Friday, March 29, 2013

Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Cream Sauce



Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix
2T. ketchup
2T. A-1 Steak Sauce
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef stock

Directions:
In a large bowl mix ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, ketchup, A-1 and eggs and form into patties.  Place flat in a freezer bag and freeze.  

Eating  day:
When ready to cook, thaw slightly and place patties in bottom of crockpot.  In a bowl, mix the mushroom soup and beef stock and pour over patties.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until beef is well done.  

We added a side of potatoes, green beans, and cottage cheese to this meal and it was just delightful.  We even had to cook it for the extended family that same weekend.

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts



Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts
1 c buttermilk
1T. Dijon mustard
1T. honey
1T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ t dried thyme
½ t dried sage
½ t dried marjoram
½ t pepper
1 t salt
8 boneless split chicken breasts

Mix together butter milk with mustard, honey, and seasonings.  Place chicken breasts in freezer bag.  Pour marinade over chicken breast.  Freeze, using freezer bag method.

Cooking Day
Thaw chicken, discarding marinade.  Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear.

We enjoyed our chicken with a side of sweet potatoes and green beans.


Monday, March 18, 2013

Gourmet Ham and Potatoes



Gourmet Ham and Potatoes

2 lb pkg frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c. melted margarine
1 tsp. salt
2 T diced onions
½ t. pepper
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 small ctn. Sour cream
Diced ham

Topping
2 c. corn flake crumbs
¼ c.  melted margarine





Mix all ingredients together in bowl.   Separate into separate containers or one large container.  Mix topping together and sprinkle on top of pans.  Cover with plastic, then foil.  Label with directions. 
Thaw, bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350.

This is great to prep after Easter dinner with all those ham leftovers.  The potato recipe has been a staple in our family forever, and just this last year we started to add ham to it and freeze it.  Now it is something we will always have in our freezer.  It is great paired with green beans or corn.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Sauce


http://baked-inthesouth.blogspot.com/2012/11/crockpot-pork-tenderloin-with-apple.html

Ingredients:
2 lb pork roast
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 peeled and chopped granny smith apples

Directions:  Season pork with salt and pepper and add all ingredients to freezer bag and freeze until ready.  Thaw slightly and cook on low for 6-8 hours until pork is tender. 

(the original recipe called for a pork tenderloin, but because they are so expensive we substituted a pork roast and it was absolutely delicious.  We also held out the 1/4 t red pepper flakes because the dislike of spice in our family.)

We cooked it last night for dinner and enjoyed it so much, that I prepped 2 more today for later this month or next.  It was great paired with mashed potatoes and carrots, but I also think it would be great with rice.  It took me 20 minutes to prep these 2 additional meals, but would have taken me much shorter if I didn't have a little girl helping me add all the ingredients.  Please remember that I added all the above ingredients to each bag.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Pasta Milano



3 slices bacon, diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1.5 cup chicken broth
1.5 cup heavy cream (or half & half for a lower fat version)
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta
water for boiling pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Let simmer until a little thick. Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes as instructed on package; drain.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

* To make ahead/freezer meals - Prepare as directed, however cook pasta to barely al dente. There should be a bite to the pasta where it's not completely cooked. Place pasta in freezer pan and add sauce in an ovenproof container and allow to cool. Cover and freezer. When ready to prepare, defrost and bake in preheated oven as directed above. Add Parmesan cheese after baking is complete.