Freezer Meal Recipes

I found most of these recipes on www.pinterest.com and a few others on http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-recipes …another website with freezer meal ideas and tips.  For my tips see my previous blog.  Happy cooking!

Asian Inspired Flat Iron Steak Recipe

 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Sherry
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger
2 Tablespoons (3-5 cloves) Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Flat Iron Steaks

Gather all ingredients together – soy sauce, sherry, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and flat iron steak. Place the steaks and marinade in a zip lock and freeze.

Thaw and grill steaks on high heat for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare steaks. Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and green onion slivers on top to garnish.



Beef Stew

2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
2  Beef Bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup sliced celery (opt)
4 lg. potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
4 cups water

Coat meat with flour; set excess flour aside. In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In zip lock, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, chopped onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, sugar, and vegetables and freeze.

Thaw and add water.   Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours in crock pot. Thicken with flour left over from coating (about 1/4 cup) dissolved in a small amount of warm water. Cover and cook on high 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with warm rolls or warm French bread. YUM

Chicken Teriyaki

¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 spring onions, white part only, sliced
splash of sesame oil
2lbs chicken thigh fillets (no skin or bones), cut into bite-sized pieces
½ tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper
handful of parsley leaves, chopped
rice, to serve

In a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken pieces, mix together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, spring onions and sesame oil. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat each one of them in the sauce. Freeze in a zip lock.

Thaw and heat the oil in a large, shallow frying pan (with a lid) and, using a perforated spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to the pan and sauté until they look cooked on the outside.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat, cooking for 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick.
Stir in with freshly ground black pepper and the parsley. Serve with rice.

Cheesy Zucchini Stuffed Chicken Rolls

 1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp parmesan
3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste
8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 lemon, juice of
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
olive oil non-stick spray

Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat, when hot then sauté garlic a minute, or until golden. Add zucchini, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, salt and pepper and sauté about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. When cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.  Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 3 tbsp of zucchini-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.  Combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl. Dip chicken in lemon-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a foil baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray with oil and freeze in a zip lock bag.

Thaw and bake 25 - 30 minutes.

Paprika Pork Chops

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pork chops bone in
1 teaspoon paprika
kosher salt and black pepper

Season the chops with the paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and store in zip lock bag.

Thaw and preheat oven to 400. Place meat in frying pan and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Transfer the chops to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.


Cranberry Pork Chops

6 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup grape jelly
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper in one zip lock bag.  In separate zip lock bag, combine the cranberry sauce, jelly, ketchup and soy sauce.  Place both bags in larger zip lock and freeze

Thaw, then in a large skillet, brown chops in butter. Remove and keep warm.  Cook and stir until blended. Return chops to the pan; drizzle with syrup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

 2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup skim milk
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 heaping cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve or freeze in zip lock bags once cooled.

Thaw and remove from bag then heat over stove top or in crock pot.

Chicken Leeks Sun-Dried Tomatoes in White Wine Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 3 • Serving Size: 2 cutlets with sauce • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 259.2 • Fat: 7.6 g • Protein: 29.8 g • Carb: 15.6 g • Fiber: 2.8 g • Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 504 mg (without salt)

1 or 2 leeks (3/4 cup) white part and light green only

 6 skinless chicken breast cutlets, sliced thin
2 tsp butter, divided
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup all purpose flour* (use rice flour if gluten free)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz ready-to-eat sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cut off green tops of leek and remove outer tough leaves. Cut off root and cut leeks in half lengthwise. Fan out the leeks and rinse well under running water, leaving them intact. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour shaking off excess. Heat a large skillet on medium heat; when hot add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Add chicken to the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Set aside.  Add additional oil and butter to the skillet, then garlic and cook a few seconds; add leeks, salt and pepper. Sauté stirring occasionally until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add sun dried tomatoes, wine, chicken broth, parsley; stir the pan with a wooden spoon, breaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook 2 more minutes or until the liquid reduces almost by half. Top the chicken with the sun dried tomato/leeks mixture and serve or freeze.

Spicy-Sweet Pork Tenderloin

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
1/3 cup bottled salsa
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves

 Combine first 3 ingredients in a one bag.  Flatten each pork piece to 1/2-inch thickness using your fingertips and place in bag.  Add salsa and preserves in a bag.

Thaw and heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mixture evenly over pork slices and cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.  Add salsa and preserves to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve pork with salsa mixture.

