November 2012 Supper Swap

Dana - Sweet & Sour Chicken

Jeni M - Cheddar Squash Soup

Jen R - Pizza Balls

Natalie - Bruschetta Chicken

Sara D - Mistakenly Zesty Pork Chops

Sarah B. - Thai Pesto Chicken

Thai Chicken Pesto

Thai Pesto Chicken

1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh basil
2 T. garlic
2 T. minced ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. Thai Chili Sauce
3 Chicken Breasts, sliced and cooked
Angel Hair Pasta for serving day

Cooking Day:
Slice and cook chicken in a Tbsp. of olive oil till no longer pink. Cool
chicken. In a blender or food processor, puree the cilantro, basil, garlic, ginger, Thai chili
sauce, vegetable oil, salt, sugar and lime juice. Scrape down the sides and process until
smooth. Pour in freezer bag and add chicken. Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw chicken mixture.
Reheat chicken mixture.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Immediately place the warm noodles in a serving bowl and toss with the chicken pesto
mixture.

Mistakenly Zesty Pork Chops

Mistakenly Zesty Pork Chops
6 servings

1 ½ cups of soy sauce
1 cup and 2 Tbsp water
¾ cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp and 1 ½ tsp honey
1 ½ dashes of lemon juice
6 pork chops
Sauce:
1 ½ cups ketchup
¾ cup cocktail sauce
¼ cup and 2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp water
2 ¼ tsp ground dry mustard

Preparation Day:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cool.
2. Place the pork chops in a large, resealable plastic bag. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bag and seal.
3. In a bowl, blend the ketchup, cocktail sauce, brown sugar, water, and mustard. Pour into small baggie. Package with chops in gallon Ziploc. Freeze flat.
 

Cooking Day:
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Drain the pork chops, and discard remaining marinade. Arrange the pork chops in a baking dish, cover, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
6. Pour sauce over the pork chops, and continue baking 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

Bruschetta Chicken

Bruschetta Chicken

2 pounds chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces and seasoned with basil
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 box of stuffing mix
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup of water
6 slices of mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Freeze chicken and mozzarella cheese separately.  Package with stuffing mix and diced tomatoes for swap day.

Serving Day Instructions:

Thaw.  Place chicken in 9x13 pan.  Cover with sliced mozzarella cheese.  Mix diced tomatoes, stuffing, butter and water.  Spread mixture over the top of the chicken and cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake at400 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Pizza Balls

Pizza Balls

Makes 72 muffins

270 ounces refrigerator biscuits

9 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

9 teaspoons minced garlic

18 tablespoons Italian seasonings

36 ounces pepperoni slices, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut up biscuits and place into a large bowl.  Add the cheese, black olives, garlic, Italian seasoning and pepperoni; mix well.  Spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and fill 3/4 of the way full with biscuit mixture.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Allow to cool, then flash freeze.  After freezing, divide into indicated number of freezer bags, label, and freeze. 

To Serve: 

Reheat in microwave for 1 minute.  You can also reheat in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Cheddar Squash Soup

Cheddar Squash Soup

Jeni Messner

 

1 ½ lbs butternut squash cubed

¼ cup salted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 TBSP peeled, grated fresh ginger

3 ½ cups chicken stock

½ tsp pepper

1 cup half-and-half

6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Thinly sliced green onions

In a large stockpot over moderate heat, melt the butter. Add yellow onion and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes, or until onion is softened.  Add stock, pepper and squash. Bring mixture to a boil over moderately high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until squash is tender.

Transfer soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return puree to the stockpot and add half-and-half. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with sliced green onions. Freeze.  Serves 6

Serving Day Instructions:

Thaw.  Heat in saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Beaten egg
Cornstarch

Sauce:
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup ketchup
½ cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

Dip chicken in beaten egg, then cornstarch. Brown in a pan with hot oil. Cool and place in a freezer bag.

Combine sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Cool and place in a plastic bag. Seal label and freeze flat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Serving Day Instructions:
Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan. Cover with sauce. Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Serve over rice.

