Make your own Frozen Meatballs

I know right? Doesn't that look all sorts of delicious? This is one of my favorite bed rest freezer meals. I have a giant ziploc bag full of mini meatballs in my freezer right now. Hmm, the possibilities. I can serve them with spaghetti, shells, swedish meatballs over noodles, meatball subs, BBQ meatballs over rice, or even sweet and sour meatballs. They are fully cooked, so a quick zap in the microwave is all they need before you add them to the sauce. They taste amazing and I loaded them up with veggies. I've found that if I chop all the veggies really small my little man doesn't notice. I shred spinach really fine, or grate the carrot on the smallest size on my cheese grater. Love these!

Husband Rating: 5 stars

3 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp. garlic salt
3 eggs
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 pkt. onion soup mix
2 of any of the following veggies, minced or finely chopped, 1/3 cup: carrot, zucchini, spinach, green pepper, mushrooms

Combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. Line pan with foil and arrange meatballs. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes. Makes 80 mini meatballs.

To freeze: After the meatballs cool you need to flash freeze them. This freezes each one individually so you don't end up with a giant glob of meatballs stuck together. Sometimes you only need 7-10 from the bag for dinner. Arrange the meatballs flat on cookie sheet and put in your freezer for about 2 hours. Then, put them in your ziploc bag for storage.

To reheat, I just put them in a microwave safe bowl and nuke for about 1 minute. If I'm using them in spaghetti, I just add them frozen right into the sauce and let them simmer with the sauce.


Here is some extra incentive for you to line the pan with foil instead of just cooking spray. What a mess!

What else do you make with meatballs? Hmm, I bet there is some soup that would be good with them too...

Make your own Frozen Burritos

The credit for these also goes to my mom. Honestly, they are genius! I have four bags of these in my freezer right now. Husband can microwave one in a paper towel and zip off to work, or I can add the toppings and serve them as a simple lunch or dinner. Adore them! The frozen variety have nothing on these babies. I cooked the beans myself, I used my favorite locally grown beef and the best Guerrero tortillas with no lard. Nutritionally there is nothing to fear here. They are inexpensive, easy to make and will last for up to 3 months in my freezer.

Husband Rating: 5 stars
(no joke, since I've been on bed rest he eats one almost every day!:)

For my step-by-step directions to make the beef and bean filling click here.

To make the burritos, simply warm tortillas, scoop in the filling and fold tightly.

You will need to flash freeze the burritos before putting them in ziploc bags. (This is so they don't stick together into one giant glob, you want to take them out once at a time.)
To flash freeze, arrange on a cookie sheet and put in your freezer, uncovered, for about 2 hours. They won't be completely frozen, just enough so they won't stick together. Now you can bag them!


The frozen burritos take 1:30 seconds to perfection. Microwave for one minute, turn over, then go for 30 more seconds. I like to add a handful of cheddar cheese for the last 30 seconds, yum!


Dump on your salsa, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, whatever you're craving and enjoy the fastest homemade lunch ever.

Small confession: I'm not sure how many burritos you will get from one batch of the beef/bean mixture. Why? Because every time I make it we end up eating so many burritos and snacking on the filling with tortilla chips that I don't get an accurate count. I usually fill 3 ziploc bags, plus whatever we eat that doesn't quite make it. I use the "soft taco" size tortillas.

Making Beans Your Family Will Eat

I want to share with you the steps to make the most delicious beef and bean taco filling ever. All the credit goes to my mom, who has been making these for years. We use this filling to make our own homemade frozen burritos, tacos, nachos, or anything else Mexican. I love this recipe because you are doing everything from scratch, you get to control the quality of ingredients and how much fat, salt, etc. are added in. Beans are loaded with nutrition, and since there are double the beans to beef, you're saving money. Follow along with me and let me know if you have any questions.

Remember- If you soak and cook your beans correctly you won't have the digestive/gas problems, so yes it takes longer, but it's worth it!

Husband Rating: 5 stars

2 lbs. dry beans (4 cups)

1 lb. ground beef

1 10 oz. can tomato sauce

3/4 cup salsa

3-5 Tbsp. Taco seasoning (or to taste)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup onion, diced

Note: I like to mix the variety of dry beans I use. Beans come in 1 lb. bags, which is 2 cups dry in each. For this batch I used 2 cups of pinto beans, 1 cup of black beans, 1 cup of red beans. Mix it up however you want, just equal 4 cups.