Cheesy Spinach Burgers

½ envelope Lipton recipe secrets onion soup mix
1 lb ground beef
½ package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ c. shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Combine all ingredients and place in gallon-sized bag, can make into patties if desired.

Thaw mixture and shape into 4 patties, if not already done. Grill or broil until no longer pink. Serve on buns with desired fixings.

Meatloaf Minis

1 cup ketchup

1 tsp ground mustard
2 eggs beaten
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS liquid smoke
1 sleeve saltine crackers
½ onion chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 pounds lean ground turkey
Bacon (optional)

 In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Using a generous handful make large meat balls and top with ½ slice of bacon. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Completely thaw. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.

PIZZA CALZONES

1 Loaf Rhodes dough, thawed and cut in two (or dough of choice)

Toppings as you wish:
     §  Pepperoni
     §  Canadian bacon
     §  Sausage
     §  Olives
    §  Peppers
     §  Mushrooms
    §  Onions
1 cup Mozzarella
½ cup Parmesan
1 jar Prego Sauce

Thaw dough, Brown meat, onion, and garlic together.  Let dough rise until really puffy. Roll out dough and put sauce, cheese, and toppings on one side only. Fold plain half over filling and pinch edges well to seal.  Wrap in foil and freeze in zip lock bag

 Grease pan. Place frozen calzone onto the pan, cover with plastic wrap. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator ½ hour before baking at 350 for 20 min.

SALMON CAKES

3 cans salmon
1¼  cups crushed Ritz crackers
2 eggs beaten
1/2 red pepper finely chopped
2 Tbsp chives
2 tsp dill
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
lemon juice
oil for frying

 In a medium bowl break up the canned salmon with a fork and add about 1 cup cracker meal and work through the fish. Add the eggs, pepper, chives, dill, Tabasco, and lemon juice. If the mixture is too wet add more cracker meal. Form 3-inch patties about 1 inch thick. You should have 8-10 cakes. Freeze with wax paper separating patties

When fully thawed, fry in hot oil in a single layer until golden, 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Really great with salad greens with a lemon flavored dressing.

Southwest Chicken Wraps

4 chicken breasts chopped
1 cup salsa
1 ½ tsp chili powder
¼ t garlic powder
1 C shredded cheddar
1 14 ½ oz can of black beans
8 flour tortillas

Cook and shred or cube chicken. Combine with salsa, chili powder and garlic powder and bag for freezing. Bag cheese and tortillas for freezing and place beans in pantry.

Thaw. Heat chicken mixture on stove over med heat until heated through, about 3 min. Remove from heat, add drained and washed beans and cheese. Serve in warm tortillas and top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion. Tortillas should be allowed to thaw completely and then can be warmed in microwave or on the stove.

Parmesan Chicken

4 chicken breasts ·        ½  c. melted butter ·         2 c. seasoned bread crumbs ·         1 ½  c. mozzarella cheese ·         1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes ·        1 c. Parmesan cheese

Mix together Parmesan cheese and crumbs in a bowl. Mix eggs and butter in another bowl. Dip breast in egg mixture. Repeat with each breast. Sprinkle mozzarella over breasts and top with tomatoes.

Cook frozen and covered with foil at 400 for 1 ½ hours.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wontons

 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

½ Cup finely diced white onions
½ Cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 12 oz can chunk chicken, drained
  ¼ Cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  ¼ Cup Verde Salsa
2 Tablespoons prepared ranch dressing
  ½ package wonton wrappers
1 egg white whisked with 2 Tablespoons water

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat. In large bowl add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa, ranch, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Place 1 Tablespoon chicken mixture in center of wonton wrapper. Brush bottom edge with egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle shape. Place wontons on a baking sheet and sprits with cooking spray; bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy, flipping once half way through cooking.  Place wontons in freezer bag and freeze.

Bake from frozen at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve with Ranch dressing or salsa if desired.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 small pkg frozen peas & carrots

  ½  cup chopped onions
 1 cup frozen cubed potatoes
2 cups cooked & cut-up chicken pieces
2 cups chicken gravy
2 frozen piecrusts

 Combine all ingredients and pour into bottom crust and top with second crust.  Freeze

 Thaw. Preheat oven to 450F. Cover edges of pie crust with foil to prevent the crust from burning. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until crust is brown and mixture inside is hot. Remove from oven and allow to sit for ten minutes before cutting and serving.