Yellow Spanish Rice

1 c. rice
2 c. water
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sazon goya seasoning*
1/2 tsp.tumeric
1/2 tsp. salt


Read more: How to make Spanish Yellow Rice that is out of this world! | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4534544_rice-that-out-this-world.html#ixzz1GQL1riiE
1. Add oil to a sauce pot and begin to heat on medium heat. Add garlic, sazon goya and tumeric as it heats. Brown garlic slightly and then reduce heat. Add water and bring to a boil.

2. Add rice to pot and bring rice to a boil. Stir and keep an eye on it.

3.
After it has come to a boil, cover and let it sit for 25 minutes on a very low heat. Check on it and gently stir a few times throughout. Remove from heat and enjoy.

*If you can't find this spice, here is a similar recipe. Use 1 1/2 t. in place of a Sazon packet.
1 tspSalt
1 tspGarlic Powder
1 tspCumin
1 tspCoriander
1 tspAnnatto (If you can't find this, you can substitue tumeric, as this is primarily used for the yellow coloring)




Read more: How to make Spanish Yellow Rice that is out of this world! | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4534544_rice-that-out-this-world.html#ixzz1GQKUtGmZ

Baked Cheese Sticks

makes 32 cheese sticks

16 mozzarella string cheese sticks
2 eggs
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika

Cut each mozzarella stick in half. Place the flour in a small shallow bowl. Beat eggs with about a tablespoon of water in another bowl. Place the breadcrumbs and paprika in a zip top and give it a shake to mix.

Dip each stick in the flour, then the egg, then shake in the bread crumbs. Freeze (without touching) until solid on cooking sheets before transferring to zip top bags for storage.

To serve, preheat oven to 400. Bake frozen sticks on a cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes. Let stand at least 2 minutes before serving. Great with marinara or ranch for dipping!

Twice Baked Potatoes

makes 48 servings

24 baking potatoes
4 cups sour cream
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch fresh green onions or chives, sliced (or equivalent in freeze-dried chives)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
milk, as needed to achieve the right consistency

Wash potatoes thoroughly and poke several times with a fork. Bake potatoes in 350 degree oven for an hour. Let cool long enough to be handled easily, about 20 minutes.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop pulp from potatoes, leaving skins intact. In a very large bowl, combine potato pulp with remaining ingredients. If needed, add a little bit of milk so that the filling can be mixed easily with a hand mixer, but it should remain a bit thicker than mashed potatoes.

Scoop filling back into potato skins. Wrap each potato individually in foil or plastic wrap. Freeze.

When ready to serve, unwrap desired number of potatoes and place in a baking dish. No need to thaw! Just reheat in the oven along with the rest of your meal, about 45 minutes at 350.

These can be dressed up with crumbled bacon, additional cheese and/or green onions added to the top prior to reheating.

Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese (fresh has the best flavor)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Melt butter in med. saucepan using med. heat. Add cream and simmer 5 min. Add garlic and cheese. Whisk quickly. Stir in parsley and serve.

This recipe has been frozen successfully, however it has never been kept in the freezer for longer than one month because it always gets used up by then!

Taco Rice

1 pound ground meat of choice (beef, chicken or turkey)
onion (1/2 c fresh or 2 T dried flakes)
taco seasoning, 1 packet
16 oz petite diced canned tomatoes
2 cups cooked rice (prep ahead!)

Brown and drain meat (can be prepped ahead). Combine all ingredients in a large pan and simmer approximately half an hour, or until thickened.

When cooled, transfer to a labeled zippered freezer bag and freeze. To serve, thaw completely and reheat over medium heat.

Serve as a side dish or use as a filling for tacos, burritos, taco salads, or nachos.