October 2012 Supper Swap

Ham & Cheese Quiche - Dana

 

Baked Pesto Chicken - Jeni M

 

Chicken Wine Casserole - Jen R

 

Pepperoni Pasta Milano - Natalie

 

Jambalaya - Sara D

 

Chicken Burritos - Sarah B

Jambalaya

Jambalaya

 

3/4 lb. Andouille Sausage (sometimes I use cajun sausage when I can't find Andouille)
5 C. water
1 cooked whole chicken, meat removed from bones (I use a rotisserie chicken)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 C. diced onion
1 C. diced celery
2 C. diced mixed bell peppers (green, red and yellow)
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 C. diced smoked ham
2 tsp. dried whole thyme
2 tsp. dried whole oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
2 - 28 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
6 C. clam stock (I can never find this so I use chicken stock)
1 C. uncooked white rice
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a medium saucepan, bring andouille sausage links to a boil in 5 c. water. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from pan to cool, reserving 2 c. cooking liquid. Slice sausage into 1/2 inch rounds and set aside.

In a soup kettle (you need a very big kettle for everything to fit in, a stock pot works well), heat oil and add onion, celery, peppers, garlic, and ham, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are tender - about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings and add tomatoes, clam stock, reserved sausage-cooking liquid, reserved chicken and sliced sausage.

Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rice and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp and continue cooking 3 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

**For supper swap, each recipe of Jambalaya is enough for 2 meals. So if you have 6 people in your supper swap, you would only have to make 3 recipes**

Pepperoni Pasta Milano

Pepperoni Pasta Milano

1 pound Box Bowtie pasta (whole wheat if you can find it)
8 oz bag Pepperoni – stack pepperoni and cut into fourths
2-4 cloves garlic
8 oz package fresh Mushrooms, sliced
14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese

In fry pan, fry pepperoni a bit. Add garlic and mushrooms. Sauté until tender. Add tomatoes, pepper and cream. Simmer for 10 minutes, being careful not to scorch.

Cool and package in freezer bag. Double bag and include a small baggie of shredded Parmesan cheese along with a label and instructions. Don't forget the box of pasta on swap day.

Serving instructions:
Thaw. Heat over low heat. Prepare bowties according to package directions. Toss pasta and sauce together at serving time. Serve with fresh Parmesan on top. Serve with a salad or green veggies.

Chicken Wine Casserole

Chicken Wine Casserole

1 box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice
3 cups cooked chicken; cut into cubes
6 slices deli Swiss cheese (have deli wrap in 6-slice bundles)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (not fat free)
½ cup white wine
2 cups herbed seasoned stuffing
½ cup butter **on hand on day of serving

Preparation:
Cook Cook 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cut into cubes. Cool.

Mix 2 cans cream of chicken soup with ½ cup white wine and cubed chicken. Place in baggie.

Put 2 cups herb seasoned stuffing in a baggie.

Bundle chicken mixture, stuffing, wrapped cheese slices, and a box of Uncle Ben's.

Serving Day Instructions:
Note that you will need to provide a stick of butter. Spray a 9x 13 pan. Prepare package of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice according to package directions.

Spread rice in pan. Layer chicken mixture on top. Cover with slices of deli Swiss cheese.

Sprinkle herb seasoned stuffing on top. Melt 1 stick of butter and drizzle over stuffing crumbs.

Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350.

Ham & Cheese Quiche

Ham and Cheese Quiche
This recipe makes 1 quiche….Note that each swapper gets 2 quiches.

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 tsp flour
½ cup diced ham
3 eggs
1 cup milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dry mustard
1 Prepared pie crust

Combine cheese and flour; sprinkle on pie crust. Put ham on top of cheese. Combine eggs, milk and mustard. Pour over ham. Freeze until firm.

Quiche Serving Directions:
Keep frozen. Can go directly from freezer to oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the quiche on the bottom rack of oven. Bake as follows:

Frozen - bake, uncovered for 60 minutes at 400.
If thawed - bake uncovered 30-45 minutes at 350.

September 2012 Supper Swap

Mardy's Meatballs - Dana

Baked Pesto Chicken - Jeni M

Popular (Poppy) Beef - Jen R

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken - Natalie

Hawaiian Chicken - Sara D

Million Dollar Ham Sandwiches - Sarah B

Million Dollar Ham Sandwiches

Million Dollar Ham Sandwiches:

12 small BAKERY buns (or 8 larger) - should fit nicely in 9x13" pan
1/2 pound ham or turkey - have the deli package in 1/2-pound packages for you
12 Slices of provolone cheese
Prepare sandwiches and wrap in foil. Place in a gallon freezer bag.

On stovetop:
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Mix all ingredients together on the stovetop. Cool and then place in quart freezer bag.

Serving day:
Thaw sandwiches and sauce. Unwrap sandwiches and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Run sauce bag under warm water to liquify if necessary and then pour over buns. Cover pan with foil and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Remove from fridge and bake covered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5more minutes. Cut large sandwiches in half to serve.

