Adriana's Pasta Pie

This is a modified recipe--Original recipe found at Food.com http://www.food.com/recipe/adrianas-pasta-pie-95239

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used 95%lean and it was fine)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 3 cups cooked tubetti (tiny tubes or baby shells)
• 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 lb provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 cups prepared tomato basil pasta sauce **
1. Read directions all the way through first********* Meat Crust: Mix ground beef, parsley, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl very gently.
2. Do not overmix.
3. Put mixture into lightly greased 10-inch pie plate or 11" x 7" casserole dish.
4. Shape crust so that it's about 1" thick.
5. Filling:.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Mix the filling (3 cups cooked pasta, 1/2 pound mozzarella, 1/2 pound provolone, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 2 cups tomato basil sauce) in a bowl.
8. Scoop into meat crust.
To cook: Thaw. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours until heated through. It is suggested to let cool at least 15 minutes before eating.
Note: The original recipe gives ingredients & cooking instructions for a homemade tomato basil pasta sauce, however, to save time, we will be using a store-bought sauce!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Oregano, to taste
Basil, to taste
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
2 packages frozen corn
6-8 potatoes, peeled, boiled, & seasoned as desired. (*Note, add one egg to the mashed potatoes so they do not get watery when thawed & baked)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese for topping, as much as desired

Cooking/Assembly:
1. Make mashed potatoes, seasoned as desired. *Don't forget to add an egg to keep the potatoes from getting watery after thawing!!! (Original recipe calls for 1 stick of butter for the 6-8 potatoes, but add or decrease as desired!)
2. Brown ground beef, onion, & garlic together. Add diced tomatoes, and then add salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to taste.
6. Put meat mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish (or 9x13 pan).
7. Corn is the next layer, then the mashed potatoes, and lastly the shredded cheese.
8. Cover & freeze.

To Bake:
Thaw and bake at 375 degrees until heated through. (If fully thawed, this should take approx. 45 minutes)

Wild Rice, Chicken and Ham Casserole

2 - 6 oz pkg long grain and wild rice
3 - 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 C mayonnaise
3 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp curry powder
4 C cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1 lb of ham, cubed
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C slivered almonds

needed for cooking day:
2 TBSP chopped parsley*


Cook rice as package directs. Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder in a bowl. Layer rice, chicken, ham and mushrooms in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour sauce over all. Top with almonds. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

(Since everything is cooked, should be easily frozen; this 4 C of chicken and 1 lb of ham is a lot of meat so each recipe could be divided into 2 meals.)

Recipe from The Brunch Basket by Junior League of Rockford, IL.

Creamy Baked Pasta

2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz. each) spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper
4 cups macaroni or other small pasta
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese


In a large skillet, combine beef and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until browned. Drain fat.

Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Cook pasta and drain. Spread in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole. Top with the meat sauce.

In a medium bowl mix the cream cheese and sour cream or yogurt. Blend until smooth. Stir in green onions. Layer over the meat sauce. Top all with the Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes, until casserole is heated through. Makes 8 servings.

from Now....You're Cooking

Dr. Pepper Spaghetti

from MomsBudget.com

2 pounds ground beef- brown and drain
1 package (16 oz) spaghetti- cook and drain
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can Dr. Pepper
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

Stir onions and seasonings into meat, browning in skillet. Add Dr. Pepper, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into meat mixture and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Cook spaghetti noodles while doing above, cooking until al dente. Drain and stir in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Combine all ingredients into 13x9 casserole dish.

Cooking day: Place in refrigerator in the morning to thaw. At suppertime, preheat oven 350 degrees, then bake for 50 minutes. Serve! Makes great leftovers for lunch.

Smaller portions? Make four smaller casseroles, and reduce baking time.



MealsMadeAhead notes: We can buy the beef when it's on sale and freeze until needed since we'll be cooking before freezing. The beef can be browned and the noodles can be boiled before cooking day to save time. Prep ahead!

Edited to add notes now that actually cooked it: We were able to split this recipe into two meals for each family. The entire sauce was prepared the night before cooking day, (not just browning the beef) and it worked well.

French Toast Casseroles

I found some more French toast casseroles that I had copied from somewhere but wasn't able to find when I needed them and had to go searching for others. It's OK though because we found the blueberry French toast that my 18-month-old adores. Here are a couple fruit-less versions. So many options!

French Toast Casserole I

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar divided
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 4 eggs
• 2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (some like more)
• 2 tablespoon melted butter
  

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

Melt cream cheese in the microwave. Stir several times. This takes about 2 minutes. Stir half the sugar and all of the extract into the cream cheese.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bread cubes. It will not completely cover them. Sprinkle nuts over the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining bread cubes.

