Baked Ziti - Freezer Meal

Found this recipe on Pinterest while looking for meals that I could make quickly for us and for my brother and sister-in-law who had just had an adorable baby girl.

My Niece Addie Jo

This dish is seriously the BEST pasta dish I've ever had. It was FULL of flavor. This will be a freezer meal that I will be making every other month now.


Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta (or really any kind of pasta would work - I used Penne pasta)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef (season with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and minced garlic)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
8 slices provolone cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 8x8 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray. Layer as follows in each pan: 1/4 of the ziti, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of Provolone cheese, 1/2 of sour cream,  1/4 of ziti, 1/4 mozzarella cheese and 1/4 of sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.


You can eat one for dinner now and freeze the other for dinner another day! Or you can freeze both. (I made one for us and one for my brother and sister-in-law who just had a baby)

To freeze this meal: Follow the instructions above, except for the last step of cooking it. Cover the assembled ziti with foil and stick in the freezer (I usually use 2-3 layers of foil just to keep out the freezer burn). It will last in the freezer for about 30 days. When you are ready to eat it, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw 24 hours in advance. By allowing it to thaw in the fridge, you can cook it at the regular time and temperature (350 degrees for about 30 minutes).

These fill the 8x8" pans to the top, so I cooked mine on a large cookie sheet just in case they bubbled over.

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5 - Now Repeat

Finished Minus the Cheese Topping

Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken

In a search for a different way to cook chicken that was healthy and we could add to our weekly meals as a protein I came across this recipe.

It was simple and easy since I could throw it into the crockpot. I was also able to find Organic BBQ Sauce and pretty clean Italian Dressing (Newman's).

The chicken came out perfect, had lots of flavor and worked great in our portioned out dinner meals. We paired it with quinoa with kale and veggies (Corn, broccoli or carrots).

This was the only picture I got. So, I'll add better pictures next time I make it.

Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken

2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt to taste


Season chicken breast lightly with some sea salt and place in your crockpot.

In a mixing bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well combined.

Pour over chicken, cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Once time is up, you can serve the breast whole, or shred with 2 forks. If shredding, recover and let cook in sauce for about 10-15 more minutes to soak up all that delicious flavor.

Chicken Stroganoff

I LOVE beef stroganoff! However, since we don't eat a lot of beef I found a recipe that was chicken instead. It was amazing!

I changed up the recipe by taking out a few things and adding a few things. This is a great recipe to do what you like with. The original recipe called for onion, thyme, white wine, no garlic salt and wide egg noodles.

Chicken Stroganoff

5-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
12 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Paprika
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 teaspoons Cornstarch
3 Tablespoon Cream or Half & Half
1 Cup Sour Cream
Garlic Salt to taste
Quinoa Noodles - Any noodle works


Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide saute pan, until it begins to simmer. Brown the chicken for a few minutes on each side - you just want a bit of color on it at this point. Set the chicken aside in a small bowl.

In the same pan, cook the mushrooms for a couple minutes, until they brown a little and give up some liquid.

Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the chicken broth, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce.

Mix to combine and then taste to see if you need any more salt and/or pepper, adding a bit if it does. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

At this point, you want to cook 4 servings worth of noodles, according to the package directions.

Mix the cornstarch and cream or half & half in a small bowl until no lumps remain, then stir the mixture into the saute pan. Keep stirring gently as it returns to a simmer, and the sauce thickens.

Stir the sour cream into the rest of the ingredients in the saute pan, and warm gently over low heat, stirring very frequently. You want it to be very warm, but don't let it boil, or it might separate.

Serve over warm noodles. I used quinoa noodles but you can use whatever noodles you want. Egg noodles are the usual for stroganoff.


Original Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

1/4 Cup of Grainy, Course Mustard
1/4 Cup Smooth Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Honey
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 1/2 Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins or Breasts
Salt and Pepper
Chives, I used dried chives
Parmesan Cheese, sprinkle
1 Package Mushrooms, diced


In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, garlic and the olive oil.

Spray an oven safe pan with olive oil. Dice up the mushrooms and layer them in the bottom of the pan.

Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the mushrooms. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference.

Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the chives and Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 20-30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through.

Chicken Cacciatore - Freezer Meal

Chicken Cacciatore

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (I added thighs also)
1 {26 oz} jar of spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped


There are 2 different ways you can make this.

1. You can load all the ingredients into a gallon sized Ziplock bag, lay it flat, freeze, and cook it in the crockpot at a later date.

2. Layer the ingredients in a foil pan, seal and pop in the freezer.

Crockpot Cooking Method: Cook from frozen on high for 8 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked, or thaw overnight in the refrigerator overnight and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Oven Cooking Method: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cook at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles if desired. We ate it just in a bowl without the noodles.


