freezer meal prep day

My good friend, Jenny, approached me about getting together and preparing several freezer meals for our families.  I, of course, said yes and the planning began.  She came up with two meals and I came up with two.  We wanted to start small and see how it went before we went big.  I'm super pleased to say it went very well.  We had a great time prepping the food and getting it ready for the freezer.  Our friend, Emily, also joined us to stock up her freezer.  She has an infant and was excited to have these meals for her freezer. 

Here's what we made:

Honey-Sesame chicken Skewers
Taco soup
Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry
Teriyaki Chicken

We first emailed each other the recipes so we could make our shopping list. 

Our Shopping List...Remember this is for each person

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
• 2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
• 1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
• 1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
• 1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
• Corn chips, for serving, optional
• Sour cream, for garnish, optional
• Grated cheese, for garnish, optional
• Chopped green onions, for garnish, optional
• Pickled jalapenos, for garnish, optional
• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp, fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• salt and pepper
• 12 boneless, skinless chicken things
• 6-8 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Bag of Frozen stir fry vegetables
• 1/2 bottle of Kikkomon stir fry sauce
• 1 tsp Garlic Garlic
• 20 oz can pineapples
• 1 bottle of teriyaki sauce
• ***Buy however much chicken you would like to put in the crock pot to make shredded chicken

After we shopped, we gathered all our goodies and met at Jenny's house to cook/prep. 

Here are the recipes:



Honey-Sesame Chicken Skewers

1 Cup Honey

 1/4 Cup sesame seeds

 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

 1 tsp. ground cumin

 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (if you like heat)

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. turmeric

salt/pepper to taste

12 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of excess fat

Combine honey, sesame seeds, lime juice, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, Cayenne, paprika and turmeric in a bowl. season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Cut chicken into approx. 1 inch chunks. Place chicken in Ziploc bag and pour honey-sesame mixture over.  Place in freezer for up to 2 months.

Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans

1 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 14 oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 oz.) can tomatoes with chiles (rotel)

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles

1 (4.6 oz.) can black olives, drained (optional)

1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 (1 oz.) pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

 corn chips, for serving

sour cream, for garnish

grated cheese, for garnish

chopped green onions, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain excess fat, then transfer to a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, olives, taco seasoning, and ranch mix. Mix well. We measured out 6 cups to fill a gallon zip lock bag. We each left with 2 filled gallon bags...that's 12 cups of soup each!!!

Allow to cool and freeze until ready to thaw, heat, and serve. 

 

Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry

3 Chicken breast, diced

1 bag frozen stir-fry veggies

1/2 bottle kikkomom stir-fry sauce

1 tsp. garlic garlic (not a typo...find it in your spice aisle)

Combine 1/2 bottle kikkomom sauce and garlic garlic in a quart sized bag.

Add chicken to a gallon freezer bag and staple the quart sauce bag to the chicken. You are ready to freeze.

To cook:

Thaw chicken and sauce. Saute chicken in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) until no longer pink. Add sauce and frozen veggies. Cook until veggies are crisp tender.  Serve over rice.

 

Teriyaki Chicken

20 oz. can Pineapple chunks, slightly drained

1 bottle teriyaki sauce

1 tsp. garlic garlic

1 cup water

Mix in gallon ziplock and freeze. 

To cook...

allow to thaw and grill

serve with veggies or salad.

We spent 4 hours getting our meals freezer ready.  We also had 12 chicken breast in the crock pot cooking while we worked.  When they were done cooking, we put them in the blender with a paddle attachment...instant shredded chicken!!! We split the chicken in quart freezer bags for easy dishes that call for shredded chicken.

It was a huge success and I'm already looking forward to our next cooking day!!!

Hamburgers and Dessert to DIE for!!!

Today's weather is AMAZING! 

It has been the perfect spring day &  the perfect grilling out day! 

Today on the menu - Hamburgers with Colby Jack cheese!


Cheesy Hamburgers

Ingredients:

*  1 pound of lean ground beef (adjust amount for your family)
*  2 sliced tomatoes
*  sliced Colby Jack cheese
*  hamburger buns

Ingredients for marinade:

*  1 tablespoon  A1
*  1 tablespoon Worcestershire
*  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
*  1 teaspoon garlic powder
*  1 teaspoon onion powder

Thaw ground beef.  When thawed, add ingredients for marinade and allow to sit in the fridge for 30 min. to several hours (depending on how much time you have before you want to eat).  We only let ours sit about 30 minutes today and they turned out fantastic and full of flavor.  Meanwhile, slice the cheese and tomatoes - set aside.  Fire up the grill and cook away.  We like ours a little pink inside and when they are almost to the desired doneness, add one slice of cheese to each burger and allow to melt on the grill.  This doesn't take long so don't go far.  Layer up your burger with whatever goodness you like and enjoy!  We had ours along side chips and dip today =)  Doesn't get much better than that!!! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas & Chicken Parmigiana

