Freezer Friday - Cheesy Chili

I have done all of the grocery shopping and menu planning for my Once A Month Cooking extravaganza.  I will post a menu and the recipes as I go, but let’s just say that I got 6 weeks (excluding Sundays when we usually grill out) worth of meals for $240!  This doesn’t include the staples that we will need weekly, or items for breakfast or lunch, but the hubby usually takes leftovers for lunch and the kids and I will eat sandwiches or soup most of the time.  Included in the $240 was diapers, coffee, Drano, hangers, and some other odds and ends.  It also included the freezer bags, pans, aluminum foil and cling wrap.  I was thrilled.  So, here is one of the recipes that will be on the menu - haven’t cooked this up yet but plan to today, it sounds yummy!

CHEESY CHILI

2lbs. ground beef

2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cans (10 ozs each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 can (28 ozs) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (4 ozs each) chopped green chilies

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 lbs. processed cheese (Cheez Whiz or Velveeta)

In a large saucepan, cook the beef, onions and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the tomatoes, chilies and pepper; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Serve immediately or allow to cool before freezing.  May be frozen for up to 3 months.

To use frozen chili:  Thaw in the refrigerator; heat in a saucepan or microwave.

Servings: 12

Freezer Veggie Calzones

This recipe courtesy of Taste of Home magazine Veggie Calzones

1/2 lb    fresh mushrooms, chopped   1   medium onion, chopped   1   medium green pepper, chopped   2 Tbs    vegetable oil   3   plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped   1   can (6 ounces) tomato paste     1 cup    (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese   1 cup    (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese   1/2 cup    grated Parmesan cheese   2   loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed   1   egg   1 Tbs    water     1 In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add tomatoes; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; set aside. Combine cheeses and set aside. 2 On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a 7-in. circle. Spoon a scant 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture and 1/4 cup of cheese mixture over one side of each circle. Brush edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Place calzones 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. 3 Beat egg and water; brush over calzones. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Cool desired number of calzones; place in freezer bags. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining calzones 18-22 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 4 To use frozen calzones: Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings. To use frozen calzones: Place calzones 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.   Servings: 8

Southwestern Casserole

So, I have decided that Fridays are going to be Freezer Fridays.  By this I mean that all recipes that I post on Fridays will either freeze well, or will make enough for two meals meaning you can freeze one.  I will let you know whether I have tried this before and will try and rate it 1-5 (one being the lowest, 5 being the highest).  Without further ado - here is the recipe for Southwestern Casserole:

1   package (7 ounces) elbow macaroni   2 lbs    ground beef   1   large onion, chopped   2   garlic cloves, minced   2   cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained   1   can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained   1   can (6 ounces) tomato paste     1   can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained   1- 1/2 tsp    salt   1 tsp    chili powder   1/2 tsp    ground cumin   1/2 tsp    pepper   2 cups    (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese   2   jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture. 2 Transfer to two greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through. Serve one casserole. Cool the second casserole; cover and freeze for up to 3 months. 3 To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Cover and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Servings: 12

I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it is on my menu this week - I will try to let you know how it turns out.  I am looking forward to making these freezer recipes, and easy way to stock up the freezer with meals that just need to be heated.  Happy Friday:)

Note:  I finally made this last night (4/21) and my family really enjoyed it.  I did have a few cans of Mexicorn laying around and added that and for the seasoning I used a packet of chili seasoning.  To save on cost I also halved the hamburger and doubled the pasta - there still seemed to be plenty of meat, at least for me.  This one will definitely be making the menu again:)