Freezer Cooking: Bring on the Beef

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Christie

Freezer Cooking

Today I am excited to share with you some of my favorite beef recipes. All of them are perfect for freezing. To make things super easy for me I make a double batch – one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer. One mess, one clean-up!

Beef & Cheddar Pot Pie

Beef finished 2Meat Mixture

  • 1 small onion, diced finely
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Biscuit Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 T butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

View full instructions here.

Weeknight Beef Enchiladas

image(Recipe from Southern Living. Serves 4)

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup, undiluted
  • 1 (10 oz) can mild enchilada sauce (or homemade)
  • 8 (8-in) flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

View full instructions here.

The Best Sloppy Joes

imageRecipe from Chef in Training. People LOVE these…even those who say they don’t like sloppy joes!

  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Worcershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 8-12 hamburger buns

(I also like to sneak in vegetables into my meat mixture. Finely diced carrots, celery and zucchini work great. I like to use my Vitamix food processor to chop them)

Directions

  1. Cook onion and beef in a large skillet until beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the meat and place back into skillet.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients until meat is well coated. Bring to a boil. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened (about 4 minutes).
  3. Serve on warmed hamburger buns.

To freeze: Let cool and freeze in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator. Place mixture in a large saucepan and reheat over medium low heat until heated through.

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Weeknight Beef Enchiladas

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Christie

image

Years ago I came across a recipe from Southern Living for Weeknight Enchiladas. They were absolutely amazing and it has been my go-to recipe ever since. Give them a try and I’m sure they’ll be on your favorite list too!

Weeknight Beef Enchiladas

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup, undiluted
  • 1 (10 oz) can mild enchilada sauce
  • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

  1. Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain and return to skillet.
  2. Stir soup and enchilada sauce into meat mixture.
  3. Spread 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each tortillas; sprinkle tortillas evenly with 1 cup cheese. Roll up tortillas and place seam-side down in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour remaining meat mixture over tortillas.
  4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese, bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

If desired serve with sour cream, guacamole, rice and/or refried beans!

Freezer Instructions

Cover with sealable plastice wrap directly against the top of the enchiladas. Wrap with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If using a foil pan, I like to wrap a couple times. If using a reusable glass dish, place lid on over foil.

Before baking, remove lid, foil and plastic wrap. Then recover with foil.

To bake thawed:  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake as directed above.

To bake frozen: Bake 1 hour.

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What’s for Dinner…? Week 6

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Christie

What' for Dinner

 

Thursday: Weeknight Enchiladas with rice and guacamole

Friday:  Pizza and salad

Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday:  Ravioli with salad and garlic bread

Monday:  Barbecue Chicken with steamed broccoli, salad and mashed potatoes

Tuesday:  Crustless Broccoli Breakfast Quiche with fresh fruit

Wednesday:  Leftovers

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365 Days of Blessings: Days 49-51

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Christie

so blessed

Day 49: Monday

This one may sound a bit crazy, but it’s true! I’m blessed with a husband that is an excellent ear-drop administor. Since Friday night I’ve had medicine to put in my ears for the “swimmers ear” I was diagnosed with. Today was the first time I put them in my own ears, and it did not go so well. Each day though, my husband has double checked what time I needed the ear-drops. Most of the time he even brought them to me to put in. Since I have temporarily lost hearing in my ear, maybe he’s tired of hearing me say, “Huh? What did you say again!”…so he wants to ensure I heal quickly!

Day 50: Tuesday

I am thankful for a little boy that is happy even when he is sick. My son was diagnosed today with conjuntivitis in his eyes, nose and throat and it was heading towards his ears. He had a fever and even vomited twice. Yet he still was in a pleasant, happy mood for most of the day.

Day 51: Wednesday

IMG_0588 2Today I am thankful for a grandmother who is a prayer warrior.  She turns 85 today and I am so blessed to have her in my life. When I was younger she would have “Grandchildren of the Month” who she would pray for specifically. In church, she always asks the people that are sitting next to her, “How can I pray for you this week?” When there is an illness, hospitalization or some other concern with someone in our family, she will call one of us grandchildren to pray with us about it.  What an amazing example of a prayer warrior she is!

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Freezer Cooking: One Roast, Three Meals

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Christie

 Freezer Cooking -- 1

I love making roasts because we can get a few meals out of them. They are versatile, so I can turn the leftovers into a new dish at each meal. Today’s recipes are just that.

If you’re a smaller family, you can make the Shredded Savory Pork roast and then most likely have extra to do one or two of the other meals as well. Or, simply start with the Shredded Savory Pork and make it into Pulled BBQ Pork sandwiches or Pork Taco’s.

Not a pork eater? That’s okay! Use a beef roast instead and it will still taste great.

Looking for more easy freezer meals? Check them out here.

