May's Freezer Cooking, Once a Month Cooking, Batch Cooking...... Part 2

Everywhere I shopped last Thursday, my food shopping day, I stumbled upon great "manager special" ground meat deals.  All under $2 a pound and were anywhere from $1.50 to $1.80 a pound.  They all needed freezing by the next day.  So you know what I did?  I purchased a total of 19 pounds over three stores.  While I was at Kroger I picked up 3 3-pound rolls of ground beef and 2 1-pound packages of ground turkey.  I left the store thinking great deal, glad I went shopping here today.  I never expected to come across any more.  Next stop was Hays where I picked up a 3-pound package of ground beef and then Walmart where I picked up one 5 pound roll of ground beef.   It really was not my intention to spend all my grocery budget on ground beef but when the opportunity knocks, I generally like to answer it.

I took my purchases home and had an impromptu Once a Month Cooking day for dinner starters (or investment cooking).  I had no real plan so I can't share that part with you.  I just put sicky lables on each roll or pack to suggest what I needed to make with it.  Worked on  mix and freeze first and then moved onto the mix/cook/freeze meats.

Look at all those Yellow Stickers

4 Dinners worth of Bolognese Meat Sauce

3 Meals of Meatballs.  They are giant so one per person.

One Batch of Mini Meatballs for Swedish Meatballs

3 dinners worth of plain old ground beef ear marked for Hamburger Helper

(a project I am currently working on... Pantry ready GF replacements for Boxed HH)

3 Batches marked for Taco Dinner and 1 for Taco Pizza

2 Meatloaf Dinners

2 Hamburger Dinners

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Stuffed Baked Potato with "The WORKS"

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

8 large Potatoes

1 cup Bacon Bits

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

2 sticks of Butter

1 cup Sour Cream

2 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash

1 teaspoon Pepper

2 teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Bake Potatoes for 1 hour or until soft in center.

Meanwhile saute garlic for one minute and set aside.

Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.

Slice baked potatoes in half with serrated knife.  

Scoop pulp into large bowl and set shells aside.

Add bacon, garlic, butter, sour cream and seasonings.  

Mash with a hand held potato masher.

Stir in 1 cup cheese.

Scoop potatoes back into 15 shells (one will be sacrificed for the additional pulp)

Top with remaining cheese and some fresh green onions.

Freeze at this point, flat on a cookie sheet until solid.  Place in plastic bag for longer term storage.

Bake fresh or thawed potatoes for 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

This recipe was originally from Cooking Light Cookbook 1999 addition. A friend of mine forwarded to me the Pioneer Woman's version.  It was very similar but on its own tasted fabulous.  This recipe is a compilation of both recipes.

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Freezer Cooking, Dinner Starters, Make Ahead List

Have you seen my post here? My style is more like making my own convenience foods and dinner starters, not making ahead full dinners.  I still love to give that home made feel each night but don't want  cooking to consume my evening.  My make ahead list is ever growing as I continue to  replace my processed foods and canned goods with my own.  Eliminating processed and canned foods leaves you with what I believe is Whole Foods.  What has provided us as nourishment though the earth.
Why would I do all this?  I was seriously ill and a part of what helped my cure was eliminating processed foods entirely.  It was actually doctor prescribed.  At first I only did it for the time I was being treated.  But my mother strongly URGED me to keep it up.  There must be SOME reason you were told to do that she would say.  What harm could it be to continue she says.  I was always the child that listened to my mother.  Her words sunk in. If it helped me, it will help my children be healthy was well right?  That was all the motivation I needed.  I'm still working on it.  I have not mastered it yet, but i will.


Rice a Roni Dry Mix
Jiffy Corn Bread Dry Mix
Cream Soup Dry Mix
Hamburger Rolls Dry Mix
Pre-Cooked Rice
Pre-Cooked Beans (red, black and white)
Refried Beans
Escalloped Apples
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Bolognese Meat Sauce
Tomato Sauce (same as bolognese without meat)
Meatloaf
Hamburgers
Meatballs
Ground Beef Base
Soup Starter (cup each of diced onions, carrots and celery)
Stock (chicken and beef)
Gnocchi
Twice Based Potatoes

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Cream Condensed Soup Powder Mix

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

2 cubs Nonfat Dry Milk Powder

1/4 cup Corn Starch

1/2 Potato Flakes

2 Tablespoons dried minced onions

1/4 cup Bouillon Powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Using airtight container combine all ingredients listed.  Shake well.

When using mix combine 1/3 cup of mix with 1 1/4 cup hot water.  Stir until thickened.

To make condensed soup for cooking use 1 cup water.

• Add chopped sauteed mushrooms for cream of mushroom soup.
• Add Sauteed celery for cream of celery soup.
• Add a hand full of chicken bits for cream of chicken soup.

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Refried Beans

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

1 pound Pinto Beans (2 cups)

3 or 4 cups Water

1/2 cup Bacon Drippings (I save mine when I cooke bacon)

1 large Onion

5 cloves Garlic

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Cumin

2 teaspoons Salt

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

Soak beans overnight with enough water to cover by 1 or 2 inches.

Next morning, rinse beans and place back into pot with enough water to cover by 1 or 2 inches.

Simmer uncovered on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until beans are tender on stove top.

