Cookies n Cream Cookies

Rating 4.75 out of 5 (I felt guilty giving this a 5 when it is sooooo unhealthy)

I nearly had a heart attack when I saw these cookies on See Jane in the Kitchen. Partly because of the amount of sugar in the cookies but mostly because it looked like such an excellent guilty pleasure. I just couldn't wait to mix up a double-batch for our freezer.

Ingredients


2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (4.2 ounce) package Cookies 'n Creme pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
15 Oreo cookies, very coarsly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugars, add pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the butter mixture.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and Oreo cookies. (Here is where you can flash freeze the dough and bag the individual cookies in the freezer)

5. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven until cookies tops barely have a touch of brown.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Fresh Salsa

Rating: Too HOT for you! 
4.5 out of 5

Okay, I am not the salsa maker in the family. However, Brian didn't have time to make the salsa before going on a business trip and the veggies were going to spoil. Not knowing what I was doing, I chopped, tossed, and mixed my way into a HOT salsa. We now have five bags of salsa in our freezer (who needs jarred salsa anyway!).

Ingredients

7 Roma Tomatoes
1 can of petite chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 white onion
5 hot peppers
5 garlic cloves
1 lime

Directions

Roughly chop all the ingredients (except the lime). Toss together and squeeze the lime juice over the salsa. 
Directions

Zesty Italian Pasta

Rating: 4 out of 5

This side dish makes me feel like I am eating the rainbow. All the beautiful colors and the tangy zest from the dressing makes this dish from Mom's Budget a keeper. Not to mention it was super easy to throw together, toss the extras in the freezer, and clean up.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dry vegetable rotini
1/2 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped

Directions:

1. Cook rotini until barely cooked al dente. Drain.

2. Toss the ingredients together.

3. Freeze in single portion servings in freezer bags or containers. Great for lunches. Put into the lunchbox frozen, and it will be thawed for lunchtime.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Muffins

Rating: Unknown

I haven't actually had a muffin yet, but they sure smelled good coming out of the oven. We only have two egg muffins left in the freezer so I decided it was time to try out a new recipe from Annie's Eats. I still wanted some protein in the muffin but also wanted it to be a bit more fun, so this fit the bill perfectly. 

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
½ cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
¾ cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top.

4. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pulled Pork

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Since the pigapolooza let down, I have been searching for a yummy slow cooker pulled pork recipe. I found just the one at The Way the Cookie Crumbles. This is a perfect meal for the crock-pot and freezer (we got eight meals out of our pork). We decided to freeze 1/2 with BBQ sauce and 1/2 without in case we want the pork in a taco or some other meal.

Ingredients

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper (we used black pepper)

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce (we used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Directions

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Salmon Pasta

 

Forgive my mid-eating picture

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This was a perfect Spring time meal - light, fresh and filling. The entire process took less than 30 minutes even when I forgot to thaw my Salmon. Plus, the cleanup is a breeze. Unless you don't like the taste of sour cream, this is a winner. The recipe is from Martha Stewart but I had to adapt it based on the ingredients we had on hand.

Ingredients
 
1 tablespoon fennel seeds (I used Penzy's Tuscan Sunset)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I didn't use)
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
Salt and pepper
1 one-pound salmon fillet with skin (about 1 inch thick)
1 pound corkscrew or other short pasta
10 ounces spinach, stems trimmed and leaves washed well
1/2 cup sour cream
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions
 
1. Heat the broiler. Put fennel seeds in a small, self-sealing plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin (or in my case, scoop about 2 tablespoons of Tuscan Sunset into a bowl). Add parsley, brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the bag, and shake to mix.

2. Press the mixture onto the skinless side of the salmon (I did both sides because we don't have a skinless side). Broil salmon, skin side down, until it is no longer red in the center, about 8 minutes.

3. Flake the fish with a fork. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water, and drain pasta. Return it to the warm pot, add spinach, and toss.

4. In a bowl, mix together sour cream, lemon juice to taste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons pasta water.

5. Simply toss pasta and spinach in the pot with the salmon and the sour-cream mixture, adding pasta water as needed, and serve.

Grandma's Meatballs

Rating: 5 out of 5

My official rater is out of town, so I get to give this our very first PERFECT score. If he disagrees he can have a talk with grandma. I love these meatballs so much I decided to make a double batch and freeze nearly 40 saucy balls (that's a reference to the America's Next Great Restaurant). This time I ate them as a meatball sub but they would be great as an appetizer or on some noodles. Mmm....