Meal 1 – Shredded Savory Pork

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook

  • 1 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder blade roast
  • 8 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • Hamburger Buns
  1. Trim fat from meat. In a small bowl combine garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Rub into the meat.
  2. Place meat in a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker. Add beef broth.
  3. Cover and cook on low-heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat for 4 to 5 hours.
  4. Remove meat from the liquid, discarding excess fat and reserving the liquid. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it using 2 forks. Place meat back into liquid.
  5. Serve on hamburger bun or kaiser rolls.

**Freezer Instructions: At this point I usually serve the Savory Shredded Pork for dinner. Depending on how big the roast was, I split the remaining pork into two containers for future meals and freeze.

Meal 2 – Shredded Barbecue Pork

  • 2 to 3 cups of Shredded Savory Pork
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup of Barbecue Sauce
  • Hamburger Buns

Optional: Bulk up the meat with vegetables like celery and/or zucchini, finely diced

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, mix shredded pork and barbecue sauce together until the meat is well-coated.
  2. Stir in vegetables. Add more barbecue sauce if needed.
  3. Heat the meat mixture over low-medium heat until heated through and vegetables are slightly softened.

Meal 3 – Shredded Pork Taco’s

imageRecipe from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

  • 2 cups Shredded Savory Pork
  • 8 taco shells or four 8 inch flour tortillas
  • 3/4 cup bottled salsa
  • 2 cups shredded lettuce
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese (2 ounces)

 

Optional Ingredients:  Sour Cream, 2 cups cooked rice and beans (the rice and beans will help make the meal stretch a little)

  1. Prepare Shredded Savory Pork. Place taco shells on a baking sheet and heat in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. (Or, wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine Shredded Savory Pork and salsa. Heat through (add additional salsa, if necessary, to moisten).
  3. To assemble tacos, place pork mixture in warm taco shells or tortillas. Top with lettuce and cheese. If desired, serve with sour cream.

Freezer Tip: I usually just freeze the Shredded Savory Pork, then when I want to make the tacos I thaw the meat. Heat meat and salsa in a medium saucepan.

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365 Days of Blessings: Days 43-48

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Christie

365-Days-of-Blessings-Stiped

Day 43 – Tuesday

My youngest brother is visiting from Florida this week! He flew in Monday night, so I went with my parents to pick him up from the airport and then we went to a Bull’s game. I love that my son got to hang out with his Uncle Robby.

Today we had a family dinner at my parent’s house. It’s always great getting together with family.

Day 44 – Wednesday

I am so glad that my 18 1/2 month old son still takes two naps. This mama needed that today.

Day 45 – Thursday

Today’s blessing can be summed up with one word: Facetime! My husband had to work late, so we were able to Facetime together before our son’s bedtime so that they could say goodnight. I just love seeing the two interact together and hearing my son excitedly say, “Daddy” when he sees his daddy’s face come up on the screen. What would we do without these modern inventions?

I’m also thankful that even after working late, my husband took the time to stop at a store to get me Advil. Keep reading to find out why I needed it…

Day 46 – Friday

I am so thankful for medical care. For the past several days I’ve had severe ear pain. I really didn’t want to go to the doctor, but after hearing loss that kept getting worse and pain that wouldn’t go away, I called the doctor. Thankfully, I was able to get an appointment and I am starting to feel much better.

Day 47 – Saturday

Today we celebrated my grandma’s 85th Birthday. I am so blessed for the godly example that she is.

Day 48 – Sunday

Today I am blessed to have a roof over my head and warm clothes to wear. Storms swept through our area with tornado’s that touched down in neighboring towns. Seeing pictures of the devestation that hit some areas, I am all the more grateful for the home God has provided for my family.

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What’s for Dinner…? Week 5

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Christie


What' for Dinner

So last week I introduced a dairy-free meal plan challenge to myself. It is not easy finding “cheese-free” dinner dishes, especially this time of year. Cheese makes everything taste better, right?

Overall we did really good, though it helped that I didn’t buy any cheese last week. However, we did turn one of the Lime Chicken dish into tacos and I ended up grating a monterrey cheese block that I use for my son’s lunches!

This week, only two of the seven meals have cheese. I mean, Friday night is pizza night, and who wants pizza without cheese? But I am determined to drastically cut down on the amount of cheese I cook with (and eventually cut out dairy). So baby steps people!

This is my dinner plan for this week:

Thursday: Sausage and Spinach Pasta, Homemade biscuits, salad

Friday:  Homemade Pizza and Salad, Fudgy Brownies

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday:  Baked Pineapple Chicken and Rice

Monday:  Raspberry Chicken (recipe coming soon!)

Tuesday:  Family Dinner

Wednesday:  Grilled Cheese with fresh fruit and veggies

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365 Days of Blessings: Day 39-42

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Christie

Psalm 100

Day 39 & 40

Thursday night we left home for a short 2-night getaway. Some of the blessings for Friday and Saturday were:

PicCollage

1.  My sister opening up her home so we could stay with her and her family Thursday night.

2.  Getting to give my nephews a squeeze, since we don’t see them that often.

3.  Driving through a gorgeous scenic view of Autumn colors on Friday.

4.  Happening upon a Little Ceasars pizza and scoring lunch for our family of three for under $9. Best thing yet is not having to call in a pizza order AND being able to go through a drive-thru to pick it up. What can I say, it doesn’t take much to amuse me!

