This was another meal from my freezer swap and we really liked these! They had a great flavor and are very versatile. We were given 6 chicken breasts and only used 3 so I plan to serve the other 3 on Sunday and make spaghetti to go with them more like a traditional chicken parmesan meal (we had it with rice and green beans last night).
Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 chicken breasts)
1/3 bottle of Italian salad dressing
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 c dry bread crumbs (used Seasoned Italian bread crumbs)
1 1/2 T parsley flakes
1/2 T paprika
Salt & Pepper
Assembly Directions:
Marinate chicken in dressing overnight.
Mix the remaining ingredients and bread each breast with coating.
To Freeze:
Lay chicken breasts side by side on baking sheets and place in freezer for 1 to 2 hours to firm up. Place chicken in labeled gallon size Freezer Bag and freeze.
Cooking Directions:
Thaw & bake at 350 uncovered for 30 minutes or until done.
Parsley Parmesan Chicken (Freezer Meal)
Alisa's Mexican Pulled Pork
This meat was SO good!!! Thanks to Alisa for making it for us and for sending me the recipe below so I can try it on my own sometime. I LOVED it!!!
Ingredients & Directions:
- 1 Pork Loin
*You can find these at HEB already marinated or you can buy just the plain ones
*This usually goes on sale every couple of months and can be easily stored raw in the freezer for quite a while
- Put the pork loin on your oven broiler tray and broil for 20-40 mins at 400 degrees until browned (The longer you cook it in the over the quicker it will cook in the crock pot, but the crock pot makes the meat tender).
- Slice into the meat in several places. Put browned meat into the crock pot and add tomato sauce until covered (if you like your meat extra saucy add more).
- Add onions, garlic, adobo seasoning (Goya makes a good one), chili powder, salsa, and cumin all according to your tastes. You could also just add a can of canned enchilada sauce or tomato sauce and a packet of taco seasoning.
- Let the meat cook for several hours (at least 4 or 5, but you can leave it in on low all day long) Stir and check fluid levels every couple of hours.
- Slice and tear with fork when tender. You know the meat is completely done when it shreds easily with a fork.
- Meat can be used for tacos, enchiladas, nachos or anything else Mexican. I usually make more than we need. I freeze half it and then keep the rest for various Mexican meals through out thought the week.
Mckell's Potato Soup
SOOOOO good! And I have had many versions of potato soup :-). Thanks Mckell...and thanks for sending me the recipe too!
Ingredients and Directions:
10-12 potatoes peeled and diced, put in pot.
1 small to medium onion diced, put in pot.
Fill pot with 1/2 chicken stock 1/2 water just to the top of the potatoes. Boil until potatoes are fork tender.
In large skillet melt one stick butter then 6-8 Tbl. flour to make a rue. Once butter/flour have cooked for about 2 minutes whisk in milk until a creamy texture (add more for thinner soup, less for thicker).
Turn heat to med/low.
Add 1 can cream of celery soup and whisk until combined.
Add one 8 oz. package cream cheese (I just plop it in and stir it around until combined with no lumps).
Now add 2 cups cheddar cheese.
Once potatoes are done, add the cheesy mixture to the potato/onion/chicken stock pot.
Mix all together then add 1-2 lb. bacon, depending on how much you like bacon!
BBQ Spare Ribs (Freezer Meal)
I am admittedly not the biggest ribs fan - it seems like an awful lot of work to eat a small amount of meat...but that is the part of the beauty of the freezer meal swap...you get things you don't typically make and Mike was in heaven. The sauce had a great flavor and Ella requested that I make this again because she "LOVES this meat!"
Ingredients:
Boneless Pork Spareribs
1 c ketchup
2 c water
1/4 c worcestershire sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 t salt
1 t celery salt
1 t chili powder
1/4 c brown sugar
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients and boil for 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Place ribs in freezer bag and pour 2 cup of sauce over ribs. Lay
flat to freeze
3. To serve, thaw and bake at 350° for 1 hour (or 300°-325° for 2-3 hours)
. Baste ribs while baking.