Step 1: The soak. I always start my beans Tuesday night before bed, and serve the finished product Friday for dinner. That should give you a good idea of the timeline. I know it seems time consuming, but remember most of that time they're just sitting on your counter, no work involved:) You always want to soak beans overnight, always. I place mine in a huge bowl, cover with water and head to bed. Easy!

Step 2: Sprout. A lot of bean-makers skip this step, but it's worth people! Did you know that by sprouting your beans you can almost double the nutrition? I let mine sprout all day Wednesday and Thursday and they are good to go. Can you see it in the picture? The beans open and a little sprout pokes through. So, after they've soaked all night I rinse them really well and place them in a spaghetti strainer. I put a towel underneath and let them sit in the strainer for 2 days. Every 3 or so hours when walk by I give them a little shake and run a little water over them. Don't bother waking up during the night though, they'll be fine:) Can you handle this?

Step 3: Quick Boil. This is a step you don't want to skip. I do this Friday morning, right before tossing the beans in the crockpot. In this step you get rid of all that lovely gas-causing slime. It's easy to do, just boil it right off. I put the beans in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. You will notice a white, foamy, slimy stuff float to the top. This is the scum you want to get rid of, can you see it in the picture? Just use a spoon and scrape it off. Get as much as you can, then rinse the beans again in your strainer.

Step 4: Cook 'em up. I recommend using your crockpot, it's just easier. Dump in your beans, pour in enough water to cover the beans and toss in 3 or so cloves of garlic. I put them on high for 6 hours. They will start smelling really delicious after 4 hours or so. I never add salt to the beans, they do taste pretty bland at this stage, but you'll add the oomph later.

Step 5: Taco time. Cook 1 lb. of ground beef in your skillet, drain any grease. Add onion, we love red onions here.

While the beef is cooking, strain your beans and mash them. I don't bother with a puree, just a potato masher for a few minutes works great.

Into the pot add your mashed beans, tomato sauce and salsa. Mix thoroughly. Add your taco seasoning to taste. Some people like a lot of the saltier taco flavor, while I prefer a little less. Just add and stir until you get the taste you like.

This is what your finished beef and bean mix looks like. I will serve some type of yummy taco/burrito for dinner, and put the remaining mix in 2 cup ziploc containers to freeze. This will stay delicious in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, I just take it out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge, then microwave until warm to serve.

Step 6: Serve. This is one of our favorite ways to eat the mix, in crunchy tacos. Warm the shells in the oven, then fill with a spoonful of the taco mix. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and your other favorite toppings.

I'm making another batch of beans this week and I will be making homemade frozen burritos. I tried to take pictures last time, but they just disappear too fast!

Any questions? Great ideas for the mix? Let me know in the comments!

Planning Freezer Meals

I've done some planning today. If I double dinner once a week and freeze half, I will have 12 freezer meals ready to go before my new little munchkin arrives. (Yes, I'm pregnant, don't think I've said so on my blog yet, but trust me, I'm out to here.) I could even make 6 a month without adding too much to our grocery budget, and it really isn't that much extra time to prepare.

I'm using simple dollar store foil containers with lids and ziploc bags. I'm typing out instructions and labels so hubby can prepare without even asking.

Here are my favorite freezer meals. I will link up recipes and pictures as I go:

Creamy Spinach Chicken

Cheesy Texas Bake

Porcupines

Funeral Potatoes and Ham

Cheesy Manicotti

Pizza Bites

BBQ Cups

Spaghetti Sausage Pie

Sloppy Joes

Baked Ziti

Am I forgetting anything else easy and delicious? Yeah, we won't starve:)

Chicken Taquitos (for the freezer)

And don't forget to check out my Mother's Day Clearance Apron sale here!

You know those taquitos you buy in the frozen foods? And it's like $3 for 24 or so soggy taquitos? They say chicken or beef, but you aren't quite convinced? Ya, stop buying them, it's time to make your own. These are so delicious, the tortilla is nice and crispy and hello cheap!! My husband loves to grab 3 or 4 taquitos, microwave them on a paper towel for 1 minute and dash off to work. I have been known to eat them while driving too:) It took me an hour and a half to make 110 taquitos, check out my price break down below. (Oh, and in case you weren't on board yet, I bake these crispy babies instead of frying in oil, so yeah, healthier too!)

Husband Rating: 5 stars

These are my directions to make 110 taquitos, obviously use less if you're just making a pan full for dinner.

