Pancakes

Makes approximately 75 pancakes!

8 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda (make sure it is fresh!)
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
8 eggs separated
2 quarts buttermilk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
8 cups fresh blueberries, if desired

Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F.

Combine all of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a very large bowl.

Work in batches to make the batter so it won't sit too long before cooking. I suggest making this amount in 2 batches (quantities for 4 batches will be in parentheses).

Whisk together 4 (2) egg whites and 4 cups (2 cups) buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk 4 (2) egg yolks with 1/2 cup (1/4 cup) melted butter.

Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of 4 cups (2 cups) dry mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. It is ready if the water dances across the surface.

Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before transferring to freezer bags for storage. Flash freezing the pancakes individually before transferring to a freezer bags ensures easy removal on a busy morning!

This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's Instant Pancake Mix recipe. It has been adapted for batch cooking.

Pecan Snowball Cookies

1 cup pecans
1 cup unsalted butter, at room
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups AP flour

Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the pecans.

Shape the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Transfer half the balls to a second parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Toss the warm cookies in the sugar and return to the baking sheet. Sift the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the cookies before serving.

*To freeze: Instead of refrigerating the balls of dough, freeze them on the baking sheet before storing them in bags for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the instructions, baking from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.



from a Real Simple article ; original recipe; see also Raspberry Pinwheel cookies and Lemon Glazed Cookies.

Although we made other recipes from this series for MMA, we didn't do this one last year. I made these on my own and, holy cow!, they were a huge hit with everyone who got to taste one.

Cheeseburger Quiche

1 unbaked pie shell
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp dried minced onion

Preheat oven to 350. Brown and drain ground beef. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with milk, mayonnaise and corn starch. Arrange beef on the bottom of the pie shell; top with cheese and onions. Pour egg mixture into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Allow quiche to cool before wrapping and freezing.

To reheat, thaw completely. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes.

You may also want to make this using the "quiche in a bag" method. Combine all ingredients except the pie shell and pour into a freezer bag. Freeze flat. To prepare, thaw bag enough to get all the ingredients out. Pour into a pie shell. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or longer if quiche was not totally thawed.

Cheese Manicotti

8 oz manicotti, uncooked (14 pieces)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 egg
8 oz Mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend, finely shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 Tbsp parsley

on hand: your family's favorite spaghetti sauce for cooking day

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil manicotti approximately 4 minutes. Drain. Spread manicotti on a sheet of waxed paper so they don't stick together.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stuff manicotti with the cheese mixture. A pastry bag makes easy work of piping the mixture into the shells, but a spoon works just fine, as well.

Flash freeze the stuffed manicotti on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet, making sure they are not touching. Once frozen, transfer to a zip top bag for storage.

HINT: Don't throw away the plastic trays the manicotti were packaged in. You can place the frozen stuffed manicotti back in the trays, wrap well with aluminum foil and package in a zip top bag. Works great for protecting your manicotti in the freezer!

On cooking day, spoon some pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Lay manicotti in a single layer on top. Spoon more pasta sauce over top, being sure to cover manicotti completely. Top with more cheese if desired. Bake at 350 until cooked completely. You can cook the manicotti from frozen, but it will take longer. Make sure the center of the manicotti is hot!

VARIATION: Once your family is used to this version, try substituting a little chopped spinach (from frozen, thawed and drained) for the parsley. They'll never notice you changed "the green stuff."

Nutritional information from SparkPeople Recipes is per piece of stuffed manicotti, but without added tomato sauce or optional additional cheese.

Servings Per Recipe: 14
Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 135.7
• Total Fat: 3.7 g
• Cholesterol: 37.6 mg
• Sodium: 234.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 15.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
• Protein: 9.9 g

Basic Meatballs (or Meat Loaf)

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken or combo)
2/3 cup dry oats (or cooked brown rice)
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup ketchup (or tomato sauce)

Mix all ingredients well, until combined.

For meatballs:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Using a small cookie scoop, form about 60 meatballs. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Sacrifice one meatball to make sure they are no longer pink in the center.

Cool completely (or flash freeze) before transferring meatballs to a freezer bag or container for storage.

Place frozen or thawed meatballs in desired sauce and reheat over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.

For meat loaf:
Meat loaf may be baked before or after freezing. If freezing raw meat loaf, it must have been fresh when you made it and thawed completely before baking.

Place mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.



Nutritional info (based on ground beef, oats, and ketchup options) for 6 meatballs: 270 calories, 19.4 g fat, .6 g fiber, 13.4 g protein.

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

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup (two sticks) butter
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk

Melt butter and peanut butter together in a sauce pan, stirring well. Remove from heat and add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a pan (jelly roll pan for thin bars, 9x13 for thicker bars). Chill until firm. Melt the chocolate chips with the milk. Spread chocolate layer over crumb mixture. Chill until firm.

