Freezer Meal Recipe: Rio Rancho Taco Meat

May 19, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Rio Rancho Taco Meat

This is one of my favorite taco meat versions. It’s also great for burritos, taco salads and nachos. I especially like to make it with my homemade salsa which gives it lots of flavor! It’s quick and easy to make a big batch. Just divide it into meal-sized portions and store in the freezer.

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Freezer Meal Recipe: Rio Rancho Taco Meat

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 cup mild or medium salsa
  • 2 Tbs. taco seasoning
  • 1 4 oz. packet ranch dressing and seasoning mix (I like Hidden Valley)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper, ground or flakes (sometimes I just use hot sauce)
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions

Cooking Day Instructions:

Brown the onion and ground beef in a skillet. Drain any excess grease. Add salsa, taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, brown sugar, green chiles, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Add the water and simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes until mixture has thickened. If the meat mixture is too thick, you can always add more water and adjust the seasonings. Let cool. Freeze in meal-size portions. I like to use my Food Saver or just put the mixture in a gallon bag and shape it flat so it's easier to store in my freezer.

Serving Day Instructions:

Remove meat mixture from the freezer and thaw or defrost in the microwave. Heat through and serve in taco shells or warm tortillas. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream or any of your favorite toppings.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/05/freezer-meal-recipe-rio-rancho-taco-meat.html

Rio Rancho Taco Meat Mix

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Breakfast Freezer Meals: Cooking From Your Pantry

April 21, 2013 - Leave a Comment

The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook

The Everything Freezer Meals Cookbook (Everything (Cooking))

We are not just stockpiling food, we are using it in our cooking everyday to feed our families. Find out how you can too in 4 Steps to Becoming the Master of Your Stockpile! Check out more of the recipes we like.

biscuits and sausage gravy

Monica – Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Breakfast Burritos

Jessica – Breakfast Burritos

scrambled egg muffin with ketchup

Melanie – Scrambled Egg Muffins

Breakfast Grilled Cheese

Kearna – Breakfast Grilled Cheese

green monster smoothie

Melanie – Green Monster Smoothie

When themed week, make sure to link back to other recipes in same category.

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Freezer Meals: Cooking From Your Pantry

March 31, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Rachael Ray Stoneware 4-1-4-Quart Covered Bubble and Brown Casseroval Casserole, Red

Rachael Ray Stoneware 4-1/4-Quart Covered Bubble and Brown Casseroval Casserole, Red

We are not just stockpiling food, we are using it in our cooking everyday to feed our families. Find out how you can too in 4 Steps to Becoming the Master of Your Stockpile! Check out more of the recipes we like.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ang – Whole Wheat Pancakes

Beef Stew Freezer Meal

Becky - Homemade Beef Stew

Honey Lime Enchiladas Recipe

Jessica – Honey Lime Enchiladas 

pizza breadstick casserole

Melanie – Pizza Breadstick Casserole 

Broiled Asparagus

Kearna – Broiled Asparagus

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Freezer Meal Recipe: Pizza Breadstick Casserole

March 31, 2013 - 2 Comments

pizza breadstick casserole

This casserole delight brings the best flavors of pizza to the table: bread and cheese! Oh and tomatoes, sausage, and veggies too. Another great thing about this meal is that you can adapt the filling ingredients to what is in season and to what you have. No zucchini? Easily sub in a different vegetable (corn, winter squash, green beans, etc.). The meat can also easily be subbed with ground beef or turkey, pepperoni, cooked chicken, etc.

I use my favorite breadstick recipe for the full 9×13 pan. When I am only making a 8×8 or 9×9 pan of it, I use half of the breadstick dough for the top of the casserole and make breadsticks with the other half. We love breadsticks! But you can even use just 1/2 of the breadstick dough recipe for a full 9×13 pan, if that suits you better.

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Pizza Breadstick Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, green, red or yellow, diced
  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into rounds
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 jar red pasta sauce or homemade sauce
  • 9-12 ounces fully cooked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 recipe homemade breadstick dough or refrigerated breadstick dough
    • Homemade Sauce:
  • 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and diced pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Stir in the pasta sauce (or all ingredients for the homemade sauce) and the sausage. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the liquid is somewhat reduced. Stir in 2 Tbsp of Parmesan. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the top. Spoon the other half of the sauce over the cheese and sprinkle another 1/2 cup mozzarella over the top. Arrange bread sticks in a lattice pattern on the top, trimming to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over dough.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until the breadsticks are golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10.