Baked Pesto Chicken

Baked Pesto Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 C basil pesto
3/4 C grated mozzarella cheese

Trim Chicken of excess fat.  Slice lengthwise into 2-4 pieces, depending on size of breast meat.  Bag chicken, pesto and mozzarella separately.

Serving Day:

Thaw.  Preheat open to 375 degrees.  Spread some of the pest in a thin layer across the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Lay the sliced chicken on top, then spread on the remaining pesto. Cook, uncovered for 25 minutes.  Remove pan from the oven and top with the cheese.  Return to the over for another 5-7 minutes until completely cooked.  Serve the sauce in pan over noodles or rice, or just over the cooked chicken. 

Mardy's Meatballs

Mardy's Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds Ground beef
2 eggs
2 Tbsp dry minced onion
1 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1 ¼ cups Rice Krispies


Sauce:
¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp dry mustard

COOKING DAY: Combine all meatball ingredients and mix together gently. Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Pour half of the sauce into the beef mixture and mix well. Shape the mixture into balls and arrange on a pan. (The large Pampered Chef stainless steel scoop also works) Flash freeze. Remove and seal in a zippered freezer bag. Pour remaining sauce into a small baggie and freeze with the meatballs.

SERVING DAY: Place frozen meatballs in 9x13” pan. Thaw completely. Top each meatball with a spoonful of sauce. Place in 350° oven for 30 minutes. Great served with baked or mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

Hawaiian Chicken

Hawaiian Chicken

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
16 oz. cans pineapple slices (or chunks)
15 oz. cans mandarin oranges
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup lemon juice
1 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
4 t. ground red pepper
1.5 cups rice – not instant

Serving day
Toasted almonds
Green pepper chunks (optional)

Original recipe yields
4-6 servings

Cooking day instructions
Place chicken in freezer bag. Add cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, ginger, and ground red pepper to the bag. Place rice in a separate bag and bundle with the chicken. Keep cans of fruit unopened and bundle with the chicken and rice. Seal, label and freeze flat.

Serving day instructions
Thaw chicken mixture. Place chicken mixture and undrained pineapple in Crock-Pot, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Add drained mandarin oranges and green pepper to Crock-Pot one hour before serving, if desired. To serve, spoon over steamed rice and top with toasted almonds.

Serving Directions for rice:
Combine packet of rice, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan. Stir. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift lid while cooking. After cooking, set pan off the heat for an additional 5 minutes, again DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken

1/3 cup butter or canola oil
2/3 cup mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder 

2.5 pounds chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups long grain rice - not instand

Prep Day: Put first 5 ingredients together in ziploc. Put chicken in second ziploc. Place rice in a small storage bag and bundle all with instructions.

Serving Day:
Drain chicken, pat dry if desired. Place in casserole dish. Warm sauce in a dish to melt
butter. Stir. Pour over chicken. Cook at 350 until done, basting every 10-15 minutes. (Depends on the type of meat and dish used, usually around 45 minutes).

Rice instructions: Combine packet of rice, 3 cups water (and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil if desired) in large saucepan. Stir. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift lid while cooking. After cooking, set pan off the heat for an additional 5-10 minutes, again DO NOT LIFT THE LID. Can add curry powder, onion, and saffron if desired.

Popular (Poppy) Beef

Popular (Poppy) Beef

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped onion
15 oz can tomato sauce

8 oz cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz spaghetti, linguine or other pasta (get what is inexpensive--can be more than 8 oz)

Cooking Day Directions:
Sauté the beef with salt and onion in a large skillet on medium heat until the beef is no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Add tomato sauce and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, except pasta. Freeze each of the two mixtures in baggies. Put all together in a gallon bag freezer bag. Label and freeze flat. Be sure to bring the pasta on swap day.

Popular Beef Serving Day Instructions:
Thaw. Preheat oven to 350. Cook 8 oz pasta according to package directions and drain. While pasta is hot, mix it in to the cheese mixture in a medium bowl. Spread the pasta and cheese on the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Top with the meat mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

August 2012 Supper Swap

Baked Chicken Dijon - Dana

Pizza Burgers - Jeni M

Ritz Chicken - Jen R

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Chops - Natalie

Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips - Sara D

Lasagna Roll Ups - Sarah  B

Lasagna Roll Ups

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I'd recommend Contadina Brand)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (15 oz) container Ricotta Cheese

1 large egg

1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (aka Italian Parsley, its about 1 small handful), chopped

2 1/4 cups freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese, divided

3/4 cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1/3 cup freshly, finely grated Romano Cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:

Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil into a large non-stick fry pan.  Heat over medium high heat, crumble ground beef over oil, add chopped onions and cook mixture stirring occasionally and breaking up meat, until browned.  Drain fat from beef.  Pour beef mixture into a food processor and pulse for about 5 seconds until it is ground into fine pieces.  Pour beef mixture back into fry pan and add crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, oregano and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir.  Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste then cover with a lid and simmer over low heat while preparing pasta and cheese mixture.

Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water along with 1 tsp salt and 2 tablespoon olive oil to al dente according to directions listed on package.  Once noodles are cooked, drain and immediately line noodles in a single layer on waxed paper or cookie sheets.  

Prepare cheese mixture (I do this while pasta is cooking) by stirring together Ricotta cheese, egg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper with a fork in a large mixing bowl until well combine.  Stir in chopped fresh parsley.  Add in 1 3/4 cups grated Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese and 1/3 cup Romano Cheese, stir mixture until well combine.

Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle, then spread 1 heaping tablespoon meat sauce along the top of cheese covered noodle.  Roll noodles up jellyroll style and arrange seam side down in baking dish. Flash freeze in freezer.

Place the remaining meat sauce, mozzarella and parmesan in individual baggies for serving.

Serving Day:

Thaw in fridge.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.   Place roll ups on the sauce, then put the remaining sauce over them.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese evenly over roll ups. Tent lasagna roll ups with foil (don't allow foil to rest on cheese or it will stick you just want to loosely tent to prevent the cheese from browning) and bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven.  Serve warm garnished with additional chopped fresh parsley.

Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips

Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips

1/2 cup Honey
1/3 cup Orange juice
3 T. Soy sauce
2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp of cornstarch
2-1/2 lbs.Boneless, skinless, chicken breast; cut in strips
1.5 cups rice

Assembly Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Add honey, juice, soy sauce and mix well.

Freezing Directions:
Place the chicken strips in a freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken in bag. Seal. Place inside another freezer bag so that the chicken is double-bagged. 

Serving Directions:
Thaw chicken and thread on skewers through each chicken strip. Broil 4 inches from heat, or grill over medium coals 8-10 minutes or until cooked through, turning frequently. You can also cook the chicken in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop.

Serving Directions for rice:
Combine packet of rice, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan. Stir. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift lid while cooking. After cooking, set pan off the heat for an additional 5 minutes, again DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Chops

Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Chops

 

3 lbs pork chops
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp McCormick Grill Mate Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning Mix

Combine marinade ingredients. Pour over pork chops in a freezer bag. Seal label and freeze flat.

Serving day:
Thaw completely. Grill or bake until chops are no longer pink.

Ritz Chicken

Ritz Chicken

2 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and cubed (4+ cups)
1 c. Sour Cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 tube Ritz Crackers, crushed
1 stick Butter, melted
1 T. Poppy Seeds

Cooking Day: Mix chicken, sour cream and soup together. Then in another bowl mix Ritz, butter and poppy seeds together. Freeze Chicken mixture in one freezer bag and Ritz mixture in another.

Serving Day: Pour chicken mixture into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle Ritz mixture over top. Bake at 350 until bubbly, 30-40 minutes.

Pizza Burgers

Pizza Burgers

1 pkg English Muffins
1 stick Butter, softened
Cheez Whiz or American Cheese slices
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. dry minced onion (or grated raw onion)
1 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded


Brown English Muffin halves under broiler. Then butter them. Next spread with Cheez Whiz or place a slice of America Cheese on top.

Filling(prepare while browning muffins):Brown ground beef with onion and garlic salt. Add the pizza sauce. Put filling on muffins after the cheese. Next, top with shredded mozzarella. Put under broiler until cheese melts. Serve immediately or flash freeze and then package in freezer bags.

To serve after freezing, DO NOT THAW. Put on cookie sheet in oven at 400F for 15-25 minutes. It’s great to keep these in the freezer at all times—for those times you don’t have time to prepare dinner. Freezer to oven is great.

***Additional note added after this meal was made: I substituted shredded cheddar (8 cups) for the cheeze whiz. I wasn’t able to find the Contadina pizza sauce so we used a generic kind – tasted fine to me. I used 4 14oz jars. I used about 8 cups of moz cheese too.

