
2 cups of baking mix
2 eggs

BAKE: Defrosted--30 minutes or until topping is golden


For Frozen Mamas--Defrost, pour chicken mixture (bag 1 of 2) into a 9x13 pan, then pour bag 2 of 2 over the top and heat based on the instructions above.

Enjoy.

Teriyaki Pork Roast

2-3 lbs pork roast
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 t ground ginger

Combine marinade in bowl and poor over roast in a ziplock bag. Freeze or marinade for a couple of hours in fridge.

Thaw meat and bake at 350 for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until internal temp is 170 degrees. You can also crock pot this meat for 8 hours on low, just add a cup of water to the pot.

Wild Rice
1 1/2 cups of rice
1 1/2 cups of water
1 T butter

Heat rice, water and butter until boiling. Turn off heat and cook 20 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

Chicken Broccoli Almondine

1 pound broccoli
cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sherry
3 T butter
1/3 cup almonds

Layer broccoli and chicken in 9x13 pan. Toast almonds in butter, then stir in soup, sour cream and sherry. Pour over chicken and broccoli.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes covered.

Serve with rice.

Frozen Instructions:
Thaw and bake as instructed above.

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
(1) 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 small can of diced green chilies - use as much or as little as desired to taste
pepper, garlic powder, onion powder - all to taste
2+ cups Cheddar Jack cheese, shredded
8 flour tortillas

In a small pot, combine tomatoes, green chilies, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste and simmer until liquid is evaporated.

Spray skillet with a light coat of oil. Fry each side of the tortillas in the skillet, then place them on a cookie sheet. Top four tortillas with 1/4 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup tomato mixture and then another 1/4 cup of cheese. Top with second tortilla. Press gently and place in ziploc freezer bag.

ON COOKING DAY: DO NOT THAW!!!
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the individual quesadillas (total of 4) on the cookie sheet straight from the freezer
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted
4. Cut into wedges and serve with your favorite sides: spanish rice, refried beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, salad, etc.

Original recipe taken from http://www.momsbudget.com/freezerrecipes/chickenquesadillas.html

Old Spaghetti Factory's Spaghetti with Burnt Butter Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup mizithra cheese-Substituted Parmesan Cheese
pasta of choice

Directions:

There is a terrific dish served by The Old Spaghetti Factory chain, called Spaghetti with Browned Butter,. It is served topped with shredded Mizithra cheese (a Greek hard cheese). If mizithra is not available (I am able to easily locate it St. Louis at cheese shops and some supermarkets), a blend of ricotta salata and romano is suggested

Browned Butter Procedure: Cut 2 sticks of butter into 8 pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).

Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.

Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.

Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.

The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.

Boil the pasta of choice until Al Dente. Drain pasta and divide into four servings. Spread 1/4 cup of Mizithra over each pasta serving. Top with 1/4 cup of hot brown butter.(We found that was way too much butter, so we poured a couple of big spoonfuls, and topped with cheese).

Green Chile Pork

2-3 lbs Pork sirloin tip roast
1 cup Salsa verde (green salsa)
1 TBSP Garlic, minced
1 cup Water

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours or on low 10-12 hours until meat falls apart easily. Remove meat, shred and serve in flatbread, tortillas, or tacos.  For those who want extra spicy meat, strain the cooking liquid remaining in the slow cooker so you are left with a broth that you can drizzle over the meat. 

Freezer Kit
Bag 1 – Pork
Bag 2 – Salsa and garlic
Bag 3 – Uncooked flatbread discs (from Costco)

Preparation of Freezer Kit
Thaw entire kit. Combine pork and salsa and 1 cup water in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours or on low 10-12 hours until meat falls apart easily. Remove meat, shred, and serve in flatbread.  For those who want extra spicy meat, strain the cooking liquid remaining in the slow cooker so you are left with a broth that you can drizzle over the meat.

Cooking Flatbread
Preheat oven to broil. Place flatbread discs on cookie sheet in the middle of your oven.  They cook too fast and burn if you have them on the top rack.  Heat 2-3 min, watching them closely then flip over and heat until browned. I pop the bubbles when they form during cooking  Click on photo below if you want the "official" directions which are different than mine.

May Exchange RSVP

Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 6th at 7pm, church kitchen.

Please RSVP to this post by May 2nd if you are exchanging for this month.

Calzones

Dough - makes 4-5 calzones

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (105-115 degrees F)
• 2 1/4 teasponns (a 1/4 -ounce envelope) active dry yeast
• a pinch of sugar
• about 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and sugar over it. Let the mixture stand until it becomes slightly foamy, then stir it until the yeast dissolves. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the oil to the flour and stir until a soft dough forms.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle, but not so much that it becomes stiff and dry. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and springs back when pinched, about 10 minutes.
3. Lightly oil the inside of a large bowl. Place the dough i the bowl and turn it over once so that the top and bottom will be coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Flatten the dough with your fist. Cut it into 4-5 balls and roll out.