6 cups cooked, shredded chicken (for my easy chicken shredding directions click here)
1 8oz. brick cream cheese
1 lime
1 bunch cilantro
1 1/2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, grated
110 white corn tortillas (Guerrero is my fave brand, made with no lard)

Soften cream cheese in microwave for 15-20 seconds. In a large bowl stir together cream cheese, chicken and Monterrey jack cheese. Finely chop cilantro and stir into chicken mixture. Squeeze lime juice and stir. Warm tortillas (microwave or skillet) so they don't break when rolling. Preheat oven to 425. Cover a cookie sheet with foil (easy clean-up) and spray with cooking spray. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll, place seam side down on pan. When the pan is full, lightly spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until crispy.


You will get a nice system going here quickly. I baked about 20 and a time, and you will have the next pan ready to pop in and soon as they're done.

To freeze: Cool taquitos completely. Place in a large ziploc bag, label and freeze. You will want to eat all of the taquitos within 3 months. Mine have never lasted more than a month, we love them too much:) To reheat, microwave on a plate or paper towel for 1 minute. Serve with salsa, guacamole or sour cream. So there you have it, a perfect on-the-run snack or heat up a pan full for a last minute dinner.



Pricing:
Cilantro: .68 cents
Lime: .50 cents
Cream Cheese: .98 cents
Monterray Jack: $1 (used a coupon)
Corn tortillas: $4
Chicken: $5.50 (I bought it on sale)
Total: $12.66

Linking up with Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Blue Cricket Show & Tell, Idea Sharing Wednesday, and We did it Wednesday at Sew Much Ado.

Homemade Pizza

Mmmm, homemade pizza. It's so delicious, easy to make, and I always have the items on hand to whip up something yummy. The best dough to use is my Best Ever Bread Dough. Stick with me while I share some tips on making the best pizzas and freezing the dough.

If you have a baking stone from pampered chef it really makes the bottom come out perfect. A large cookie sheet works great too, it just doesn't get as crispy. When you're making homemade pizza with my dough, always cook the dough partially first, then add your toppings and finish baking. This ensures your dough is cooked through and keeps your toppings (like chicken) from drying out.

Preheat your oven to 400*. Roll out the dough on your pan. Take a fork and poke several holes across the crust. Can you see the pokes in my picture? Bake for 10 minutes. While it's cooking, time to start chopping your toppings! Assemble your pizza and bake for 5-7 minutes more until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.


I love a classic pizza with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives and green pepper. Here are some of our favorite varieties:

BBQ Chicken Pizza: BBQ sauce spread over the crust, cheddar cheese, chicken and red onion.

Garlic Chicken Pizza: Ranch spread over the dough, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, chicken, red onion and minced garlic.

Bacon is always good, you can't go wrong with mushrooms and sausage. I've even done ground beef with yellow onion and tomato. Don't forget the ham and pineapple! You could do all veggies, meat lovers or go crazy and add some spam. I love to use up leftover veggies on pizza, zucchini included. What are your favorite toppings?

Want to have pizza crusts in your freezer for a fast meal? If you roll out your dough and cook the crust for 10 minutes like I described above you can freeze it. Simply let it cool, wrap it securely in plastic or foil and freeze. To cook, I preheat my oven to 400*, layer the toppings right on the frozen crust and cook for 8-10 minutes. Since the dough is halfway cooked, it thaws and gets crispy right in the oven. I like to make half-size crusts and freeze them in bags for quick lunches. Yummier, healthier and cheaper than those crusts in a can huh?

My Best Ever Bread Dough recipe makes 2 large cookie sheet pizzas or 4 thin crust pizzas. I usually half the recipe for our pizza dinner. You could always make the whole thing and make breadsticks for the side, or double and put several crusts in the freezer. Easy!

Also, the picture at the very top I used whole wheat flour. I used 1 cup white flour and 3 cups whole wheat. It turned out great!

Any pizza or dough questions please ask. I made this 4 times last month for dinner, with the variety of pizza nobody cared:)

Want to mix it up a little? Use the same dough and make calzones, check out my photo tutorial here.

Linking up with Family Food Fridays

Baked Ziti (with freezer directions)

First off, I am finally getting around to posting this recipe for my friend Kari. (Why for some reason do I have so many friends named Kari anyway? This is my Provo Kari!) I've made this like 4 times since I discovered the recipe and it is so delicious fresh or from frozen. Above is my pan ready to go in the freezer, below you will see the piping hot pile of delicious pasta. My favorite Baked Ziti recipe comes from Freeze Happy, click for the original, below has my changes. It's easier than lasagna, fancier than spaghetti and you can load this baby up with vegetables!