Baked Chicken Dijon

Baked Chicken Dijon

6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 cup butter

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T. Fresh parsley, minced

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups Panko* bread crumbs

Assembly and Baking Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet or pan on stove. Add the garlic and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Blend in mustard, stirring well. Remove from heat and let it cool enough to touch, but not solidify. While the mixture cools, mix the parsley, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. When the butter is cooled, whip it vigorously with a whisk or spoon until the mixture thickens. Dip each chicken breast in the butter mixture, coating all surfaces. Place each butter coated breast in the crumb mixture, covering all sides of the chicken. Place breaded chicken pieces on a cookie sheet to freeze. After frozen, put in freezer bag. Remove excess air and freeze.

Serving Day Directions:

Thaw chicken pieces. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, checking regularly. The chicken should be lightly browned and moist on the inside. Top with finely shredded Parmesan cheese and Dijon Mayonnaise (1 part Dijon mustard to 2 parts mayonnaise).  **This does bake up better in an aluminum pan.

*Panko bread crumbs are found in the Oriental section of a supermarket or asian market. Panko bread crumbs are coarser than regular style bread crumbs and give a really good crunch. If Panko bread crumbs are not available, you can substitute with plain packaged stuffing bread. Crush these hard bread cubes by placing them in a freezer bag and rolling it with a rolling pin until coarse crumbs are formed. You can also use plain bread crumbs, but you will have a softer coating.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Picky-palate.com

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef

1 large egg

0.5 cup finely chopped white onion

0.5 cup Panko bread crumbs

0.5 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

0.25 cup milk

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp hot sauce, like Tabasco

0.5 tsp kosher salt

0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

0.25 tsp garlic salt

Ten 1-inch Mozzarella balls

Place beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined.  Take 1/4 cup beef mixture and press into center with your thumb to make room for cheese ball.  Place cheese in middle then with hands enclose the cheese with the beef, making sure the cheese is completely covered.  Flash freeze and then place in freezer bag.

Serving Day:

Thaw.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x13-inch baking dish with oil.  Place meatballs into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.  Serve over top your favorite pasta or inside a warm roll for a delicious meatball sandwich.

July 2012 Supper Swap

Basic Grilled Turkey Burgers - Dana

Orange Chicken Bites - Jeni M

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs - Jen R

Little League Beef Burgers - Natalie

4Bs Grilled Chops - Sara D

Italian Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta - Sarah B

4Bs Grilled Chops

4Bs Grilled Chops

Fix Freeze Feast

3 lbs pork chops
3/4 cup pale ale (or other light beer)
¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp black pepper

Rinse and trim chops as desired. Whisk together beer, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Pour marinade evenly over the chops in a freezer bag.
Into each bag measure 1 tsp. garlic and ¼ tsp. pepper.
Seal, label and freeze flat.

To cook one entrée:

Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator.
Prepare a medium-low fire in a gas or charcoal grill.
Cook chops until 160 degrees.

Orange Chicken Bites

Orange Chicken Bites
from Sparta Supper Swap

Makes 48 bites:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Montreal chicken seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder (found in Asian section of the grocery store)
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in bite sized pieces (approximately 48)

Assembly Directions:
In medium saucepan, combine marmalade, ketchup, vinegar, minced garlic, Montreal seasoning and Chinese spice powder. Simmer over medium-high heat 15 minutes until thickened. Cool.

Freezing Directions:
Divide chicken into labeled freezer bags (quart size for snacks, gallon size for dinner entrée). Pour cooled sauce over chicken. Seal and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Preheat oven to 400. Pour chicken and sauce onto foil lined shallow pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn bites and spoon sauce over bites. Bake another 10 minutes. Turn broiler to 425. Bake 5 minutes under broiler or until browned. (These can also be cooked in a skillet on the stovetop, turning several times and basting.)

Little League Beef Burgers

Little League Beef Burgers
30 Day Gourmet

2 pounds Ground beef, cooked
1 can (10 oz) Chicken Gumbo soup
1/4 cup Brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup Ketchup
1 T. Mustard
1/4 cup quick cooking Oatmeal, uncooked
1 package of 12 Hamburger buns – for day of swap

Assembly Directions:

Cook and drain ground beef. Add soup, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and oatmeal. Cook over low heat, stirring until well combined and heated through (about 5-8 minutes). Cool. Pour mixture into freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze flat. Bring package of 12 buns for each person on the day of the swap.

Little League Beef Burgers Serving Directions:
To serve, thaw and reheat until hot. Serve on hamburger buns. (Can be thawed in microwave.)

