Freezer Meal Recipe: Sassy Sloppy Joes

January 20, 2013 - 4 Comments

Sassy Sloppy Joes Recipe pic 1

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I am a big freezer meal fan. They can be a life saver when you’re short on time or not in the mood to cook. This Sassy Sloppy Joe recipe is one of our family favorites. I got it from Don’t Panic, Dinner’s In The Freezer, a recipe book full of excellent make ahead freezer meals!

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Sassy Sloppy Joes

Yield: 15 Sandwhiches

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbs. butter
  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 7 oz. ketchup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs. brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar)
  • 1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Instructions

Saute the chopped onion in butter. Add ground beef and brown lightly. Drain off any excess fat. Add all of the remaining ingredients and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Cool mixture and freeze using the freezer bag method.

For those new to the freezer bag method...

When using the freezer bag method for freezing, you place your meal in a freezable bag, (like a Ziploc or FoodSaver bag) then remove as much air as you can, and seal. Then take a cake pan, or a pan that has sides, and lay the bags flat, stacking them on top of each other. The cake pan will freeze your meals in a nice flat shape giving you more freezer room and also ensure that any leaks stay within the pan. You then place the pan in the freezer. Once it has been flash frozen, (frozen just enough to hold it's shape) remove the items from the pan and store it however you like in your freezer. It is also a good idea to place your meal back in a pan in the fridge while thawing so you don't have leaks then either.

To Prepare After Freezing:

Remove from freezer and let thaw. Heat mixture slowly in a skillet or saucepan until warmed all the way through and ready to serve. (We like to eat it on fresh warmed whole wheat hamburger buns!)

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2013/01/sassy-sloppy-joes.html

Don't Panic, Dinner's In The Freezer Cookboo, Amazon

Don’t Panic – Dinner’s in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead [Paperback] $10.19 {Reg. $14.99}

Go here to get the Kindle Edition for only $8.54!

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Learn more about Freezer Meal Cooking:

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Safeway Grocery Deals 10/17-10/23

October 17, 2012 - Leave a Comment

93% Lean Ground Beef, Gain Detergent, Chicken Breasts, Halloween Candy

New to shopping at Safeway? Start here:

Thanks for supporting Fabulessly Frugal by printing your coupons HERE! It’s just one way to keep the deals coming!

KEY:

★- means the price is better than generic/wholesale/mass store prices!
★– means this is when we stock up!!! {aka Extreme Couponing… done right}
If we don’t star an item but it’s listed here, that means it is around the same price you would see at a superstore on any given day.

_________________________________________________

These matchups are from the Oregon/SW Washington ad, for Washington only deals, see bottom of the post.
 

Remember to check your Just For U Coupons and load them to your card. Learn more about Just For U, and the mobile Just For U App, personalized coupons based on what you buy most!

*Don’t forget if you live in Oregon or SW Washington to bring your doubl’r coupon, found in the weekly ad. Safeway will take up to an additional 50 cents off 4 manufacturer’s coupons (excluding printables) per transaction with this coupon.

$5 Friday
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Hormone Free Meat on GMA

October 15, 2012 - Leave a Comment

Our favorite meat company was on Good Morning America today!

If you have not signed up for Zaycon yet, now is the time to do it! If you live in Boise and you are already signed up you will get to pick up your chicken tomorrow!

We Love ZaycoN Foods because…

  • The meat is fresh from the farm (less than a few days)
  • The meat had no hormones
  • The meat is very well priced

If you are not a member yet and you like chicken, ground beef, fish or bacon sign up here!

Learn more about buying meat for less!

 

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Buying Meat for Less { Extreme Couponing Education }

August 8, 2012 - 11 Comments

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing. TLC’s Extreme Couponing is really not about education it is more about entertainment. Our goal is to educate you and empower you to save money for your family.

We have been talking about how one of the myths of couponing is that coupons are only for processed foods, junk food or food my family does not eat. I also told you we were featured in the New York Times Magazine and many of the people writing in the comments accused us of only eating junk foods. All of this brought me to the conclusion that some people just need to be educated in the way we save money on food and still eat healthy. This week I am going to talk about how we buy our meat for less.