This is one of our favorite and EASY Mexican meals!  The ingredients may seem a little strange, but trust me on this one because it's a keeper!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Ingredients:

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 10 corn tortillas, quartered
* 1 pkg. taco seasoning OR 4 tablespoons Penzeys taco seasoning (what I used)
* 1/2 cup of water
* 1 can cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 12 oz. chunky salsa (your favorite brand)
* 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

How To:

1. Crumble the ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning and water; simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa, cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup. Mix in most of the cheese, reserving 3/4 cup for later.
3. Place a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of a slow cooker. Scoop a layer of the ground beef over that, and then spoon a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers until you run out of stuff, ending with a layer of tortillas on the top. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Seriously delicious!!! Serve with a side salad and your favorite Mexican rice.

Penzeys Spices ROCK!!!

Soup mixture and yummy cheese

This is how I lay my tortillas in the crock pot - 2 full and one split in half

beef...it's what's for dinner =)

layering it up

Here is another fast dinner.  It's perfect for those busy week nights!

Allie's Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breast or 8 to 10 boneless chicken tenders
* EVOO
* 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
* 2 cans HUNTS diced tomatoes with garlic and Italian spices
* 2 tsp. basil, oregano, and parsley
* spaghetti noodles ( I like thin, but you could use whatever)
* Parmesan cheese
* mozzarella cheese

How To:

Begin by rinsing your thawed chicken.  Mince garlic and add roughly 2 tablespoons EVOO to your warm skillet.  Add chicken to the skillet and cook through until meat is white and juices run clear.  Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and your basil, oregano, and parsley.  Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti noodles via package instructions.  Drain and set aside.  I like to add a touch of EVOO to my noodles if they will be sitting for any length of time. This helps them not to stick together.  Once your skillet mixture is bubbling lightly, add a few hand fulls of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese to the top and let melt.  Once melted, you are ready to eat! Sorry I don't have pics for this one. 

Chicken Casserole and Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes!!!

I can't believe it's been a week since I blogged.  I do have a little excuse though. I was sick with a cold and my allergies have been going nuts!  I'm finally feeling better and it is so nice to get back into my routines.  I spent most of the day Monday deep cleaning my 3 bathrooms and kitchen, doing laundry, and changing out winter clothes for summer clothes.  Plus, I went to the gym, meal planned, and grocery shopped!  I was worn out by the day was over so I didn't finish my entire list.  I was able to work on a few things yesterday like vacuuming and mopping and my plan today is to dust and clean my mirrors and pictures.  We'll see if I get to it today. If not, there's always tomorrow!  That is a concept that I just recently became okay with.  I would pretty much kill myself and conquer the entire house - floor to ceiling - once a week.  Yikes! After Brock was born, I got some sense!  I realized that it's okay to not always have a perfect house.  I keep my house straight, for my sanity, but it's certainly not always spotless.  For in between cleanings I love to use Clorox clean up wipes or Lysol wipes!!! They are awesome!  I wipe down my kitchen counters, fridge, bathroom sink, toilet, etc...I use them everywhere.

Anyway, I do have recipes to share! Yay! I may not have cleaned, but I did manage to cook a few meals.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

I would think most of you have had either this exact meal or something very similar.  It seems to be a southern classic.

Here's how it's done-

Ingredients:

* 1 pound chicken
* 2 cans cream of chicken
* 1 cup sour cream
* 2ish sleeves Ritz Crackers
* Poppy seeds

How to:

First, rinse chicken and put in a pot of boiling water.  Once chicken is just about cooked through, pull it out and allow to cool.  Once cooled, shred the chicken and set off to side.  Preheat oven to 375.  Mix 2 cans of cream of chicken and sour cream together in a bowl.  Once incorporated, spoon mixture into a glass baking dish.  Add chicken and crush about 1/2 sleeve of Ritz. Finally, add poppy seeds to taste - 1 to 2 tablespoons. Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Crush a full sleeve of Ritz on top of casserole.  Place back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes or until lightly toasted. Serve with a side salad and rolls.

shredded chicken

This is a picture of Daniel's plate and he doesn't like poppy seeds.  I omit them and add them to my plate at the table.  It doesn't effect the flavor at all to add them later.

Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes

This is another recipe that y'all are going to be familiar with.  It's my roast, carrots, & potatoes.  I made this today and it is always a winner in my family. 