Cut into bars (24 or 48 depending on pan size). Wrap individually in plastic wrap or separate layers with waxed paper. Store in the freezer, if they last that long!

Frozen Peanut Butter Bars from 30 Day Gourmet.

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

Bacon Swiss Meatloaf

1 bacon strip, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1/3 Cup butter crackers crushed
5 Tablespoons shredded Swiss cheese
4 ½ teaspoons chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ lb. Ground beef

In bowl combine egg, crackers, 4 Tablespoons shredded cheese, chopped onion, garlic, bacon, salt and pepper. Add beef into mixture and combine. Shape into loaf and freeze wrapped in tin foil or in a ziploc bag. When ready to cook take out of the freezer and place in a loaf pan. Top with more bacon pieces if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes- 1 hour. Test with a meat thermometer.

*The first time we made this, we doubled the recipe for each family and we're glad we did! Half a pound of ground beef would have made a tiny loaf. One full pound made a decent size loaf for a family meal.

Quick Quiche *updated

The other day, I prepared the Quiche in a Bag we had made at a previous cooking day. I was getting so frustrated because it always takes at least an hour of baking before it looks set. I even take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes, thinking it would set up as it cools. But it didn't, so back into the oven it went. And we ended up eating our breakfast much later than I had intended.

So I went searching for a new recipe. I found this one at AllRecipes. I haven't tried it yet*, but it looks promising because it's got less milk but for the most part is the same as the recipe we've been using (different meat and cheese but those were adaptable anyway). I figure, if there's less milk, it will bake faster, right? I'll let you know. I'm going to switch the quiche recipe for my RMG cooking night to this one.

8 slices bacon
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk


Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.

Line bottom of pie plate with cheese and crumbled bacon. Combine eggs, butter, onion, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth; pour into pie pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until set. Serve hot or cold.

For freezing, instead of following these directions, combine all ingredients (pre-cook the bacon) and transfer to a freezer zip top bag. Freeze. To prepare, thaw completely in fridge. Give the bag a few squeezes to distribute the ingredients. Pour into a prepared pie pan as directed above and cook at 350 until set.



*OMG! This is my new favorite quiche recipe. It baked in only 45 minutes @ 375 and it was so good! We added about a 1/2 cup of frozen spinach to the quiche and then I baked it in a homemade pie crust (that's why I upped the temp to 375). It was just a tiny bit frozen when I put it in so if making it fresh, I would start checking earlier.

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts

This looks like an easy dump-it-all-in recipe. We haven't used buttermilk for a marinade; I can't wait to try it.

1 cup buttermilk
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried sage
1/2 t. dried marjoram
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt
8 boneless split chicken breasts

Mix together buttermilk with mustard, honey, and seasonings. Place chicken in freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Freeze.

Thaw chicken, discarding marinade. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear.

From Don't Panic-- Dinner's in the Freezer by Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, & Bonnie Garcia

Plum & Ginger Chicken

adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe

2/3 cup plum sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced carrots

Mix the plum sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and bouillon in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until juices run clear. Mix in ginger, snowpeas, carrots, and mushrooms and continue cooking until tender. Stir in the plum sauce mixture. Cook until heated through.

Option 1: Prepare recipe as directed. Cool. Transfer to a labeled freezer bag and freeze.

Option 2: Freeze ingredients separately to cook later: Add ginger and vegetables* to the plum sauce; transfer to a small freezer bag. Place uncooked, bite-sized chicken pieces in it's own freezer bag. Package both bags together to freeze.

*Steam, blanche, or saute fresh vegetables partially before freezing. Or use frozen veggies so the work is already done for you.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

from MomsBudget.com

2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

Combine ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Add chicken to a freezer bag, then add Caribbean Jerk mixture. Carefully move the chicken around so it is thoroughly coated, then freeze.

On cooking day, thaw in refrigerator and remove chicken pieces, disposing of the leftover marinade. Barbecue on a grill or bake in a 375 oven for approx 60 minutes (may vary depending on which chicken pieces are used.

MealsMadeAhead notes: We prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they can probably be left whole to save even more time!

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.

Dump Honey Sesame Pork Chops

from Freezer Chicks

½ cup beer
3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic
about 3 pounds pork chops or pork loin

Mix all ingredients and put in a freezer bag. Freeze. Dump into the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.

If I remember correctly, Tristy made this in her slow cooker and said it tasted fine but didn't look as appetizing. I made them in the oven and again, they tasted OK, but looked sort of pale. Perhaps they need to be browned first? On the grill?

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.