Beat together the remaining sugar, eggs, milk, cinnamon, and melted butter. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread cubes.

Refrigerate overnight to bake the next morning OR slide the pan into a two-gallon freezer bag and freeze.

Thaw completely to cook. When ready to bake - Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until browned. Let sit at room temp for 5 minutes before cutting. Top with syrup or fruit toppings.


French Toast Casserole II

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 10 slices day old French bread (3/4 inch thick)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Place bread in a well-greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour egg mixture over bread. Let soak for several minutes, turning bread once to coat. Freeze until firm. Package in airtight containers. To bake, place bread on a well-greased baking sheet. Dot with butter. Bake at 450ºF for 7 minutes; turn and bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serves 4-5.

Black Bean Lasagna

Here's a black bean lasagna recipe we tried once, but I don't know where the recipe came from. If I remember correctly, it was a bit time consuming and tedious to put together, but fairly tasty.

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 2- 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2- 15 oz can low-sodium tomato sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1- 12 oz container low-fat cottage cheese
• 1- 8 oz package reduced-fat cream cheese Neufchatel
• 1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
• Tomato slices (optional)
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
  
  

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Mash one can of beans; set aside. (I used the no cook noodles.)
2. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray: add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender but not brown. Add mashed beans; unmashed beans, tomato sauce, and snipped cilantro; heat through.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside. Spray a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick coating. Arrange 3 of the noodles in the dish. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Spread with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice; ending with the bean mixture. Reserved the remaining cheese mixture. If freezing, dollop with reserved cheese mixture and garnish with tomato slices and cilantro, if desired.
4. Thaw. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Baked Apple French Toast

I came across this recipe when searching for a freezer-friendly French toast "casserole." We ultimately tried the blueberry recipe, but this one was a contender, too! From RecipeZaar.

Low Fat Pizza Pasta Cassarole

Another of our favorites! To reduce fat even more, we substituted the regular pepperoni with turkey pepperoni. Recipe adapted from momsbudget.com .

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey or a mixture totaling one pound
• 2 Tablespoons onion, chopped
• 1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 a box (about 8 ounces) whole wheat or multi-grain pasta, cooked for freezing
• 1 1/2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni

In a large skillet, cook ground meat with onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce and noodles and mix well. Transfer mixture to a 9"x13" pan. Arrange pepperoni on top and then sprinkle with cheese.*

To freeze, cover the pan with its lid or aluminum foil. Add a label with the cooking instructions.

Cooking instructions: thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

*The original recipe calls for the cheese first and the pepperoni on top. We have found the turkey pepperoni gets a bit too crispy this way. If you like your pepperoni extra crispy, feel free to put it on top of the cheese.

Tristy's Mac & Cheese

This Mac & Cheese recipe I adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe. I use cheeses with a sharper flavor. The recipe below calls for 3 Pepper Cheese, which is made by Crystal Farms. This recipe has a little bite to it & is not your average Mac & Cheese! What I love about this recipe is that you can change up your cheeses for completely different flavors (or just to use up odds & ends in the fridge!). This recipe also freezes really well & is quick to cook up in multiple batches.

Tristy's Mac & Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 ounces)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
3/4 cup 3 Pepper shredded cheese (This is a specific cheese made by Crystal Farms)
1 1/4 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 can fire roasted tomatoes-drained

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese & liberally sprinkle with bread crumbs

1.
Heat oven to 350ºF.
2.
Cook macaroni as directed on package.
3.
While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constanly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
4.
Drain macaroni. Gently stir in can of drained fire roasted tomatoes & macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle top with ¼-1/2 cup mozzarella cheese & sprinkle liberally with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Or: Freeze. Thaw in fridge overnight & bake at 350 25-30 minutes. You may want to wait to add bread crumbs until just before baking if freezing!


***adapted from a Betty Crocker Recipe

Bangkok Chicken

I got this recipe from a good friend of mine. I will post it exactly as she wrote it. In addition to the veggies she lists, I also add carrots and peas. Or you could do pea pods, green beans, pimientos, the possibilities are endless!

Bangkok Chicken

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (I usually use one small can, drained)
  
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use low fat)
• 3 cups cooked rice (I use brown)
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (or shredded)

Mix all ingredients together and spread into a 9"x13" pan.

• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds

Combine melted butter and bread crumbs and crumble on top of casserole. Sprinkle on toasted almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.