Swiss Steak
After doing a little search online it looks like there are hundreds of variations of what "swiss steak" is. This is Mike's mom's recipe and I'm excited to finally have it...it's one of his favorites! She made us a double-batch before leaving so I was able to freeze part of it for later!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. round steak, cut in thin strips
- flour or rice flour
- oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- water and beef bouillon as wanted
Directions:
- Get meat slices wet and then coat in flour of choice.
- Heat oil in pan and add meat. Brown on both sides, flipping over like pancakes when switching.
- Add the garlic and onion to the meat mixture and mix up.
- Add tomatoes and let simmer down on low, about 2 hours, scraping bottom of pan every 30 minutes.
- Add water (about 4 oz) and beef bouillon to get sauce to desired consistency and taste.
- Serve over rice with peas or green beans on the side.
Meema's Pork Chops
I was starving and quickly cut up my meat to start eating before I remembered I wanted to save this recipe, so this is Mike's man-sized portion :-). Mike's mom made these for us our second night home from the hospital and they were delicious...and easy to make too. Pork chops are a fun change in our house since I don't prepare them very often and the girls ate every bite!
(she doubled this and used a family size can of creamed soup)
Ingredients:
-4 thin cut pork chops
-Pappy's seasoning (it's an all-purpose barbecue seasoning but something similar would work just as well...this is where most of the flavor comes from so be sure it's something you like)
-1 can cream of chicken soup (and some water)
Directions:-Sprinkle both sides of meat slices generously with seasoning and brown in some oil.
-Pour cream of chicken over the top (add water until it is a gravy consistency) and let simmer until meat is cooked through.
-Serve over rice.
Papa's Shredded Beef Tacos
Mike's dad made us these the night we brought Preston home so I wasn't thinking about taking pictures of the food, but these are SOOOO good! Shredded beef is one thing we have a hard time finding among all the Tex-Mex food in Houston so we have to make our own.
Ingredients:
-1 beef roast
-2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jar Pace salsa
Directions:
-Salt roast and brown it.
-Place in crock pot with garlic and salsa on low and let cook until it shreds easily.
Serving suggestions:
-Fry corn tortillas in oil and fold in half to create taco shells and then serve with your favorite toppings. We use Parmesan cheese instead of cheddar on these and it is delish!
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Pineapple and Red Onion
I decided to try this recipe from Jamie's Cookbook despite the fact that I'm not a fan of fruit in my dinners. I must admit I liked the bites I took without pineapple better, but even those with it were pretty dang good. I really liked the overall flavor of the dish...especially with some soy sauce on top.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 T vegetable oil
1 medium red onion (long, thin strips)
20oz can pineapple tidbits, drained and reserve some liquid
3 medium scallions (green parts: ¼" lengths & white parts: minced)
1 T garlic (minced)
1 T fresh ginger (minced)
1 recipe sweet and sour stir-fry sauce (see below)
Directions:
-Toss the chicken with the soy sauce and vinegar in a medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes, tossing once or twice.
-Heat skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 T oil and swirl it so the oil evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it just starts to shimmer and smoke.
-Drain the chicken and add it to the pan. Stir-fry until seared and about three-quarters cooked, 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Scrape the cooked chicken and all of the liquid into a bowl. Cover and keep warm.
-Let the pan come back up to temperature, 1 to 2 minutes. When it is hot, drizzle in 2 teaspoons oil. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the onions and stir-fry until just tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook 1 minute. Add the scallion greens and cook 15 to 30 seconds.
-Clear the center of the pan and add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon oil. Mash into the pan with the back of a spatula. Cook until fragrant but not colored. Remove the pan from heat and stir the scallions, garlic, and ginger into the vegetables for 20 seconds.
-Return the pan to the heat and add the cooked chicken. Stir in the sauce and stir-fry until the ingredients are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with rice.
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
3 T red wine vinegar
3 T sugar
1 ½ T tomato sauce
1 ½ T pineapple juice
¼ t salt
*Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole
I found this recipe on Three on Food and thought it looked like something we would all like. I reduced the butter by A LOT and thought it was really good. Mike especially loved it...even with all the corn :-)!