Notes: You can pretty much add any veggie that you'd like to this. Next time I'm going to add mushrooms and more veggies.

Barbecued Meatballs - Freezer Meal

Barbecued Meatballs

Meatballs:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned — can also substitute bread crumbs)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds raw ground beef (since you’ll be freezing this recipe uncooked, you’ll want to make sure the meat is fresh, not frozen)

Barbecue Sauce:

2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape into one-inch balls and lay on a cookie sheet.

To freeze: Freeze uncooked meatballs on a cookie sheet for one hour. Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to airtight ziptop freezer bags.

To serve: Thaw meatballs overnight (or for 8 hours) in the refrigerator. Put in a greased baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Drain.

While meatballs are cooking, combine Barbecue Sauce ingredients together in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour Barbecue Sauce over meatballs and bake for 10-20 minutes longer, or until done.

Crockpot Taco Soup - Freezer Meal

Crockpot Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 Bag Frozen whole kernel corn, no need to thaw
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
12 oz chicken or vegetable broth
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
1 package of taco seasoning (1.25 ounces)
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts


Preparing: combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag. Flatten down so there is little to no air. Freeze.

Cooking Method: cook in crockpot on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 4-6.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, sour cream, &/or crushed tortilla chips

Make-Ahead Freezer Egg McMuffins

I'm always looking for things that save me time, keep me from having to cook all the time AND are healthy. This recipe is awesome! I make up 12 sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches at a time. Then wrap them, put them into a ziploc bag and place them into the freezer. Then we warm them up for breakfast when we need something quick.

Make-Ahead Freezer Egg McMuffins
Makes 12

2 Packages English Muffins (I use Sour Dough)
1 Dozen Eggs
12 Slices of Cheese (I use Cheddar)
12 Organic Sausage Patties (You can use bacon, Canadian bacon, or no meat)

Spray your pan of choice with olive oil. I use a muffin top/whoopie pan because the eggs come out almost the same size of the English muffins and they are the perfect thickness. Add your 12 eggs to the 12 slots in the pan you are using. Add black pepper and sea salt to your liking.

Bake eggs at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (in a whoopie pan - if you are using a muffin pan I would cook them for 25-30 as they will be much thicker), until set. Although we normally like our egg yolks a little runny, I cooked these completely since I'd be freezing them. That's the way McDonald's makes them, too.

The baked eggs are easy to lift out with a small spatula. I just use my fingers since the whoopie pan is so easy to get them out and isn't a deep pan.

While the eggs bake, prepare the muffins by splitting them open and adding cheese slices (I folded in the corners of my cheese slices).

Add the baked eggs when they're ready and add the sausage patties to the top of the egg (or whatever meat you are using). Put the top of the muffin on and the sandwich is complete.

 

Wrap each individual sandwich.

Here are the instructions for wrapping them:


Wrap for microwave reheating. Wrap individual McMuffins in dry wax paper deli sheets. That way, you can put the wrapped sandwiches directly in the microwave for reheating. (You can also use pieces of wax or parchment paper.) After they're all wrapped, put them in freezer ziploc bags and freeze them. It takes under a minute to reheat a thawed McMuffin at full power in the microwave. A frozen one takes about 2-3 minutes at half power (turn it over after each minute).

Wrap for oven reheating. Wrap them in aluminum foil if you prefer to reheat them in the oven. This is a good option if you want to reheat several at one time. It takes approx. 30-40 minutes to reheat frozen McMuffins in a 350 degree oven. If they're thawed, it only takes about 15-20 minutes. The outside of the muffin gets crispy when these are warmed in the oven.

Feeding a crowd? Make up a bunch of these in advance, wrap them individually in foil, and reheat them all at once in the oven. They're easier to manage if you arrange them on large baking sheets for putting in and out of the oven. You'll need to increase the baking time a bit if you're reheating larger quantities.

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

I made these for one of our camping trips because I wanted to pre-make as much food as I could to make meals quicker and less mess. They were so good and simple. We just warmed them up and dipped them in maple syrup or just ate them plain.

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins
Makes 24 mini pancake muffins

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.

In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.

Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.

Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.

Waffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Grandma makes cookies in the waffle maker they are chocolate (Turtle Cookies she calls them). This is the same idea only chocolate chip cookies.

Waffle Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 20 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.

2. In a bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisking to incorporate. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

3. Spray the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Using a spoon or small scoop, place the dough onto each waffle section. Close the machine and cook until the cookies are set and beginning to brown. This won't take very long — probably two or three minutes, depending on the heat of your waffle iron. (They will be soft when you remove them and will firm up as they cool.)

5. Transfer the cooked cookies to a wire rack.

Avocado Baked Eggs

Here's a new spin on breakfast. Something healthy and quick to make.

