I was wondering if you have any recommendations for a meal that can easily be frozen and still taste great? I was planning to take a meal to a neighbor who just had a baby. I wanted to give them something that they didn't have to eat right away but could could just pop in the oven and eat whenever they needed something.
I think the best things to freeze are pasta dishes. A lot of times those are pretty much already "cooked" and can be frozen at the point you would normally put them in the oven and then just cooked later at a convenient time. Below are a few easy recipes that I have taken to people who just had babies and they are hit!
6 servings
From Kraft Recipes
Ingredients
1lb. extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Preparation
1) Brown meat in large skillet with Italian seasoning and garlic; drain. Add pasta, sauce and half the Parmesan; mix well.
2) Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; top with remaining cheeses.*This is the point I would freeze it. When they are ready to bake it, take it out of the freezer and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
3) Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
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| From www.kraftrecipes.com |
6-8 servings
From Southern Living November 2002
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cannelloni, manicotti shells, or jumbo pasta shells
4 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
2 (8-ounce) containers chive-and-onion cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
For sauce:
2 (7-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 (16-ounce) jar creamy Alfredo sauce
1 (3-ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1) Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2) Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
3) Cut pasta shells lengthwise through the other side (for jumbo shells you don't have to do anything, just stuff them).
4) Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each shell, gently pressing cut sides together. *This is the point where you can freeze the shells. Wrap tightly with wax paper; freeze until ready to serve. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Unwrap and place in a baking dish. You can give them a jar of pasta sauce or use this Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce and that's something they can freeze as well. They will need to thaw it so they can pour the sauce over the shells to bake.
5) To make roasted red bell pepper sauce: Process roasted red bell peppers, Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
6) Place shells, cut sides down, in 2 lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dishes. Pour sauce evenly over shells.
7) Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
My husband is allergic to milk so here's another red bell pepper sauce that would be great for this recipe and is dairy free:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, undrained
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
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| From www.myrecipes.com |
Do you have any frozen meals that are a hit? Feel free to share your recipe below. Also, email me anytime at couponkitchen@yahoo.com with your questions!
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