5.  Visiting the Creation Museum for the very first time, and enjoying a pleasant day outside to walk the grounds and visit the petting zoo.

6.  Meeting up with different friends for dinner Friday, as well as breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

Day 41

My Sunday blessing was getting to lead my Children’s Choir at church. One of my favorite things is hearing children sing praises to Jesus!

Day 42

Today I am blessed with sweet hugs and kisses from my little guy…even if they were while I was trying to do sit-ups and pushups. I’ll take them whenever I can get them!

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Freezer Cooking: Chicken Dishes

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Christie

Freezer Cooking

When it comes to freezer cooking, chicken is something I am really picky about. If chicken is cooked, frozen, then recooked, it tends to taste dry to me.

So for me, a lot of my chicken dishes that go into the freezer will be uncooked. Often I will just prep chicken and freeze it in portion sizes. For example, I will dice raw chicken in small pieces for a stir fry. Other times I make the marinade and toss it in a ziplock bag with a couple pieces of chicken and toss it into the freezer to cook later.

Today I am sharing with you two of my favorite chicken freezer meals. Make it easy on yourself! When making the chicken fajitas, make a double batch – one for dinner tonight and the other for the freezer. It doesn’t take that much more effort to do the extra chopping. And if you have to make a mess for one meal, you may as well get two meals out of it, right?

If you missed last weeks post, check out Freezer Cooking: Soup Edition, with three easy soup recipes.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

oven baked chicken fajitas(Recipe slightly adapted from Real Mom Kitchen)

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 large tomato diced*
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 large bell pepper, sliced
  • 8 flour tortillas

Optional Toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream, gaucamole

* May use a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilis if desired!

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine vegetable oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Mix well.
  2. Cut chicken into strips.
  3. Freezer Instructions: Place into a large ziploc bag. Add sliced pepper and onion. Pour in the sauce. Seal bag. Shake well until all ingredients are evenly distributed and the sauce coats the chicken and peppers. Lay flat in a freezer.
  4. Cooking Directions: Thaw  Fajita mixture. Place in a 9×13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
  5. Serve with desired toppings.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

baked creamy chickan taquitos(photo from Seeded at the Table, recipe slightly adapted from Seeded at the Table)

  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 Tblsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 6 tblsp fresh chopped cilantro, opional
  • 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded*
  • 2 cups Mexican style cheese
  • 20-24 small flour tortillas
  • kosher salt
  • cooking spray or melted butter

* Make it super easy and use a rotissorie chicken. I usually get about 4 cups of shredded chicken from one.

Directions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and cilantro.  Add chicken and cheese. Mix until well blended.
  3. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll tortilla as tightly as you can. (It is best to use tortillas that have not yet been refrigerated).
  4. Lay tortilla seam side down onto baking sheet. Repeat process until mixture is gone.
  5. Freezer Instructions:  Before baking, place baking sheet in freezer for 1-2 hours, until taquitos are frozen. Once frozen, place taquitos into a freezer ziploc bag.
  6. To bake: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take out desired amount of taquitos and place onto a baking sheet.  Spray with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes. (No need to thaw)
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365 Days of Blessings: Day 35-38

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Christie

count your blessings

Day 35 (Monday)

I am always so blessed by spending time in God’s Word and having time of fellowship with other ladies. On Monday nights I’ve had a ladies Bible study to attend, and I always come home refreshed and blessed.

Day 36 (Tuesday)

I am so thankful for a husband that took the time to stop and listen to me this morning as I shared my frustrations (that were not with him) and some anxiety about some things I had coming up.  Then, after thinking he wouldn’t be home in the evening, his plans changed. He was able to be home for dinner and for the rest of the night. Better yet, he brought home dinner!

Day 37 (Wednesday)

We’ve been having problems with our garage door not always opening. On some days, this has caused some temporary panic as it would not open at a time I needed to leave the house! Thankfully, we know someone that fixes garage doors. He was able to come out quickly and remedy the problems. It was such a blessing to know that we did not need a new garage door…yet (thought we’ll probably need one in the next year or so).

Day 38 (Thursday)

I have so looked forward to Thursday evenings for the past several weeks, because it has given me a chance to watch a series of webcasts from a Women Living Well conference put together by Courtney Joseph. While the webcasts are only available for a short 24 hours, I have made a point to set aside time to listen to other women on what God has taught them as they seek to find joy in God, their man, their children and their home. Each week has been such a blessing to me.

Tonight I am looking forward to the last webcast – “Balancing Your Family and Your Ministry”. It will be available for 24 hours starting at 9 pm CT at www.womenlivingwell.tv.

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