Comments:
I helped run the Little League concession stands last year, which was no little feat considering our town has about 1,200 kids playing ball every week. I learned the "secret" recipe for the Beefburgers, which were the most popular sandwiches on the menu. I love to have batches of these in the freezer, because they are so easy to heat and eat. Plus, you're getting that concession stand taste without having to always eat at the ballpark or fork out money. It's great to keep warm in the slow cooker if your family has to eat in shifts between summertime activities like track, ball, dance, etc.

Basic Grilled Turkey Burgers

Basic Grilled Turkey Burgers
 

2 lbs ground lean turkey
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
salt to taste

Combine the turkey with the onion, parsley, basil, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well using clean hands being careful to not over mix or the patties will be too sloppy. Flash freeze on wax paper.

Serving Day:
Thaw and grill on a lightly oiled rack over medium-high until they are cooked through, usually 6-7 minutes each side. Remove from grill and let set 5 minutes.

For a even juicier burger, brush burger with orange marmalade before grilling.

Italian Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta

Italian Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:
5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
8 oz Italian Salad Dressing
8 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
14 oz Chicken broth
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
½ tsp Rosemary
½ tsp Thyme
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 lb box Vermicelli

Assembly Directions:  Put the chicken breasts in the crock pot and pour the Italian Salad Dressing over them. Cook on low 5-6 hours. (Chicken breasts can be frozen when put in crockpot.)Remove chicken breasts from crock pot and discard Italian Dressing.

Put the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper to taste in the crock pot. Stir together as the ingredients melt.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken in small pieces. Put the chicken back in the crock pot with the sauce. Cook together another hour. Or, you can do this step on the stove to speed it up. After it has cooked together, allow to cool.

Freezing and Cooking Directions:Once it’s cool, put into Ziploc bags and freeze. Include a box of Angel Hair Pasta on swap day.

Serving Directions:  To serve, heat and serve over angel hair pasta. Excellent with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan.

June 2012 Supper Swap

Grilled Mustard Pork - Dana

Chicken Fingers - Jeni M

Chicken Gyros - Jen R

Buttermilk Chicken - Natalie

Smokehouse Burgers - Sara D

Cheeseburger Meatloaf - Sarah B

Grilled Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce

Grilled Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce

2.5 lb pork loin chops, boneless 

6 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp salad oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed

Place pork loin chops in freezer bag. Combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salad oil and crushed garlic cloves; pour over meat. Freeze.

To prepare:
Thaw meat in marinade mixture. Grill until well-cooked over barbecue or under oven broiler. Serve with mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce: 

1⁄4 cup sour cream 

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Combine sour cream and Dijon mustard; chill until ready to serve.

IS OK TO FREEZE MUSTARD SAUCE IN A SEPARATE BAG.

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Mix together buttermilk with mustard, honey and seasonings. Place chicken breasts in freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Seal, label and freeze flat.

Serving day instructions:
Thaw chicken. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Brush chicken with melted butter near the end of grilling if desired.

Chicken Fingers

Chicken Fingers

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp onion powder

Coating:

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 tsp paprika

Mix all the sauce ingredients with a wire whisk.  Cut chicken breasts into lengthwise strips.  Place all of the chicken pieces in the sauce and stir well to coat.  Place the coating in a plastic bag or container with a lid.  Place about one pound of chicken in the crumb mixture.  Seal container and shake well.  Place chicken on baking sheets and place in freezer to flash freeze.  Freeze until firm and place frozen chicken fingers in freezer bags.  Freeze

Serving Day:

Place frozen fingers on a baking sheet and heat at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Smokehouse Burgers

Smokehouse Burgers

2 lbs ground beef

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp barbecue sauce

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1/2 tsp ground mustard

Mix ingredients together.  Form mixture into patties.  Freeze patties in gallon sized freezer bags separated by wax paper. Remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.

Serving Day:

Thaw.  Cook in skillet or on grill until cooked through.

Chicken Gyros

Chicken Gyros

0.25 cups olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tsp fresh garlic

0.5 tbsp dried mint

0.5 tbsp dried oregano

0.5 tbsp black pepper

0.75 tsp salt

2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts sut into pieces

6 pitas

3 ounces feta cheese

Whisk together all marinade ingredients. Pour over chicken pieces and stir to combine. Marinate and refrigerate 2 hours. After 2 hours, in a large skillet over medium-heat, add chicken and saute until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a large bowl, removing batches with a slotted spoon. Cool. Divide evenly among one quart freezer bags and refrigerate.  Wrap pitas in foil. Place feta cheese in snack bag. Place all items in a gallon freezer bag.