Quiche in a Bag

1 cup cooked sausage or diced ham (Optional)
10 oz. frozen package chopped spinach or broccoli, thawed a little and broken up.
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 small onion chopped
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix eggs, milk, flour and baking powder with a wisk or mixer until well incorporated. Add meat, veggies, cheese and onion. Pour into a freezer bag. Freeze. To cook, thaw bag, squish the bag well a few times to incorporate the ingredients. Pour into a pie plate sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until set.

Tristy: I vary the meat and veggies all the time. Right now in my freezer I have a few asparagus and mushroom quiches and a few sausage and spinach ones. They're great to have on hand for Sunday breakfast. But we also eat for dinner with a salad and rolls. Great way to use eggs on sale.

Lisa: I like to make this in a pie crust. I've learned to cook the crust first for about 10 minutes before pouring in the filling. Also, it may require extra baking time. My husband likes when I make it in a hash brown crust: Thaw a bag of frozen shredded potatoes (or use the refrigerated ones) and pat into the sides and bottom of a pie plate. Season with salt and pepper and then pour in the filling. It makes a great breakfast entree.

Another note: This Quiche Recipe has a shorted cooking time and I, personally, prefer it.

Lisa's Chicken Enchiladas

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
10 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3-4 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
3 cups (divided) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (15 ounces) enchilada sauce
¼ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup sliced black olives

Spread about 2 tablespoons of beans on each tortilla. Combine soup and sour cream; stir in chicken. Spoon 1/3 to ½ cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle with onions, olives and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until heated through. Just before serving, sprinkle lettuce around enchiladas, if desired. Yield 4-6 servings.

Special directions for freezing:
I have successfully frozen these after they’ve been baked. The way I like best is to roll up the enchiladas and store them in a gallon size zip top bag and freeze them. Then I can remove just as many as I need for dinner and open a fresh can of enchilada sauce to pour over top. If only using half for dinner, I have even frozen the other half of the enchilada sauce to save for the remaining enchiladas. The texture of the frozen sauce changes slightly, but the taste is unaffected.

Black Bean Burritos

The Freezer Chicks provide us with yet another recipe. It's been adapted slightly.

13 pounds of canned black beans, drained and rinsed
olive oil
7 medium onions, finely chopped
2 T plus 1 t garlic, pressed or minced
7 pounds canned diced tomatoes, undrained
7 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 T plus 1 t chili powder
2 T plus 1 t ground cumin
2 T plus 1 t dried oregano
3 lemons, sliced and seeded
48 ounces mild salsa or picante sauce
6 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Co-Jack cheese
36 10-inch flour tortillas (we had extra filling so you may want to have extras on hand in case it happens to you, too!)

Work in batches as necessary. In a large stockpot over med heat, heat oil. Saute onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers until tender. Stir in drained beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and lemon slices and bring to a boil at high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until slightly thickened (approx 20 mins). Remove lemon slices. Working in batches as necessary, puree half of bean mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add unblended bean mixture to blended and stir thoroughly. Cool.

Package salsa in snack bags (1 cup per meal or 1/4 cup per serving). Package cheese in snack bags (1 cup per meal or 1/4 cup per serving).

Assemble burritos by placing 1/2 cup bean mixture onto each tortilla, folding ends in, and rolling. Place 6 burritos (or 1 1/2 per serving) in each tin. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, pressing down to cling to food. Place a package of salsa and a package of cheese in each tin. Cover. Freeze.

Recipe from Cooking Among Friends: Meal Planning & Preparation Delightfully Simplified by Mary Tennant & Becki Visser.

FREEZER CHICKS INSTRUCTIONS: Defrost in refrigerator. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Remove cover, salsa, cheese and plastic wrap. Spread salsa over burritos. Cover loosely with foil to prevent drying. Bake until bubbly around the edges and hot in the center (approx 30 mins). Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese during the last 5 mins of baking. Let stand at room temperature 15 mins before serving.

Cashew Chicken

½ cup ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 whole chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or 1 package chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
¼ cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced
1 ½ cups cashews
2 cups cooked white rice

Combine ketchup, soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, and chicken broth and set aside.

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Toss the chicken with cornstarch mixture. Heat a wok or frying pan to a high heat and add cooking oil. When oil is hot add chicken. Add ginger root, garlic and onion.

Stir fry mixture until chicken is cooked through and opaque. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Add ketchup/soy sauce mixture to chicken and vegetables and cook until it comes to a boil.

Cool, bag and freeze. Save cashews for serving.

Thaw bag in fridge overnight. Reheat over medium heat until just boiling. Add cashews. Serve over rice.




I added carrots and green peppers when I made this for my family

The Freezer Chicks provide us with yet another recipe.