Ingredients:
1 Box Yellow Rice (I used a 10oz. bag)
1 Stick Margarine (I used 2 T., 1 in rice and 1 for chicken)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup (I used 98% FF)
1-2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken (I used 1 breast because I'm getting low on my canned chicken)
1 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions.
Fry your chicken in some butter and set aside (I seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic salt).
Saute your onion in the same skillet as the chicken bits.
Add rice and all other ingredients, except for 1/2 C of cheese, into a bowl and stir until well combined.
Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min, or until bubbly.
Chicken Curry in a Hurry (Freezer Meal)
This was DELICIOUS!!! Definitely my favorite of our freezer meals so far (and it isn't designed as a freezer meal, so just make it the same night you are going to eat it if desired). I don't think I toasted my coconut quite long enough, as I've never done it before, but it still tasted great! I would definitely make this again on my own! Thanks Cathy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 T veg oil
1 med onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 (12-14 oz can) coconut milk
1 c canned diced tomatoes (I always just use a whole can)
2 T Tomato paste (I often skip this if I don't have any)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (or you can use a can of chicken)
3 packed cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 or 2 cans garbanzo beans
1/2 c. toasted coconut
Directions:
-Heat oil over med heat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until soft, about 7 min. Add curry and stir one more minute
-Stir in cocnut milk, tomatoes and paste and cook another 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
-Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes until meat is cooked (sometimes I cook the meat beforehand- that's okay too). Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve with rice.
To toast coconut, place on a cookie sheet in 300 oven and watch closely. Cook until golden, just a few minutes. This adds so much flavor to the dish and is my favorite part. Serve curry over rice- we love basmati!
Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
This recipe comes from The Sisters' Cafe and I LOVED it. It was warm and gooey and delicious :-)! We served it with some Mexican Rice and called it a night. I loved that I didn't have to chop anything since I used the canned chicken...it was SUPER easy!
Ingredients:
2 cups diced chicken breast meat (I used one can chicken)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander (I didn't have but put a shake of chili powder and garlic salt in)
2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce – MILD
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (8 oz) container low fat sour cream (I used FF)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Sauté chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chili peppers.
Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream.
Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.
Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove the cover, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Green Curry Chicken
I found this recipe on The Sisters' Cafe and have been so excited to try it. It was just what I needed tonight. I LOVED it! It is on the sweet side but can easily be spiced up a little with some extra curry and some red pepper.
Ingredients:
1-1.5 pounds chicken breasts
crushed garlic
olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped on a diagonal
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans coconut milk
1 Tb green curry paste
3 Tb sugar
cornstarch
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime wedges
Directions:
Cut up chicken and fry in garlic and olive oil. Set aside. Stir fry carrots, celery and onion in garlic and olive oil - about 5 minutes or until onions are mostly cooked. (Don't over cook - you want the carrots slightly crispy) Mix together with chicken in a big pot and pour the coconut milk over. Stir in the green curry paste and sugar. When it comes to a boil thicken with a little cornstarch. If you want more sauce, add some chicken broth to the consistency you desire...do not add too much broth or it will dilute the coconut flavor too much. Serve over rice and top with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
Chicken Spinach Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Mckell made this AMAZING salad for Preston's shower...and even gave me the leftovers :-)! She and her mom made it up and here is what you throw in it...
Ingredients:
- baby spinach
- grilled chicken
- bow tie pasta
- pesto
- feta cheese
- toffee glazed almond accents
- diced tomatoes
- make the dressing by mixing equal parts Italian dressing and Caesar dressing
Grandma's Punch
This punch is really pretty (and delicious) but I failed to take a picture of it...sorry!
Ingredients:
Mix together...
46 oz. pineapple juice
6 oz frozen lime juice
12 oz frozen lemonade
12 oz frozen orange juice
1 qt. ginger ale
1 qt. club soda
16 oz frozen strawberries
Sliced lemons
Sugar to taste (optional); We used maybe 1/2 cup last night
Sweet Bacon Wrapped Lit'l Smokies
Ingredients:
-Lit'l Smokies
-bacon
-brown sugar
Directions:
-Wrap 1/3 piece bacon around each lit'l smokie, using a toothpick to hold in place.
-Sprinkle with brown sugar (Amy said she uses 3/4 lb) and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