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Buying Meat for Less

There are 4 key ingredients to saving money on meat. First you have to know your price points, second you have to find a sale, third you must stock-up and fourth you must preserve your meat.

Price Points

You have to know your price points if you are going to save money on meat. Refuse to pay more than a certain set good price. For example I will not pay more than $1.99 for boneless skinless chicken breast, and I do not stock up on it until it is $1.88 or less.

Find a Sale

I know that my grocery store will have a sale on chicken at least once every 6 weeks. So I wait for that sale. I also buy from Zaycon because they generally can bring chicken in for a lower price than my grocery store. The other nice thing about Zaycon is there meat is fabulous. Zaycon chicken is never frozen and comes fresh from the farm. HOT READER TIP: Find out when you local store marks down their meat, then buy it when it is marked down.

Stock-up

At my grocery store I will buy enough chicken to last until the next sale so that I do not ever have to pay full price again. Sale cycles on meat run at least every 6 weeks. (Learn more about Sale Cycles).  When Zaycon comes to town I buy at least a 40 lb box, sometimes I buy 3 boxes and split them in half with a friend so I will have 60 lbs of chicken. I have found that 60 lbs of chicken can last my family of four 6 months.

Preserving Meat

Freeze Your Meat - If you buy enough meat to last 6 weeks or 6 months it will certainly spoil in your fridge. So we recommend freezing it. Freezing meat will keep it fresh for a long time. Check out the recommendation for Safe Freezing Time.

Preparing for Freezing – When I buy meat from my grocery store meat counter I typically have the butcher package my meat in dinner portions. For my family of four I typically cook with about 1 lb of meat. So I ask for 1 lb packages of meat. When I buy from Zaycon I package my meat myself. Check out my video that shows you how to prepare meat for freezing.

Tools for Freezing Meat – When I freeze meat I use ziploc freezer bags or my Foodsaver. The more air you can get out when freezing your meat the more you are protected from freezer burn. I love my Foodsaver because it gets all of the air out, and my meat stays fresher longer.

Canning Meat – Canning meat is also an option. I have never tried it myself, but I have heard that this is a fantastic book here if you want to learn to can meat. The nice thing about canning is that you do not have to worry about losing your meat if the power goes out and the freezer thaws.

Dehydrating Meat – I love my  food dehydrator. Dehydrating meat is a great way to make jerky. Check out our video tutorial on how to make homemade jerky.

More Tips for Freezing

 Bonus Coupon Tip

When couponing if you are earning catalinas it is a great idea to use your catalinas to help you buy meat. Be sure you are still getting a good price though.

Learn more about eating healthy and still saving money!

Look for the following topics…

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Albertsons NW Deals June 6 – June 12 {CHEAP Ground Beef, Cranberry Naturals, Miracle Whip, Olive Oil, Salad Dressing, and MORE!}

June 5, 2012 - 42 Comments

Learn all the secrets to successful couponing

in our 90 minute DVD!

Thanks for supporting Fabulessly Frugal by printing your coupons HERE! It’s just one way to keep the deals coming!

_________________________________________

KEY:

★- means prices are better than generic/wholesale/mass store prices, buy a few if you need it!

★– means this is when we stock up!!! {aka Extreme Couponing… done right}

No star: If we don’t star an item but it is listed here, that means it is still a decent price. It’s not necessarily better than any competitor’s price, but it will save you a trip across town.

Albertsons Ads vary by region. This ad match-up is reflects deals for the Northwest Region (CA, OR, WA, ID, MT, NV, & WY ).

Albertsons Produce
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Albertsons Meat Deals
Albertsons In-Ad Coupons
Albertsons Coupon Match-Ups
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Easy Gourmet Burgers { Only 4 Ingredients }

May 27, 2012 - 14 Comments

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These gourmet burgers are a great way to sneak a little spinach in your family dinner.  I have been making these burgers for years and my children never complain about the green spinach inside. They taste wonderful too. I made them with cheddar cheese this time since that is what I had on hand from the Fred Meyer sale, but mozzarella cheese is wonderful in these burgers too.