Preparing for the Freezer:

The sauce mixture with sausage, veggies and cheese freezes well. Prepare it and split it between two 8x8 or 9x9 pans. (If you don't have pans to spare, you could probably just freeze it in gallon resealable freezer bags.) We get about 5-6 servings from each pan.

Preparing after Freezing:

Let it thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Then prepare the breadstick dough and place it on top of the mixture before baking.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/03/pizza-breadstick-casserole-recipe.html

Adapted from MelsKitchenCafe.

pizza breadstick casserole served

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Freezer Meals: Whole Wheat Pancakes

March 31, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Healthy Whole Wheat pancakes are a great way to start off every morning!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I love making these pancakes they use real whole wheat. Make the recipe 3 times to have enough extra to freeze. It then makes a healthy & fast breakfast that you can just pop in the toaster or the microwave.

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Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp sugar (for sugar-free version add splenda instead)

Instructions

Put 1 cup wheat & 1 cup milk in blender for 3 minutes.

After first 3 minutes add an additional 1/2 cup milk.

Blend for additional 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup oil, 2 Tbsp baking powder, and 2 Tbsp sugar to blender until mixed.

Pour onto skillet (size that you want pancakes to be), cook on medium.

Makes 12 pancakes.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/03/whole-wheat-pancakes.html

whole wheat

I always stock up on Whole Wheat it’s so inexpensive & healthy!

Pancake Dispenser

My favorite Pancake making tool is this 4 Cup Batter Dispenser – only $14.55!

  • Quick and easy, soft grip, pull handle to dispense batter
  • 4 cup/1-liter capacity with measure marks
  • Easy to read measurements on the side
  • Easy to clean and store
  • Hand washing recommended
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7 Fast and Easy Freezer Meals Using Chicken

March 18, 2013 - 21 Comments

I ordered a 40 lb case of chicken from Zaycon Foods and it is coming this week!

freezer meal recipes chicken

I usually package my chicken in freezer bags like you see in our youtube video below. But with so many freezer meal recipes on Fabulessly Frugal and my dire need for time saving meals in my freezer, this time I am going to take the time to prep some freezer meals with my Chicken!

My Chicken Freezer meal recipes of choice:

A 40 lb box of chicken should contain about 80 breasts of chicken so I have a lot of meat to work with for my recipes. I am going to double each one of my recipes.  Once you put the effort into making one you may as well make two. You can use these ingredients to make your own grocery shopping list. Don’t forget to see what you have in your pantry from couponing!

BBQ Chicken Pizza  <—-Link to the full recipe

1 pizza crust (store bought or homemade)
2 c. mozzarella cheese
½ Red onion
2 Chicken breasts cut into small slices or shredded
2-3 c. BBQ Sauce
Cilantro

Breaded Smothered Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Can Bread crumbs
6 Eggs
2 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese
Prego sauce

chicken ole crockpot freezer recipe

Chicken Ole  <—-Link to the full recipe

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup (or 1 Cream of chicken and 1 cream of mushroom)
1 7oz can green Chile salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs grated onion
4 cups boiled, shredded chicken
12 corn tortillas cut into 6 strips each (large tortillas)
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Cream Cheese Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 chicken breasts
1 packet of dry zesty Italian seasoning
1 can of cream of chicken soup
8 oz of cream cheese
¼ cup of butter
½ cup of water
salt and pepper to taste

garlic ranch chicken recipe

Garlic Ranch Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

4 Breasts of chicken
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packets
1 c. milk
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dried minced garlic

pineapple pepper chicken freezer meal and crockpot reicpe

Pineapple Pepper Chicken    <—-Link to the full recipe

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 chicken breasts
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 medium green pepper, julienned (optional)

cilantro lime chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken   <—-Link to the full recipe

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice from 2 limes
1 cup or 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

What I need to know to make 14 freezer meals:

My Shopping list: I have most of the ingredients on hand to make these meals, but I will need a few things from the store. Your shopping list may have a few more items depending on how much couponing and stockpiling you have been doing.  I have doubled the ingredients to make two of each meal.
freezer meal groceries
  • 2  Red onions
  • 2 7oz can green Chile salsa
  • 4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 4 limes
  • 3 bunches fresh cilantro
My Chicken Prep: I need 52 breasts of chicken to make all of the above recipes twice. So will you!
  • 12 Chicken breasts cooked and cut into small slices or shredded
  • 40 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts uncooked

 

YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! WHO IS GOING TO JOIN ME?

Here are some more Chicken Recipe Ideas:

freezer cooking http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-recipes

 

foodsaver vacuum sealing kit
FoodSaver V2244 Advanced Design Vacuum Sealer, Black $69.99

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Lasagna Roll Ups

March 17, 2013 - 1 Comment

lasagna roll ups

This is a fun new way to make Lasagna! You can even double the recipe & put your 2nd pan in the freezer for another night!