Ingredients:

* Roast (size of your choice) mine are usually 3-5 pounds.

* 3.5 cups beef broth or stock

* 2 bay leaves

* onion powder

* garlic powder

* Italian seasoning - weird...maybe - but  yummie!

* A1

* Worcestershire sauce

* Salt/ Pepper

* 1/2 bag of bite size carrots

* about 6 potatoes, washed and cubed

How to:

Last night at 10 I put my frozen roast in the crock pot with the beef broth, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, splash of A1, splash of Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tsp. pepper.  I turned it on low and let it simmer all night long.  When I got back from the gym this morning I added the carrots and potatoes. It was perfectly cooked and ready to eat by lunchtime!  I heated up some pillsbury biscuits and we had a delicious lunch!  Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one! Y'all give it a try!!!

Birthday Time!!!

I have been working out and cooking, I PROMISE! It's just that my birthday was Saturday, and well, I've been busy celebrating and eating everyone else's cooking =)  I do have 2 new recipes to share!!!

I had a fantastic 29th birthday - definitely a great way to kick off my last year in my 20's - goodness, that's not fun to type!!! My celebration officially started Friday when Daniel had the day off.  I went to the gym that morning and worked my legs, abs, and did the stair climber.  It was a good workout and a great way to begin the day.  I let Daniel sleep in until 9ish because he had been working on his truck most of the week and he was up until 7am, yes alllllll night long, Wednesday night.  I figured I'd be a nice wife and let him catch up on some much needed snooze time.  Plus, he wasn't feeling all that great. Probably due to the lack of sleep during the week.  After lunch we went to the Arlington park and after we'd been there less than 5 minutes we were approached by several different people who informed us that there were two prison escapees just down the road. UMMMM, OK - so we promptly left!!! We decided to head to Shelby Farms and just hang out.  The weather was gorgeous and we wanted to be outside!  Once we got there we realized we weren't exactly in the best walking shoes so we decided to rent a paddle boat! What fun that was - the kids LOVED it and so did D and I.  We were on the water an hour and enjoyed every minute! I love spending time doing fun activities with my family. 

boat time!!!

the girls were chillin'

how cute are they??

Next on my birthday agenda was to get my very first tattoo!!! Yes, I did!!! I have been wanting one for so long but just couldn't decide what to get and where.  Plus, I always worried what everyone would think.  I finally decided that I can't worry about what others think - so, I went for it!  I searched and searched for the perfect design.  I knew I wanted something small and I wanted it to mean something special to me.  After hours of looking around I decided to go with a Chinese symbol.  I always wanted to incorporate my kids names in the tattoo somehow but wasn't sure how to do it.  The symbol I got means "mom".  I got it on my right wrist and it's black.  I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.  I went to Trilogy here in town and they were great.  I was super nervous and they made me feel so comfortable and at ease.  Getting the tattoo was about a 15 minute process and when I say process, I mean painful process!!! The tattoo artist said it wouldn't hurt too badly but just be an annoying feeling.  Well, I highly disagree - it was painful! But, again, so worth it in the end!!! I may even do it again one day =) Here are some pics!!!

my new addition!

isn't it cute??!!

I am sporting my new workout clothes from Target! love that store!!!

Saturday, my actual birthday, was amazing!!! D and I slept in until 10:30!!!  We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom - my favorite pizza joint EVER!  We did a little shopping and hanging out outside.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect! It was in the high 60s and sunny.  Seriously perfect weather.  I really wanted to run on my day, so we ran home and changed clothes. I was going to be running outside and have been wanting to get a water bottle that I could take while running.  I found one at Dick's that goes around my waist like a belt.  It even has a little zipper area for my key and whatever else I may need on my run.  So, I filled the water bottle up and wiped it down with a baby wipe (can you blame me...I mean I didn't go home and I had no other way to wash it) - Daniel made fun of me =) I'm a bit of a germ - a - phoebe! I decided that I wanted to run at Shelby farms and run the 5k trail.  It is a bit hilly and challenging, but it was one of the best runs I've ever had! I don't know if it was the amazing weather or just the fact that it was my special day.  It was amazing! I ran it in a little under 30 minutes!

my run!

I had a fantastic 29th birthday - looking forward to the big 30 next year!!!

I have a recipe for y'all that I got from my hubby.  His family would eat this meal fairly often.  It's super easy and delicious. 

