Soft Pretzels

Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Okay, I know that picture looks weird and nothing like a pretzel, but I promise you the taste is sooo yummy. We made a double batch of these--half salted and half cinnamon sugar (my favorite). We got eight of each kind but only 4 cinnamon sugar ones made it to the freezer. I blame Brian. The recipe is from Annie's Eats.

Ingredients

For the dough:
1½ cups warm water (110-115° F)
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
22 oz. all-purpose flour (about 4½ cups)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for greasing the bowl

For finishing:
Cooking spray
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Pretzel (or kosher) salt or a cinnamon/sugar mixture

Directions:

To make the dough, combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to dissolve the yeast. Add in the flour and melted butter and mix just until the dough comes together. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough is smooth and clears the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with vegetable oil, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, about 50-55 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bring the water and baking soda to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot.

In the meantime, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll a segment out into a 24-inch long rope. Make a U-shape with the rope and holding the ends of the rope…cross them over each other and onto the bottom of the U-shape in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 or 2 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted skimmer and return to the baking sheet. Once all the pretzels have been boiled, brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake in the preheated oven until dark golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer: To freeze, bake as directed and cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and then put in a freezer bag. To serve, microwave on medium heat for a few seconds until warm. 

Pita Pizzas

Rating: Unknown

 Not only did I want dinners ready in the freezer, but I also wanted some quick lunch options. The pita pizzas were super easy to toss together and freeze. I got the idea and basic instructions from Once a Month Mom.


Ingredients

Pita bread (or any flat bread)
Mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni
Italian crumbled sausage
Black olives
Green pepper
Onion

Pizza sauce (this recipe is from Annie's Eats)
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. grated onion
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper

Directions:

Make sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, oregano, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread flat pita bread with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with desired pizza toppings, then cheese. Broil approximately 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Freezing Directions: After assembling pizzas, do not bake, instead, wrap individually in plastic wrap and divide among freezer bags, seal, label and freeze. To serve: Broil for approx. 5-10 minutes or until hot and bubbly, or microwave until hot and bubbly.

Lasagna

 It looks burnt but that is just the wheat noodles *trust me*

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Here is an excellent and easy lasagna that can be split into two meals--one to eat fresh and one to stash in the freezer. The recipe is from Eating My Way Back. Brian and I both thought it lacked a bit of flavor so he added a tiny bit of salt to his and I added red pepper flakes -- both of which did the trick.

Ingredients

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 oz.) container fat-free cottage cheese
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups 2% mozzarella cheese
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 lb. ground turkey (I used plain but you could use italian style)
9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles/regular lasagna noodles
*salt / red pepper flakes to taste (see above)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan, heat tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. If you are using regular lasagna noodles, boil them according to package directions at this time.

2. Meanwhile, puree the cottage cheese until smooth. Add the ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup basil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper until just combined.

3. Cook the turkey until brown.

4. Assemble the lasagna. Use non-stick cooking spray to coat a 9 by 13 pan. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place 3 noodles on top, half the ricotta mixture, half the meat, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat. Top with 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

*If you want to freeze half, use two 9 by 9 inch pans. Divide lasagna stuff evenly between both pans. Bake one and allow the other to cool completely, cover tightly with foil, and put in the freezer.

5. Bake covered for 1 hour (if cooking from frozen, bake for 1 hour 30 minutes).

6. Remove cover and sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for another 10 minutes.

7. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Kabobs

Photo from Once a Month Mom

 

Rating: Unknown

 

We have made and frozen three different types of kabobs. This is a super easy way to stock your freezer in advance (no cooking on prep day = hooray!) and it is super easy to toss them on the grill or cook on the stove top and serve with steamed rice. In the freezer we have sweet and sour kabobs, garlic and herb kabobs, and creole seasoning and butter kabobs. We adopted the recipe from a post by Once a Month Mom.

 

Ingredients

 

Meat of choice (we used chicken)

Veggies of choice (we used green, red, and yellow peppers, mushrooms, and onions)

Marinade of choice 

Directions

In a large freezer bag toss together the meat, veggies, and marinade, remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze. To cook, thaw in fridge and toss on a hot grill.

Breakfast Egg, Sausage, and Cheese Bagel

Photo from Once A Month Mom

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Once a Month Mom posted this yummy delight earlier and I knew it would be perfect in the mornings and quick to reheat. I stocked our freezer with 12 with little effort. I'm sure once the baby arrives these will be gone in a flash.

Ingredients:

18 each eggs
2 cups Evaporated milk (you can substitute regular milk if you would like)
Bacon, cooked and chopped or a pound of crumbled breakfast sausage
2 cups vegetables, chopped (I used green onion, mushrooms, and green peppers)
12 slices Cheddar cheese
12 bagels, sliced in half
cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add in additional ingredients except bagels. Spray an 9x13 pan and add egg mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the oven, stir, and return to oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool.

2. Cut egg into 12 pieces and add one piece to each bottom of a bagel. Top with sliced cheese and top of bagel. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place in a gallon freezer bag. To serve: Separate the egg and bagel, reheat the egg in microwave and toast your bagel.

Chicken Tetrazinni

Photo from Martha Stewart

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

This freezer meal may get bumped down a notch once Brian has a taste. I enjoyed the dish but it has frozen peas mixed throughout and that is his least favorite vegetable. So, if you are like Brian, feel free to substitute another veggie in the dish for the peas. Similar to the other baked dishes, you make a double-batch and freeze the second dish. The recipe is from Martha Stewart.

 

Ingredients

 
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 tablespoons butter
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 pound linguine, broken in half
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed and drained

Directions  

 

1. Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for pasta). In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Add mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
 

2. Make sauce: In same saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and add 2 cups Parmesan and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
 

3. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente; drain and return to pot. Add sauce, chicken, peas, and mushrooms. Toss well to combine. Divide between two shallow 2-quart baking dishes; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Freeze one and bake the other until browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

 

4. To cook the frozen dish, bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.

 

 

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Photo from Martha Stewart

Rating: 4 out of 5

With the baby due in the next few weeks, I have been stocking the freezer like a crazed squirrel before winter.  My goal is to have enough meals to feed a family of four for two weeks! Not all will be freezer meals, but they will be simple to whip up in a jiffy with little mess. First up, was the baked pasta from Martha Stewart. This was super easy to make a double batch and tasted yummy before it was frozen.

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup vodka (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces baby spinach
12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces fontina cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat; add vodka, if desired. Return to heat; cook until almost evaporated, 1 minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

4. Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes.

5. Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.
 
6. To cook the frozen dish, bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.