Ingredients

2 lbs Italian sausage
1 egg
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
1/2 Red Onion
10 oz of Sweet Chili Sauce
18 oz of Grape Jelly

Directions

1. Mix together the sausage, egg, onion and bread crumbs. Form the meat mixture into ping pong ball sized meatballs (yes, that is my technical term).

2. Combine the chili sauce and jelly in a slow cooker. Add the meatballs and cook on low for 6 hours.

3. Smell the excellence for a few hours and then serve warm once cooked through.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Rating 4.5 out of 5

This took a bit longer to make but its nice that it made two-meals-in-one. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website and it had a simple, but delicious flavor. If you are looking for a starter freezer meal, this is a great dish.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently (this took forever). Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.

5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer Directions

Do not bake before freezing. After you divide the pasta into two dishes, cover and label the second dish, and put in the freezer. When ready, take out of the freezer and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for at least 25 minutes.

Focaccia

Rating 4.75 out of 5

This was a combination of two recipes (NBC and Taste of Home) and it was yummy in my tummy. It was super fast, tasty, and very minimal dishes. I highly recommend this one, especially if you need a side dish or a compliment to a salad. This is basically a pizza without the sauce and cheese (but don't worry it is super delicious minus those two vital ingredients).

Ingredients

1 15 oz. bag pizza dough
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (We used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset)
3 tablespoons olive oil blend
Handful of sliced mushrooms
Handful of pepperoni
Handful of chopped green peppers
Handful of chopped onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle to fit a 9 x 13 glass bakeware dish. Using a fork poke dents into the dough.

3. In a small bowl mix together the Italian seasoning mix and oil. Brush herbed oil mix all over top of the dough.

4. Top with veggies.

5. Place in oven and bake in glass bakeware dish for 20-25 minutes until focaccia is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Egg Muffins

Rating 3 out of 5

I wanted a quick, on-the-go breakfast option so I thought egg muffins would do the trick. Although these are tasty and easy out of the freezer, I think I can find a better recipe. Ideally, something like an Egg McMuffin. The cleanup for us is also a big minus for this dish. My muffin pan is still soaking in the sink two days later.

Ingredients

10-12 eggs
2 T fat free half and half (we just used milk)
1-2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2- 2 cups diced meat: canadian bacon, ham, cooked sausage (we used sausage)
1 1/2- 2 cups grated cheese (we used cheddar)
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small (we didn't use)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

3. In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be 3/4 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients.

4. Beat eggs well with the half and half (you could use milk). Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is full to the brim, nearly overflowing.

5. Bake 25-30 minutes until muffins have risen above the rim of the muffin cups and are slightly browned and set.

Freezer Directions

After baking the muffins, flash freeze and then bag. Once ready, pull out muffins and microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds.

Artichoke Bread

Rating 4.5 out of 5

This week was my first week test driving freezer recipes. I figured with Brian traveling and a baby on the way, I should start stocking my freezer with some dinners. My plan is to make a few each month and try them freshly-made and out of the freezer while Brian is gallivanting around. First up, I started with a tasty side dish or lunch option -- artichoke bread. The recipe is from Once a Month Mom and it tasted great fresh (not sure what it will be like out of the freezer yet).

Ingredients

1 loaf french bread
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Slice bread. Turn on broiler.

2. In a bowl, combine drained artichokes, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Spread evenly over sliced bread. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Place under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Freezer Directions


Prepare as directed above but DO NOT broil. Instead, place on a cookie sheet and flash freeze, then place in a freezer bag, label, and return to freezer. To serve: Place under broiler for 5-7 minutes or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Dill and Basil Grilled Salmon

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Warm weather and a break in the rain clouds means grilling time! Brian found a simple grilled fish recipe on backpacker.com and wanted to try it out. Backpacker admits the recipe is more for car camping than backpacking so I figured it would be perfect at home on the charcoal grill. We served it with a side of sweet potato fries and green beans.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 salmon fillets
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (we used Penzeys Parisien Bonnes Herbes)
1 large lemon, sliced

Directions

1. Start your charcoal.

2. For each fillet, take a sheet of foil and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on it.

3. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Lay your salmon fillet on the oil, then pour the other tablespoon of olive oil on the surface and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Squeeze some lemon juice on top. Throw your onion on top of that, along with your garlic and basil. Sprinkle with the dill, then place the sliced lemon on top of everything. Place another piece of foil on top and seal the edges of the top and bottom pieces of foil.

4. Grill over indirect heat for 35 minutes (or over a fire using a backpacker's grill), or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.