Ingredients for Cheesy Spinach Gourmet Burgers

½ envelope Lipton recipe secrets onion soup mix

1 lb ground beef { Zaycon Beef Deals }

½ package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½ c. shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (4 oz) { Cheese Coupon zip 83702 }

 There are only 4 ingredients in my burger recipe. So they are quick and easy to make. Mix spinach, ground beef, cheese and onion soup mix together in a large bowl.

It is easiest to mix by hand, but you can mix with a spoon. If the raw meat is not your friend use gloves or get your super husband to mix the meat for you. 

Form meat into patties and grill on a Indoor Grill or outdoor grill. If you would like to make extra and freeze some see our directions for freezer meal Cheesy Spinach Burgers.

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Meat Loaf Minis

April 15, 2012 - 15 Comments

My children cheer when I make these for dinner! The meat turns out moist, but not greasy. We love the sauce that goes on top so make sure you save some. These are really yummy served over mashed potatoes. A great way to use up instant mashed potatoes if you have them in your stockpile.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground mustard
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 cups Crispix cereal, crushed (can substitute with corn and rice chex)
  • 3 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp season salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 pounds lean ground beef

In a large bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Remove ½ cup for topping; set aside.
Add eggs, Worcestershire sauce, cereal, and seasonings to remaining ketchup mixture; mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Crumble beef over cereal mixture and mix well.
Press meat mixture into 18 muffin cups (about 1/3 cup each). Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes. Drizzle with reserved ketchup mixture; bake 10 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.

Tips to avoid touching meat if you think it is gross like I do:
Mix meat and other ingredients in a food processor, kitchen aid or Bosch mixer.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop meat into tins. Makes a perfect shape too!

Makes about 18 muffin size

 

Easy clean up cooking method: Scoop meat onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes. Drizzle with reserved ketchup mixture; bake 10 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.

Make them any size you like.

This makes a great freezer meal. Find out how to make a Mini Meat Loaf Make Ahead Meal.

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Tip: We really like the sauce so sometimes I make a double batch of it. If I do not make a double batch Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce is really good on the meat loafs.

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Zesty Taco Soup

April 8, 2012 - 9 Comments

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup diced onions
2 cans pinto beans or black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
1  package taco seasoning mix
1  package ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup cilantro

To Garnish:
Sour cream
Grated cheese
Cilantro
Corn Chips

Directions

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large soup pan or stockpot. Or fry in skillet and transfer to a crock pot.  Drain any excess fat. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix. Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, cilantro and corn chips.

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Hot and Easy Party Chip Dip

April 3, 2011 - 1 Comment

Earlier this week, I asked all you facebook friends for ideas for what food I should have out at my son’s 15th birthday party.  Thanks for all the great ideas!  This is one of the things I was inspired to throw  together.

Although it looks like a pan of throw up… it was a HIT with the teenagers!!!

It comes from a recipe called Tex Mex Casserole that we put together when we do freezer meals.  Here’s what I did:

  • 1 lb ground beef, browned and seasoned (pulled it from my freezer!)
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup (from my stockpile)
  • 1 can Rotel (from my stockpile)
  • 1 can Ranch Style Beans
  • 1-2 cups of shredded cheese (always have some in my freezer!)

After your meat is cooked (or warmed because you took it out of your freezer and thawed in the microwave for a few minutes), just throw in the canned ingredients, mix well and simmer on the stove for however long you want it to simmer!  Throw in some cheese the last few minutes and stir it up!

If I had a warmed crockpot, I would have served it in there and set it out for the teenagers.  Instead I just dumped it in a bowl and set it next to a massive bowl of tortilla chips and they ate it in no time!  They requested more and luckily I had another bag of cooked ground beef from freezer meals… it took about 15 minutes and I had another batch ready!

 

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