Use potato masher or stick blender to mash up beans.

Place bacon fat in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook onions until translucent.  

Add garlic and seasonings.  Cook for about a minute until fragrant.

Add beans and cooking liquid.  

Cook stirring until thick paste forms adding any water as necessary.

or

Starting from stop one, place beans, onions and garlic in crock pot and cook 8 to 10 hours on low.  

Remove enough water to just allow beans to be submerged.

Use potato masher or stick blender to mash up beans.

Place in jars or bags and freeze.

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Gluten Free Rice A Roni Mix

Last time I checked, Rice a Roni was not Gluten free.  No worries, it really is super simple to make and it is a great idea to make it ahead.  If you break down the cost you will see that for the cost of one box on the shelves, you could make several.  The taste is exact.  Give it a try.  You will not be disappointed.

Please enjoy this recipe as a part of my make ahead series.

Rice a Roni

1 cup long grain White Rice

1/2 cup Broken Rice Spaghetti Pieces (as small as you can get them)

4 Herb-Ox Bouillon Cubes (chicken or beef)

*************

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 teaspoon Oil

2 3/4 to 3 cups of Home Made Chicken or Beef stock (Water works also)

Chopped Fresh Parsley to taste

Add first three ingredients (rice, pasta bits, bouillon) in a glass jar.
(Sometimes I leave bouillon out and add with wet ingredients after)

Swipe metal cap with vinegar to disinfect. Twist on Metal Cap.

Keeps for a year in your pantry but I wont keep more than I'll use in say 2 months.

• Add oil and butter to pan.
• Take bouillon cubes aside and add rice/pasta to pan.
• Saute until rice starts to brown.
• Add stock or water and bouillon cubes and stir. Bring to boil.
• Turn heat down to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes (until rice is tender).
• Garnish with fresh parsley.

I first read about this recipe from Alison here.

I adapted it to suite my gluten free lifestyle and re-posed here with permission.

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Gluten Free Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Copy Cat Recipe

Please enjoy this recipe that is a part of my make ahead series.

Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 cup Medium Ground Corn Meal

1 cup of Flour (use any flour if not Gluten Free, works with both)

• 1 parts Brown Rice Four,
• 2/3 part Potato Starch,
• 1/3 part Tapioca Flour

1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (omit if not Gluten Free)

1/4 cup Sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

**********

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 cup Milk

1 Egg

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients and store in a Glass Jar for up to one year.

To make Muffins:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spray 12 muffin slot pan or 8" pan with baking spray

Combine oil, milk, egg and vanilla well.

Add dry ingredients from Jar. Incorporate well.

Bake 18 minutes muffins or 23 minutes for bread.

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Gluten Free Italian Meatballs

Please enjoy this recipe that is a part of my make ahead series.

2 1/5 pounds of Ground Beef

2 Tablespoons Parsley

4 Eggs, beaten

2 Tablespoons Milk

2 Tablespoons Red Cooking Wine

3/4 cup Romano Cheese

3/4 teaspoon Salt

3/4 teaspoon Pepper

2-3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 Onions, finely diced

Combine all ingredients and incorporate well.

Roll a small hand full of meat in palms to form a ball.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool and freeze in a single layer until fully frozen.

Toss in a Ziplock.

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Escalloped Apples

Please enjoy this recipe that is a part of my make ahead series.

Escalloped Apples (Stouffers Copy Cat Recipe)

10 cups Granny Smith Apples (or Jonathan works well too)
* 1 medium equals 1 cup.  

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

Peel, core and slice apples. I use a bowl with some lemon water to prevent browning. I get about 8 slices that I will then cut in half to make 16 pieces each apple.

In a large bowl toss to combine combine apples, cinnamon and sugar.

Either....

Add butter to pan to melt.  Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium heat until apples are just turned soft (careful not to over cook and make applesauce).  You may have to add a few tablespoons of water or juice at some point.

Or....

Place ingredients in microwave safe bowl.
Dot with butter, cover and microwave on high for 12 minutes (stirring occasionally).

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Hamburgers

Please enjoy this recipe that is a part of my Make Ahead meal list.

Fresh Pressed Hamburgers

5 pounds Ground Beef

5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

In a large bowl mix beef and worcestershire sauce until well incorporated

Get out your Hamburger Press and line with Wax Paper.

Press 1/4 pound burgers and line on baking sheet.

Put baking sheet in freezer to freeze individually.

Once frozen they can be placed in a ziplock and they wont stick together.

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Bolognese Meat Sauce

This is the recipe my husband and I created while cooking together in our tiny apartment in Delran NJ. Check out the kind of tomato products we used. I am not even sure they sell that still? Well one thing is for sure, they don't sell it here in the south.

Bolognese Meat Sauce

1 pound Italian Mild Sausage

1 pound ground Beef

1 Onion, chopped

2-3 cloves Garlic

28 ounces Crushed/Whole/Diced Tomatoes

12 ounces Tomato Paste

12 ounces can Sauce

12 ounces can Puree

2 tablespoons Sugar

1 tablespoons Parsley

1 tablespoons Basil

1 teaspoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

1 Tablespoon Oil (to coat pan)

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until browned. Stir in tomato products, water and seasonings. Simmer covered for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

I usually double this recipe and get 8 large family servings for the freezer.

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