Filling

• Place a small amount of the sauce on half of the dough
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and/or other desired toppings on same half
• Fold dough over and crimp edges with fork
• Place calzone on a greased cookie sheet. You may also sprinkle cornmeal on the sheet to prevent sticking.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes
• Heat the remaining sauce in a small saucepan and use for dipping

To thaw dough, remove from bag and separate into individual pieces. You may need to spray oil onto the wax paper or parchment paper to keep it from sticking? The dough was frozen raw and is not cooked. Good luck! =)

Thai Chicken

Ingredients

• Mixed vegetables of your choosing
• 6 chicken thighs, skinless, sprinkled with salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• Juice and zest of one lime
• 1 finely chopped large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for sprinkling on top (optional)

Crock Pot Method Make sure everything is defrosted. Place chicken, sauce and vegetables (not rice) in crock pot. Add ground red pepper if you want it to have some kick (currently it is pretty mild). Cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours. Cook rice separately, combine with 1 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer. Add lid to pot. Cook for 18-20 minutes. Combine rice with chicken and vegetables and serve in bowls.

Oven Method Defrost chicken. Put chicken, sauce and vegetables in casserole dish. Add ground red pepper if you want it to have some kick (currently it is pretty mild). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cook rice separately, combine with 1 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer. Add lid to pot. Cook for 18-20 minutes. Combine rice with chicken and vegetables and serve in bowls.

Ham & Cheese Hash Browns

6 c. frozen hash browns
2 c. Ham, chopped
10 3/4 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
3/4 c. Sour Cream
1/4 c. Butter, melted
1/2 c. Milk
2 Tbsp. Onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Thoroughly combine all ingredients except the hash browns. Add hash browns to ham and cheese mixture and stir until all ingredients are well mixed, put in a greased 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Frozen Instructions:
Thaw, uncover, bake as directed.

French Dip Sandwiches

Roast Beef
Sandwich Rolls
au jus dip
Horseradish sauce

Prepare your au jus dip as directed on package. Then warm your meat in your au jus dip on the stove. Toast your rolls so they are nice and crispy, and then spread some horseradish sauce on it. Then pull your meat(one sandwich at a time-to ensure that your meat stays warm!)out of the au jus and place on your roll. Once all your sandwiches are done, spoon out your au jus dip into bowls, and dip your sandwiches into the au jus as you eat.(Like I need to tell you that!)

Ham Balls With Sweet & Sour Sauce

3 lbs ground ham (or 2 lbs ground pork and 1 1/2 lbs ground ham)
3 cups soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs

Blend these ingredients. Form balls about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 375° . Spoon over the following sauce.

Sauce:
1 small can pineapple juice (or juice from a 15 1/4 oz can pineapple drained)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
2 TBSP corn starch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp chili sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix together the pineapple juice and remaining ingredients. Stir until blended well. Cook stirring until thickened. Add pineapple chunks if desired. Spoon over ham balls. Serve with rice.

Frozen instructions:
Thaw ham balls and reheat in oven or microwave. Thaw sauce and reheat on stovetop.
Serve over cooked rice.

Notes:
We like ham balls plain without the sauce too. They make a nice side with scrambled eggs and waffles for dinner.

Sloppy Joe Pie

2 cups    Bisquick
2/3 cup   low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup   non-fat egg substitute
1 lb        ground turkey, cooked and drained
1            1-ounce pkg dry onion soup mix
1 cup     store-bought marinara sauce
1 cup     store-bought BBQ sauce
1 cup    grated cheese blend such as cheddar/jack/mozzarella

Putting the dinner together
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a bowl, combine the Bisquick, milk, and egg substitute and stir together until a soft ball forms.  Press the dough onto the bottom of the pan, covering as much of the bottom as possible.
In a separate large bowl, combine the ground turkey, onion soup mix, marinara, and BBQ sauce and stir until thoroughly incorporated.  Spread the mixture evenly over the dough in the pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.

For dinner tonight
Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Bake the pie for approximately 45 min, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

To freeze
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking as directed above. 

This is the Sloppy Joes Recipe from the Dream Dinners cookbook with some slight variations

London Broil and Stuffing

1 1/2 lbs of london broil
Marinade:
3 T dijion mustard
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp brown sugar
1 T sun dried tomato

1 pkg of stuffing mix

combine all marinade ingredients and meat in a ziplock bag. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or freeze.

Two methods of cooking: One is fancy and declicious and the other is quick and delicious!