Note: This recipe makes either 1 large 9x13 pan or 2 8x8 dishes. I always bake one 8x8, and then assemble and freeze the other for later. You can easily double or triple and fill your freezer. Yum!

Husband Rating: 5 stars

8 oz. ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced mushrooms
1/4 cup diced green pepper
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb box of ziti (or rigatoni) noodles
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
6 green onions
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions, do not overcook or they'll be mushy when you freeze. In a skillet over medium heat cook ground beef until no longer pink. Add in minced garlic, diced onions, mushrooms and green pepper. Stir in spaghetti sauce, cook and stir for 4-5 minutes. In a mixing bowl stir together cream cheese, sour cream, egg, parmesan cheese and diced green onions until smooth. In your baking dish layer noodles across the bottom, spread white cream cheese layer over the top, then pour red sauce over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes covered, and 10 minutes uncovered.

To freeze, cover with foil, label, date and freeze. Use within 3 months. If you want to thaw your ziti, put it in the fridge the night before and bake at 350* for 20 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. If the ziti is frozen, bake at 350* for 50 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.

Beef Enchiladas (freezer version)

My husband loves enchiladas, especially his mom's homemade, authentic enchiladas. I usually avoid making those "my mom's best" meals because they just disappoint. But, enchiladas are so cheap to make and easy to freeze, I made the attempt. These turned out fantastic, really. The first time I made them I used a can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce in mild. I enjoyed it, but it really tasted like salty tomato sauce. The second time I used a can called Las Palmas, it was much spicier and had that authentic Mexican flavor. So, if you want the real enchilada flavor pick a can with a more Mexican looking label, lol, seriously. For our little family I made two 9x9 pans of 10 enchiladas each, a 9x13 pan would be perfect for you bigger families. Enjoy!

Husband Rating 4 1/2 stars (a 5 is reserved for mom's:)

1 pound ground beef

2 10 oz. cans enchilada sauce

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 tsp. taco seasoning

2 cups cheese, grated

20 corn tortillas

In a large skillet brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add minced garlic and onion. Stir in 2 cans of enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Warm tortillas (I put them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften, you want them to roll without cracking). Use a slotted spoon to scoop beef mixture into tortillas. Put a spoon full in each tortilla, roll and line up in pan. Poor remaining sauce over the top of tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. To bake immediately, cook uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes.

To freeze, cover with foil, label and date. To reheat, thaw over night in the fridge. Cook uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Be sure to cook frozen enchiladas within 3 months.

Like I mentioned, I baked one for dinner and then froze the other pan for later. The pan that was frozen was dryer, but still delicious. If you want saucier enchiladas, I would recommend saving 1/2 cup or so of the sauce in a ziploc bag and freezing it with the pan. You could thaw it in the microwave and then spread it around before baking.

Cheesy Texas Bake

Sometimes I wish my camera was better at portraying the deliciousness of some food. This was hard to get a good picture of, but let me just say it is so gooey, cheesy, yummy, plate-lickin' good. This recipe makes either one 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. I always make one for dinner tonight, and one in the freezer for dinner later. You could get fancy schmancy and garnish this with green onions or cilantro and sour cream, but it's quite amazing all on it's own, I'm just sayin'.

Husband Rating: 4 1/2 stars

12 oz. ground beef
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (do not drain)
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. cheese
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix (plus eggs and milk as called for on the box)

In a large skillet cook ground beef until no longer pink, drain any grease. Add onion and garlic. Stir in Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, corn and taco seasoning. Cook and stir for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Divide mixture equally between to 8x8 baking dishes. Sprinkle 4 oz. cheese over each dish. In a separate bowl make cornbread mixes according to package directions. Divide and pour over each pan, spreading to the edges. (Sometimes I make each package separately so I don't have to eyeball half, whatever works!)

Bake at 375, uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until cornbread is brown and filling is bubbly.


For your freezer pan, let it cool for a few minutes and cover with foil. Label and date, you'll need to use within 3 months.


Note: You don't bake the freezer version until you want to eat it!

To prepare freezer version: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before cooking time. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes, uncovered. Put foil back on and bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.