Chorizo & Rice

1 lb. chorizo
onion
3 cups brown rice (instant or regular)
Chicken broth (2 1/2 cups if using instant rice, 6 cups if using regular rice)
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 whole bunch cilantro

Fry chorizo and onions in stock pot. (I use dried onion--about 3 Tb). Add garbanzo beans & diced tomatoes and stir. *If using instant rice, add 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, stir and boil. Then add instant rice, stir & cover until rice is tender. If using regular rice, add rice, 6 cups chicken stock and cook covered, stiring now and then, until rice is tender. This will take over an hour. Snip cilantro 1/2 inch from end, stems & all. Stir & enjoy! Excellent alone or on a tortilla with cheese.

*This freezes well. You may leave cilantro out & add after reheating if desired.

**In case you don't already know, chorizo is a mexican sausage. You can get it in different degrees of hotness and by many different labels. I prefer Johnsonville brand chorizo--original or mild. This dish can be spicy or not, depending on preference.

Pasta with Herb Sauce

1/4 cup milk
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 green onions, chopped
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. pasta, cooked for freezing

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a food processor or blender. Puree.

Transfer sauce to a quart sized freezer bag. Place cooled, partially cooked pasta in a freezer bag. Place both bags in a gallon sized zip top bag and label.

Thaw before preparing. Reheat pasta in boiling water, checking for desired level of tenderness. Drain pasta. Return to pan and stir in thawed sauce. Serve immediately.





Nutritional Info for 6 servings: 95 calories, 2.9 g fat, 0.8 g fiber, 5.7 g protein

Glazed Baby Carrots

from Freezer Chicks

1 lb carrots
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
At cooktime:
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine in a freezer container and mix. Seal, removing as much air as possible. Freeze. Defrost. Pour into small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until your carrots are tender. Add cornstarch, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes longer or until sauce thickens. If cooking for small children or other picky eaters, leave out the dill and add a bit more sugar.

Applesauce

3 pounds cooking apples (9 medium), peeled, quartered & cored—(or leave some peels on)
1 cup water
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large pot combine apples, water, sugar & cinnamon. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover; simmer 8-10 minutes or till apples are tender; adding more water if necessary. Remove from heat & mash to desired consistency. Stir before serving. Serve warm or chilled.


We intended to try this recipe last fall and even had it on our August menu. In the end we had too many other recipes to cook that month and didn't get to it. Maybe this fall!

Freezer Garlic Bread

Very easy. Much less expensive than purchasing frozen garlic bread, especially if you can purchase the bread on sale. Recipe adapted from momsbudget.com.

• 1 loaf of French bread
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (NOT melted)
• 2 cloves of garlic, pressed

Make width-wise cuts in French bread, about an inch apart, not quite cutting all the way through. Mix the softened butter with the garlic. Spread the butter mixture between the slices. Wrap in aluminum foil and then place in a freezer bag.

To serve, remove from freezer and remove plastic wrap. Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Open the foil wrapper to allow steam to vent. Increase oven to 450 degrees and continue heating for another 10 minutes. Serve.



Hint: If you have a Jimmy John's sub shop near you, they sell their day-old bread loafs for fifty cents each!

Nutrition information from SparkPeople: Meals Made Ahead cookbook: (assumes 1 pound loaf of bread and 12 slices/servings)

Cals: 172.1 | Fat: 8.8 g | Protein: 3.4 g | Carbs: 19.8 g | Fiber: 1.1 g

Potato Carrot Mounds

This recipe was found on a website a few months ago, however, I haven't been able to locate the site I found it on. (So, if you happen to have the link, let us know!) What I really liked about it is that we could eat the Potato Carrot Mounds as a side dish or as a really quick & easy topping for Sheppard's Pie.

Potato Carrot Mounds

2 lb mashed potatoes
2 eggs
1/4 C margarine.
1/4 C shredded carrot
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T melted margarine

Mix all ingredients well. Drop by spoonful on cookie sheets. Flash freeze and then bag and freeze. Thaw. Brush with melted marg. Bake 425 F 12-15 min. until heated.

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