Yogurt-Dill Sauce:

6 ounces cream cheese

1 cup plain natural yogurt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

0.75 tsp dried dill

0.5 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Beat or process until smooth. Place sauce in small baggies and freeze.  

Serving Day:

Thaw. Preheat oven to 350. Warm foil-wrapped pitas in oven 10 minutes. Warm chicken in oven or microwave or until heated through. Stir yogurt-dill sauce. Add 1/2 large cucumber if desired. Top pita rounds with chicken, sauce, and feta. Tomatoes and onions can be added upon serving.

May 2012 Supper Swap

Chicken Quesadillas - Dana

Chicken Caesar Casserole - Jeni M

Bleu Cheese Stuffed Burgers - Jen R

Sticky Drunk Pig on a Stick - Natalie

Zilge Chicken - Sara D

Bacon Wrapped Chicken - Sarah M

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Chicken:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts flattened to 1/2 inch thickness

1.5 tsp salt

0.75 tsp pepper

6 T. chive-and-onion-flavored cream cheese, softened and divided

6 T. chilled butter

1.5 tsp dried tarragon 6 slices bacon

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Spread one tbsp cream cheese over each chicken breast; top with one tbsp butter and 1/4 tsp tarragon. Roll-up and wrap with one slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick.

Freeze

Serving Day:

Thaw. Place Chicken seam-side down on an ungreased baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Increase temp to broil; broil 8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Makes 6 servings.

Zilge Chicken

Zilge Chicken

3 lbs boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 Tblsp Brown sugar
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp pepper

Simmer marinade for 5 minutes. Cool. Add chicken and place in a freezer bag. Seal label and freeze flat.

Serving Day:
Grill chicken brushing with marinade until done.

Sticky Drunk Pig on a Stick

Sticky Drunk Pig on a Stick
Fix Freeze Feast
Makes 3 entrees, 6-8 servings each

1 pork loin (about 8 pounds)
1 ½ cups bourbon
1 ½ cups soy sauce
1 ½ cups lemon juice
1 ½ cups honey
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
3 Tbsp minced ginger
3 tsp minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
¾ tsp black pepper
3 1-gallon freezer bags

Rinse and trim loin as desired. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes; divide evenly among freezer bags.

Whisk bourbon, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey and oil in a medium bowl. Divide the marinade evenly over the pork. Into each bag measure ½ cup onion, 1 Tbsp ginger, 1 tsp garlic and ¼ tsp pepper.

Seal and freeze.

To Cook one entrée:
Completely thaw one entrée in the refrigerator. If using wooden skews, soak them on water while meat is thawing.

Prepare a medium-low fire in a gas or charcoal grill.

Thread pork pieces onto skewers. Cook 15-18 minutes, turning occasionally and basting as desired, until thoroughly cooked.

Chicken Caesar Casserole

Chicken Caesar Casserole

2 lbs cooked diced chicken breasts

1/2 c. red pepper, chopped

1/2 c. green onions, chopped

2/3 c. creamy caesar dressing

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

12 oz. (no more) penne noodles, cooked and drained

1/4 c. gourmet salad croutons

Combine all ingredients but the croutons, mixing well. Allow to cool and then bag. Place croutons in a seperate baggie. Bundle together and label. Freeze.

Serving Instructions: Thaw. Spread in 9x13" baking dish. Cover loosely with foil. Bake 20 minutes at 350. Remove foil. Top with crushed croutons and bake for an additional 10+ minutes until heated through. Season to taste with garlic salt, pepper, parmesan, etc.

Note that his can also be served as a cold pasta salad. Just add more creamy caesar dressing or ranch and even stir in more fresh veggies if desired!

Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1-1/2 C. Chicken; cooked and finely minced*

1/4 C. Reduced fat sour cream

1 C. Thick and chunky mild salsa

1/2 C. Shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 C. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 t. Chili powder

8 Flour tortillas; 6-inch

Assembly Directions:

In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, sour cream, salsa, cheeses and chili powder.

Freezing Directions:

Place chicken mixture in a quart-sized freezer or storage bag. Seal. Place quart-sized freezer bag inside of a gallon sized freezer bag. Add tortillas. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:

Thaw contents of the quesadilla kit. Remove tortillas and separate. Lay them out on a flat surface, such as a clean counter, and divide the filling evenly between the tortillas. Fold each tortilla in half. Spray a fry pan with cooking spray. Cook the quesadillas one at a time in the pan, lightly browning them on each side. The cheese in the filling should melt. After each one is done, remove it from the pan. Using a pizza cutter cut each quesadilla into 3 pieces.