1. Thaw meat. Remove steak from bag and toss marinade. Butterfly steak and score each side lightly. Make stuffing and spread stuffing over meat. Roll length wise like a jelly roll and tie with cooking string and 2 inch intervals. Brush meat with melted butter and place in a roasting pan on rack and bake uncovered for 65-75 minutes. Slice meat and toss string. (this is nice for a sit down meal)

2. Thaw meat. Remove steak from bag and toss marinade. Place meat on a hot grill and cook 15-25 minutes until it is done to your liking, turning half way. Mix stuffing according to directions and serve as a side. (we take this one camping)

Count is in for April!

Make 8 meals, bring 7 meals and keep one. We will give one of the 7 meals to the Haubs this month.

A few more pans left . . .

I've got 13 of the 9x13 pans/lids left, 45 cents per set.  Let me know if you need any, I can drop them off during preschool.

April exchange RSVP

Please leave a comment below this post to RSVP for the April 8th exchange. Give us an idea of what you might make too. RSVP due date is Saturday, April 3rd. No RSVP, no meals!

This month we also will be making an extra meal for the Haub family like we did last month for the Waddel family, so we should have around 8 meals to make.

Turkey Enchiladas with Sour Cream

• 3 cups shredded skinned cooked turkey (I use chicken)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used pre-packaged shredded Mexican blend cheese)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 jar salsa or enchilada sauce

1. In a bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, 2 cups shredded cheese, and the salt

2. Heat oil in an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over low heat. Dip the tortillas, one at a time, in the hot oil just until limp, about 5 seconds. (I use tongs to dip the tortillas and then place them on a plate full of paper towels to soak up the extra oil!)

3. Fill tortillas equally with turkey mixture, roll up, and arrange side by side, seam down, in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour salsa or enchilada sauce evenly over the top.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle more shredded cheese over hot enchiladas before serving.

NOTES:

The recipe is a great way to use up leftover holiday turkey, but if you don't have turkey on hand, shredded cooked chicken is a good substitute. Serve the enchiladas with your favorite Mexican side dishes!

Recipe taken from Sunset Magazine, January 2004

Chicken on Sunday

4 Chicken Breasts/few chicken tenders-Frozen-Whatever fits!
2 Cans Cream of Chicken
3 Cans of Milk
2 Cups of Rice-uncooked
1 Pkg of Onion Soup Mix

Put your rice in a 9x13, mix your soup with your 3 cans of milk(using a can from your cream of chicken). Pour over your rice and then plunk your chicken in the casserole dish making sure that they have been cover by the soup mixture as best as they can. Now take the onion soup mix shake it so it is all mixed up and cover the top of the casserole with the mix.(If you happen to have an extra mix on hand we think it is yummy to add it to the soup mixture-when thawed, or half the package and had half to the soup mixture and half to the top of the casserole.) Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Then take the foil off at 2 hours and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes depending on your oven. Make sure the rice is fluffy and the chicken is done. We call it Chicken on Sunday because mom and dad would put it in before we left for church on Sunday, and when we returned we would eat it!

To reheat:

Make sure you do not thaw chicken!
Just thaw the soup mixture.
Layer in a 9x13 casserole dish- rice, soup mixture, chicken, onion pkg, foil, 350 2 1/2 hour. See instruction above for full details about cooking.

Top Sirloin Stroganoff

1-2#'s top sirloin sliced
1/4 Cup flour
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cube butter
1 onion
2-4 cloves garlic
2 Cups water with 3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp dill weed
splash of worcestershire sauce

Coat meat with flour and garlic salt. Melt butter and saute' onion and garlic. Add meat and brown if desired. Add bouillon mixture, soup, dill weed , and worcestershire. Simmer for 45 min to an hour. Serve over rice or noodles.

If frozen: Thaw and reheat on stovetop

Ham and Cheese Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped 33%-less-sodium ham (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and ham. Combine buttermilk and egg whites, stirring with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 to 5 times with floured hands. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into but not through dough. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge). Pair with salad or soup for a light meal.

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

Freezing this recipe:
Bag 1 - dry ingredients (with butter already cut into them)
Bag 2 - ham and cheese
Bag 3 - liquid ingredients

Preparation from Frozen:
Thaw.  Mix bag of dry ingredients with ham/cheese then add liquid ingredients and stir just until moist. Then proceed with recipe.

Sausage Potato Bake

1 1/2 lb breakfast sausage
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 lb frozen hashbrowns
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese

Break apart and cook sausage. Add flour and milk. Cook until boiling and thick. Spread hashbrowns in greased 9X13 pan, layer potatoes and then cheese.

If frozen thaw and then Bake at 350 for 34 minutes.