We call it - MEAT PIE -

Here's how it's done -

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* A1
* Worchestire sauce
* salt/pepper
* garlic powder
* onion powder
* about 6 potatoes
* cream cheese
* milk or heavy cream
* butter

Directions:

Take your ground beef and place it in an 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish.  Add a good splash of A1 and worchestire.  Also add 1-2 tsp. of garlic powder and onion powder.  Mix well with your hands.  Add salt and pepper (again, I don't measure - I'm so sorry - I really will try better!!!) I would say a dash of salt and also a dash of pepper.  You can always add more once it's on your plate.  Pop that in a 350 degree oven for 20ish minutes. Just watch it and when the meat is cooked through, pull it out.  I usually don't drain all the grease off the meat after it's baked. It dries out if you do. I may drain a little bit if it's overwhelmingly greasy, so just use your better judgement on this one.  Meanwhile, begin your mashed potatoes.  Peel and dice your potatoes.  Add to boiling water and cook until fork easily slides through.  Drain potatoes and add about 1/2 a stick of butter.  Also add 1/4 block of cream cheese and your milk or cream to the desired consistency.  Add a dash of salt and pepper.  Once potatoes and meat are done, spoon potatoes on top of meat.  Spread evenly and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve with a veggie of your choice or salad! It's yummie!!!

Sorry, I don't have pics for this one.

Southwest Steak & Black Bean Salad!!!

       

 Southwest Steak & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients and Cooking Directions

2 15-oz. cans black beans, thoroughly
rinsed
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
(around 24)
2 avocados, diced
2 limes, juice of
1 TB. SOUTHWEST SEASONING
1⁄3 Cup canola oil
1⁄4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lb. steak (we used sirloin)
1 tsp. SOUTHWEST SEASONING * purchased from Penzeys
1 lime, juice of

In a large bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes,

avocados, lime juice, SOUTHWEST SEASONING,

canola oil and cilantro. Stir well to combine. Set

aside to let the flavors mingle while you prepare

the steak.

Wash the steak and pat dry. Rub on both sides with

the SOUTHWEST SEASONING. Grill or broil to your

desired level of doneness. 1” thick sirloin medium

rare is about 5-6 minutes per side over medium

high heat. Divide the black bean salad among

6 plates. Thinly slice the steak and arrange on the

plates. Sprinkle the steak with lime juice and serve.

Steak seasoned with Penzeys Southwest Seasoning

Black beans- drain and rinse

my beautiful blue eyed helper

Cilantro!!! Love this herb.

Delicious Avocado - gotta love it!

Tip - roll the lime back and forth a few times before cutting it. It helps the juices flow =)

Squeezing lime goodness over the bean mixture

Me and my little sous chef

How good does this look?!

Steaks on the grill - thanks to my hubs and dad

the grillin' boys!

more lime goodness going on the grilled steaks...yum!

Fantastic dinner!

Mundane Monday OR Magnificent Monday??!!

WORKOUT -

Mondays are always hard for me to get into the workout mode!  I find it to be the hardest day to crawl out of my warm bed, put on my running shoes, and get out the door.  However, the payoff is definitely worth it. 

Today was cardio day.  I set the "mill" for 25 minutes and away I went.  To my surprise when my time was up,  I wasn't completely worn out! I actually jogged most of my cool down. I ran most of the distance at 6.0 mph and the last two minutes I upped the pace. From 6.5 and then 7.0 the final minute. I felt strong - and it felt great!!!  How strange on the day I felt so sluggish coming into the run - that I would feel the best I'd felt on a run yet?!  After the run, I jumped on the stair climber and did around 575 steps =)  Overall, today felt great and I'm already looking forward to tomorrow! 


TODAY'S DISH-

We usually have what most people have for dinner at lunch - due to my hubs work schedule.  He is able to eat lunch with us daily, so I try to prepare the larger meal at that time so he can enjoy it with us. Today, was taco salad day! It was exactly what I wanted and it hit the spot.
Here's the recipe -

Taco Salad

Ingredients -

1 pound of ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 tablespoons ketchup (strange, I know, but really good)
tomato
avocado
sour cream
tortilla chips
1/2 block of cheese of your choice ( I used Colby bc it is what I had on hand )
salad

Directions -

1.  brown your beef and drain the grease
2.  add taco seasoning pkg.
3.  add ketchup and mix well
4.  chop 1 tomato & 1 avocado, grate cheese, and tear salad into small pieces
5.  layer it up - tortilla chips, ground beef mixture, cheese, salad, avocado, tomatoes, & sour cream. I also added some cheese dip (rotel and Velveeta) bc it was already prepared from a few nights ago. 

Taco salad is one of those recipes that can so easily be altered to your specific taste. I know you're probably hesitant about the ketchup, I know I was at first, but I promise it is good!

P.S. I'm going with Magnificent Monday!!!

Blessings,
Allie