Avocado Baked Eggs
Serves: 2        Total Time: 30 Minutes

1 Medium or Large Avocado
2 Small Eggs
2 Slices of Bacon, Cooked and Crumbled
2 Slices of Toast
Sea Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste
Hot Sauce, optional
Fresh Chopped Tomatoes, optional


Preheat oven to 425*

Cut avocado in half and carefully remove the seed. Depending on how big the seed is, the hole in the avocado should be big enough for one small egg. But if the hole looks too small, scoop out a little at a time till it matches the amount of egg.

In a medium baking dish, try to rest the avocado half inside the edge of the dish so that the avocado doesn't tilt over. You need to keep the avocado from tilting so that the raw egg does not spill out.

Crack the egg directly in the avocado. Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper on top of the eggs, to taste.

Gently place the baking dish in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on how much egg you have and how big your avocado is. So keep checking the egg to see if it's cooked to your desired consistency.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top. Spread the avocado/egg onto toast. Add addition salt and pepper to taste, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, if needed. Enjoy!

The BEST Carpet Stain Remover

So, we had our family coming over for Thanksgiving and I was crazily cleaning the whole house. I realized that there was some stains on the living room carpet from the dogs. Our little hand held carpet cleaner wasn't working so I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought "what the heck worth a shot". I mixed the ingredients and dipped my white hand towel into the mixture and started to rub the stains. Low and behold it WORKED!! All the stains came out. So, next I thought I wonder if it'll take out two other stains that have been there for months since we hadn't replaced our carpet cleaner yet and it took those out too!

Now, I'm sharing this stain remover mixture with you so you can have clean carpet too!


The BEST Carpet Stain Remover

1 Tablespoon Clear Dishwashing Liquid
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
2 Cups of Warm Water

Mix all ingredients together.

Using a white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent/vinegar solution and blot until all the liquid is absorbed.


I don't have any pictures because I totally forgot to take a before and after. So, next time I use this recipe for a stain I will do a before and after.

Cowboy Casserole

My mom used to make something like this when I was a kid so when I found the recipe on Pinterest I was super excited. I made some changes from the original recipe. We don't eat a lot of ground beef so I subbed for ground turkey as that's what we keep on hand. However, you could do half ground turkey and half ground beef.

Cowboy Casserole

1 1/2 Pounds Ground Turkey or Ground Hamburger
1 Medium Onion, chopped (I omitted this)
1 Bag Frozen Corn
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1/2 Cup Milk
4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1 Bag (30 oz) Frozen Tater Tots
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Salt

In a large skillet cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the ground turkey and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the frozen corn to the mixture to defrost. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to ground turkey/corn mixture and stir to combine.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the Crispy Crowns on the bottom, pour the ground turkey mixture over the top and then layer with the other half of the Crispy Crowns. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

{Single Serving} Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie

I made this tonight for Chad and I it was really good! I made one cookie and put it in the microwave then mixed up the other one. I wasn't sure how good it would be considering it's putting a COOKIE into the microwave but it was worth making and we'll make it again. Great evening dessert without having tons of cookies to eat.

I added peanut butter chips to Chad's because he LOVES peanut butter. When he finished he asked me for another one, lol!

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie

{Single Serving} 

Recipe from no. 2 pencil

1 tbsp. Butter, melted

1 tbsp. White Sugar

1 tbsp. Brown Sugar

3 Drops of Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

1 Egg Yolk

1/4 Cup Flour

2 tbsp. Chocolate Chips 

In a bowl, mix together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg yolk. 

Add in the flour and salt. 

Mix until combined.

Add in the chocolate chips. 

Put the dough into a small microwaveable bowl, ramekin, or coffee cup.

Microwave for 40-60 seconds or until the cookie looks done. 

Best served warm… Enjoy!

{Could even add a little ice cream to the top}

Crockpot Applesauce

I found this recipe on Pinterest but it was for just making a small batch for 4 people to eat for snack. I just took the recipe and made a bigger batch. I also didn't use a caner or a pressure cooker. I've read several places that people put the "food" into the jars hot and then leave them on the counter to seal themselves. I did this and they sealed. I was shocked but SO excited because I love things to be simple.

Crockpot Applesauce
Made 7 Small Jars

Apples - Peeled or not peeled and chopped up
4 Lemons - Juiced
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
4 Teaspoons Vanilla
4 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Cup Water

Place all ingredients into your crockpot (my crockpot is a 7-quart) if your crockpot isn't this big I would follow the original recipe below and times it by however much you want to make.

Cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Low on my crockpot is pretty much high and it took about 5 hours to cook.

Once apples are cooked place them into your blender but be sure to only fill blender about 50% so you don't make a mess when blending. Once blended pour into your jars and put the lids on tight. Leave the jars on the counter and they should seal themselves. This happened within about 3 hours for my jars.

Original Recipe:
4 Large Apples
1 Lemon - Juiced
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Water