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Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

  • 8 oz box Lasagna Noodles
  • 1 box frozen Spinach
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 16 oz Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 jar Pasta Sauce (use red or Alfredo sauce)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add lasagna pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente & drain

In skillet pan cook ground beef

Lay out 1 noodle on flat surface (cutting board works great)

Layer filling (1/10 of each item in each noodle) ricotta cheese, spinach, ground beef, mozzarella cheese

Roll up noodle

Repeat until used all noodles

Pour 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in bottom of 9x13

Place each roll up in baking dish

Pour pasta sauce mixture over lasagna rolls

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and your favorite cheese

Bake for 40 minutes.

Serves 6

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/03/lasagna-roll-ups.html

 

Layering Noodles

 

Layer ingredients on single Lasagna noodle.

rolling up the lasagna

 

Roll up and place in 9×13 pan to bake.Green Earth Pan

This is my favorite new skillet pan, it cleans so easy!

Ozeri Green Earth Smooth Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan, 100-Percent PTFE and PFOA Free

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Cooking From Your Pantry

February 24, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Boards, Set of 3
Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Boards, Set of 3 $7.48

We are not just stockpiling food, we are using it in our cooking everyday to feed our families. Find out how you can too in 4 Steps to Becoming the Master of Your Stockpile! Check out more of the recipes we like.

cookie dough freezer

Monica – Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie 

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Becky – Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

cilantro lime chicken

Melanie – Cilantro Lime Chicken

BBQ spareribs freezer meal

Kearna - BBQ Spareribs Freezer Meal

More Freezer Meal Recipes

 

Find our entire collection of Freezer Meal Recipes!

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

January 20, 2013 - Leave a Comment

mongolian beef

 

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With freezer meals, it is easy and time efficient to make more than one meal at a time. I had all the stuff, so I doubled the recipe below to get two bags.

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
  • 1/4 c corn starch
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3/4 c low sodium soy sauce
  • 3/4 c water
  • 3/4 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c shredded carrots
  • 3 medium green onions, chopped

Instructions

Cut the steak into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then slice across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. (You can use skirt, hanger, or flatiron steaks as a substitute for flank. I have also used top round.) Coat steak pieces in cornstarch.

Add remainder of ingredients to slow cooker and stir well to combine. Place coated flank steak into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice or noodles, if desired.

To Freeze: Combine remaining ingredients and place in freezer bag. Add coated steak to bag. Label and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Cook in crockpot on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.

Serves: 5-6

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/01/freezer-meal-recipes-slow-cooker-mongolian-beef.html

mongolian beef freezer meal in bagmongolian beef meal

Recipe from Onceamonthmom.com; adapted from Let’s Get Crockin

victorinox chef knife

This is the Chef’s knife that I use, Victorinox Fibrox 8″. It is recommended by America’s Test Kitchen too.

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Homemade Lasagna

January 20, 2013 - 10 Comments

Freezer Meal Recipes save so much time and money!

We love freezer meal cooking!

freezer meal lasagna

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It is fun to get a group together to cook freezer meals. Sometimes I just double or triple a favorite recipe so I can put some in the freezer for a busy night.

freezer meal ingredients lasagna

You can see that I cooked the noodles here, but you can get away with baking your lasagna with hard noodles if you add extra water to the sauce. So that is the way I wrote the recipe. I will save you time, dishes and hassle!

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Freezer Meal Recipes: Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 24 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound sausage
  • 2 jars (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)
  • 32 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Cheese Coupons
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 teaspoons oregano
  • 4 teaspoons basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

This recipes is for two 13x9 pans of Lasagna.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat.

Mix 2-1/2 cups mozzarella, ricotta cheese, parsley and egg until well blended; set aside.

Drain meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup water to empty sauce jar; cover with lid and shake well. Add to meat mixture; stir until well blended. Spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 1 lasagna right away for 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil after 45 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve. Serve that night.

Cover the second lasagna with plastic wrap and then foil and put in your freezer. To prepare after freezing let thaw and cook for 1 hour or cook from frozen for 1.5 - 2 hours.

TIP: We added extra water to the sauce so we would not have to cook the noodles and the extra water would allow them to cook while baking. My picture shows pre-coooked noodles because I forgot about this tip the day I made these.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/01/freezer-meal-recipes-homemade-lasagna.html

freezer meal homemade lasagna

Freezer Cooking Links

More Lasagna Recipes

 

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