Comments:

*You can easily mince chicken in a food processor or mini-chopper.

My kids love these! It’s nice to have the filling totally ready and in a kit form. It makes it a convenient recipe to serve when you have unexpected company or for those football Saturdays.

Nutritional Info:

Per Serving: 190 Calories; 6g Fat (28.9% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 30mg Cholesterol; 362mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

April 2012 Supper Swap

Ultimate Steakhouse Burgers - Natalie

Sweet and Sour Barbecued Chicken - Jeni M

Hot Ham & Cheese Hoagies - Sara D

Catalina Chicken - Dana 

Augie's Apple Chops - Jen R

Italian Hot Beef - Sarah B

Italian Hot Beef

Italian Hot Beef

For each supper swap meal, use 1 recipe with 2.5-3 pounds of chuck roast.

For every 2 pounds of chuck roast (or chuck tender roast) mix together:

12 oz beef broth
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp Worchester sauce
1/4 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
4 drops Hot sauce

Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper on roast to taste. Put in crock-pot with
above mixture. Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours. Shred beef with a fork and
return to juice.

Freeze cooled beef filling and the juice in Quart-sized freezer bags. Include buns the day of the swap.

Italian Hot Beef Serving Instructions:
Thaw and heat beef filling. Serve on buns with barbecue sauce or other sauce if desired.

Catalina Chicken

Catalina Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup long-grain rice -- uncooked
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approx 2 pounds total
16 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
8 ounces Catalina or Western salad dressing
1 1/2 cups water

Measure 1 ½ cups rice into small Ziploc bag (sandwich size). Place chicken breasts in gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Combine cranberry sauce, soup mix and salad dressing in bowl. Pour into quart size Ziploc freezer bag. Place 3 baggies into another gallon Ziploc freezer bag along with Serving Day Instructions below. Freeze flat. (note that the water is used only for the serving day)

Serving Day Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13” baking dish. Pour 1 ½ cups water into bottom of pan. Sprinkle rice evenly over water. Layer the chicken over the rice. Pour sauce over all. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1-1/2 hours.  You can also cook this in a slow cooker.  Put the chicken and cranberry sauce in slow cooker on High for 3 - 4 hours or low for 5 - 6 hours.  Serve over cooked rice.

Hot Ham & Cheese Hoagies

Hot Ham & Cheese Hoagies

*6 – 6-inch Hoagie Rolls - the Target ones work best

Mix the following in a small bowl:
1/4 cup softened butter
1 T mustard
½ T dried minced onion
½ T poppy seeds
1 ½ tsp sugar

Slice rolls in half lengthwise. Spread the above mixture on the inside of both halves of the bun. Top each roll/bun with 2 slices ham, Colby OR Swiss cheese. Replace roll tops. Put in a baggie (3 sandwiches per bag).
 

Serving Day:
Open sandwich. Place on baking sheet. Bake frozen for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese melts.

Total needed for 6 supper swap meals:
36 Rolls
6 lbs Ham
3 sticks of butter
1.5 lb Colby
1.5 lb Swiss

Sweet and Sour Barbecued Chicken

Sweet and Sour Barbecued Chicken

4 garlic cloves, crushed through a garlic press
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
 

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lime and lemon juices, brown sugar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil (a fun job for kids).

Place approximately one-third of the sauce in a freezer bag with the chicken. Place the other two-thirds in a separate smaller freezer bag for basting and for using as a dipping sauce. Combine the bags together in a freezer bag. Label and freeze flat with serving instructions:

Serving Day Instructions: (Grill, broil or bake)

Divide the "sauce bag" into 2 equal portions. These are for basting and dipping. Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until the juices run clear. During the last minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with one portion of the reserved sauce to glaze it. Serve with dipping sauce.

Ultimate Steakhouse Burgers

Ultimate Steakhouse Burgers

3 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed and discarded, remaining bread cut into ½ inch pieces (about 2 cup)

1/2 cup milk

3 lbs lean ground beef

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 large garlic cloves, very finely minced

Place bread in small bowl, add milk, and let mixture sit until saturated, about 5 min. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms smooth paste. Break up beef into small pieces in medium bowl, Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic and bread paste. Mix until combined but do not overmix (this leads to dryer burgers). Form into 6 patties and flash freeze.  Wrap frozen burgers in wax paper, place in labeled gallon freezer bag.

Ultimate Steakhouse Burgers

Thaw. Form into burger patties. Oil cooking grate and grill burgers over very hot fire, without pressing down on them, until well seared on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Alternately, these can be broiled or done on the stovetop.