It's so good, trust me. We ate 3/4 of the pan that night, and then I sent the rest with my husband for lunch the next day. Whoohoo for double duty foods!

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and Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff

Marinated Steaks (for your freezer)

Another freezer recipe, and this one's even better because you can make your husband cook it. Does your husband have dibs on the grill too? Honestly, I've never even lifted the handle the entire 3 years we've owned our grill. Any wonder why I like to grill all summer long? Hehehe, but it tastes so good he can't complain! Anyway, the key to making this recipe a success is buying the steak when it's a killer deal. Watch for cheap sales or buy one get one free on the steaks. I bought 9 steaks, and put them 3 to a bag. It cost about $6 for the meat. I put 3 steaks to a freezer bag. We grill all 3, then eat 2 for dinner and save the 3rd. For lunch the next day, slice it up with some red onions and you've got yourself some steak fajitas. Score!

Note: Yes, you could make your own delicious marinade here, but by using a Lawry's coupon from coupons.com I got these bottles for .68 cents each. 1 bottle is all you need, plus this is a really good marinade. I didn't have to add a clove of garlic or anything.

Husband Rating: 5 stars

9 steaks (your favorite cut)
1 bottle Lawry's Steak and Chop Marinade
3 freezer ziploc bags

Begin by scoring your meat. Make a tic-tac-toe pattern on your meat with the tip of the knife. Just glide the knife across, don't slice through the whole thing. This allows the marinade to sink into the meat and help tenderize. Can you see my score lines on this steak?

Divide your steaks into freezer bags and pour in marinade. I just used the entire bottle, but it could have gone further. Label and freeze flat. Don't forget to write the date, you'll want to use within 3 months.

To Cook: Take the bag of frozen steaks out of your freezer and place in the fridge the night before you want to grill them and let them thaw overnight. Heat your grill and cook steaks until your desired doneness. Be sure to discard bag and remaining marinade. Serve with your favorite summer vegetables.

You can serve your steak w/ a baked potato and corn, chop it up for a stir fry, or cut into chunks and combine with veggies for some delicious grilled kabobs!

Linking up with Life as a Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap!

Pizza Braid

Let me introduce you to the Pizza Braid, lifesaver to busy moms everywhere! I love having these in my freezer. It's like pizza and garlic breadsticks all-in-one just waiting to be devoured. I took a million pictures, so follow along!

Husband Rating: 4 stars

Note: For this batch I used Rhodes frozen bread dough in the freezer at Walmart. Ironically it was cheaper to buy 2 little bags with 3 loaves, then one large bag with 5 loaves. I let the dough thaw, then rolled it out and made the braid. My husband loves my homemade Best Ever Bread Dough and thinks it tastes better, but I used Rhodes to save time. Obviously the homemade tastes better, but Rhodes it a great option. The recipe below is for 6 pizza braids.

6 Rhodes loaves
9 cups cheese
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
6 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic salt

Your choice toppings
I used 1 diced green pepper,1 can olives, sliced and 12 slices ham, diced

Roll out dough into a large rectangle. In the center layer sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.


Use a pizza cutter to cut each side into strips. Make sure you have an even number on each side.


Stretch out the strips one by one and cross with the opposite side.


Just like braiding, get it? (It's actually kind of fun, hehe)


Your braid should look like this, all wrapped up.


Melt butter. Stir in Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Spread over the top of the pizza braid, this is like your "breadstick" portion. (I always scoot my braid on to foil at this point)


Fold carefully and pinch the ends. Label and date. My dollar store sells extra wide aluminum foil, which is super handy for these. Place in your freezer, careful not to smash them. Use within 3 months.


To Bake:
You need to thaw the pizza braid prior to baking. The night before you want to serve for dinner take out your pizza braid, place it on a cookie sheet and unwrap the foil. Cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
2 hours before you want to bake it, remove from the fridge and let sit on the counter in room temp to rise.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 25-30 minutes. I like to leave the foil on the cookie sheet so there's no cleanup.


Serve with a salad or sliced fruit and you're good to go! And don't forget to serve with marinara dipping sauce. After we started eating I had to jump up and get the dipping sauce. I like to rip off the top part and dip them, then eat the bottom part just like pizza. Yummy!

Also, I want to recommend using a thicker tomato sauce. The "traditional" Ragu and others are so thin and runny that they just disappear into the dough and make it soggy on the bottom. I would recommend one of Ragu's "robust" varieties, or make your own with canned diced tomatoes.

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