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...

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.

Lemon Linguine

This pasta is truly heavenly. The linguine is great on it's own, but I like to add some grilled chicken on the side. It's also good with fish, I did a lemon pepper Tilapia last time, mmmm. There are lots of recipes for lemon linguine out there, trust me I've made a lot of them, but this one is the best. Some use lots of olive oil, or cream and one you used the starchy cooking liquid from the noodles to make the sauce. This recipe isn't too heavy, has lemon in every bite and you don't feel like you're just eating oily noodles. It makes a lot, so I usually half the recipe and we still have leftovers (it's even good cold as a pasta salad). Pile on the Parmesan (make sure to get the fancy shredded stuff) and enjoy!

Husband Rating: 5 stars (duh!)

1 lb linguine
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
3/4 cup. fancy shredded Parmesan cheese
Parsley to garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Cook linguine according to package directions. In a skillet over low heat melt butter. Stir in minced garlic, cook 1-2 minutes. Add lemon juice and olive oil, turn off heat. Add sour scream and stir until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle with lemon zest and salt. Pour in the linguine and stir until combined. Pour creamy linguine into baking dish and bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove lid and bake for 5 minutes more. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and top with Parmesan cheese and parsley.


I got this great little juicer in the $1 bins at Target, it makes juicing the lemon sooo much easier. To get the zest I used a little cheese grater. You can't have too much lemon in my opinion, so I add about 2 Tbsp. of lemon zest to the sauce.


This time I made it I didn't have any linguine noodles, so I used spaghetti. Still delicious! Linguine noodles are flat, so they hold the sauce really well, but they are thinner and easier to eat than fettuccine. You can't go wrong!

Rescuing a box of gross crackers

You've done it too right? Bought a box of whole grain, healthy crackers only to discover they dry and kinda gross. I hate that, because I'm just too frugal to throw them away. I got a little creative and rescued that box that was destined for staleness in the back of the pantry.

Husband Rating: 5 stars (amazing!)

Here's what I did:

Cut 6 six boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite-size nugget pieces

Pour crackers into ziploc bag and crush. I used a rolling pin so they would be finely crushed, or you could take our your diet aggression and bang them on the counter:) To the cracker crumbs at 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, 3 Tbsp. flour, dash of pepper and garlic salt.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter. Dip chicken pieces in butter, then put in the ziploc bag. Toss to coat. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and arrange chicken nuggets. Bake 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and breading is golden.

No joke here, they are quite delicious and crunchy! I served a handful with fries, carrots and ranch for lunch, so good. I divided the remaining nuggets into freezer containers (shown above) and tossed them in the freezer for a quick meal for later.

To reheat the frozen nuggets you can microwave them (since they're fully cooked) but it does make them a little soggy, I prefer the oven so they keep their crunch. I put them in for 15 minutes and 400* and they were piping hot and crunchy.

A few weeks later I served this meal w/ the same nuggets. I served mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, maple-glazed carrots and the very same chicken. I'm calling it Harvest Baked Chicken, because that sounds better than "Gross Cracker Chicken."

Now, go crush some crackers!

The Search is Over and Steak Paprika

*Insert cheesy 80s mix tape*

"And I'm never gonna let you go, I'm gonna hold you in my arms forever . . . . "

That's right folks, the search is over! I'm so delighted! I have finally, after years of frustration, found the perfect dishwasher soap. I've just been dealing with white spots, film, flakies, globs and smeared dishes forever, and now my search is over. Dishwasher detergent is expensive, and I've tried every brand on the Target shelves believing their grease fighting promises only to be disappointed. New soap, amazing! Smells good, cleans great, no gunk and here's the kicker - child safe! Yeah, no dangerous warning on the back, all natural and affordable. Can you guess what brand it is? If you want to know more, email me or leave a comment w/ your email and I'll let you in on the secret. Rejoice!

And since my dishwasher can handle every crusty dish I put in there, let me share this fabulous recipe with you. My husband loves this steak over pasta dish, and the paprika makes it spicy good. You could serve it over rice, but penne pasta is my fave. Don't go skimpy on the mushrooms, they "make" this dish in my opinion.

Husband Rating: 5 stars

Father-in-law stamp of approval recipe

2-3 Tbsp. butter

4 4oz. flank steaks

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 Tbsp. diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. paprika

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup beef broth

3 cups cooked pasta

Dash of black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet. Cook steaks in butter 5-7 minutes, or until desired doneness. Remove steak, but save the drippings in the pan. In drippings saute mushrooms, onion and garlic. Stir in paprika and dash of pepper. When mushrooms are tender stir in beef broth, and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl stir together flour and sour cream. Whisk in to pan and stir until smooth. Slice steak into thin strips. Pour mushroom sauce over noodles and top with sliced steak. Enjoy!

Linking up with Foodie Friday, Friday Favorites, and Show off your Stuff Party

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

Teriyaki Noodle Bowls

This meal fit nicely into my August menu because it was so cheap to put together. It's that time of year when lots of neighbors are giving you garden produce, so I was able to throw lots of yummy veggies in there that didn't cost me a penny. There are so many variations on this meal, but it's just so darn delicious:) I'm going to give you 2 sets of cooking directions; one for grilled chicken, and one for cooking the chicken right in with the vegetables.

Husband Rating: 4 stars

2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup onions, sliced

2 carrots, slivered

1/4 cup green pepper, sliced

Your choice additional vegetables like: mushrooms, zucchini, squash or broccoli

2 pkgs. ramen noodles (use just the noodles, not the spice packet)

Grilled Chicken Directions:

Face it, grilled chicken tastes better. If you have the time and/or grill, do it. Marinate chicken at least 20 minutes (I did all day) in 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce. Grill until no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat add drizzle of olive oil. Saute garlic, onions, carrot, green pepper and other veggies about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in 2 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce. Cook noodles according to package directions (microwave or boil on stove). Pour noodles into a bowl, top with veggies and chicken. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce if needed.

Here are my veggies cooking up in the skillet. Good looking right?

One Pan Chicken Directions:

Marinate chicken for at least 20 minutes in 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce. Slice chicken into long, thin strips. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, garlic, onions, carrots, green pepper and other veggies. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Cook noodles according to package directions. Place noodles in a bowl and cover with teriyaki chicken and vegetables. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce if needed.

My husband didn't want to try it with ramen curly noodles, so I made a handful of angel hair for him. He liked it just fine. The second time I made this I made a bowl of minute rice for his, he liked that better. Above is the angel hair. Also, I made this recipe with pork chips sliced in to strips the other day, quite delicious as well.

Smoked Sausage Alfredo

This is a meal that always follows a BBQ. You know when you have several smoked sausages leftover from the grill? My husband begged me to put them over a creamy pasta. I'm glad I did, because the result was outstanding! Next time we grill, I'm making leftovers on purpose. Enjoy!

Husband Rating: 5 stars

3 smoked sausages, grilled

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup red onions, sliced

1 cup chicken broth

8 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

12 oz. fettuccine or your favorite pasta

Parsley and diced tomatoes to garnish (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Over medium heat saute melted butter, minced garlic and red onions. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Whisk in cream cheese until sauce is smooth and creamy. Stir in parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over noodles, top with sliced smoked sausages. Garnish with diced roma tomatoes and parsley.

By the way, did you notice my gorgeous new pasta bowls? I found them at the junk store for .25 cents each. They are lovely, dishwasher and oven safe and they make my pasta look better. Score!

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.

Navajo Tacos

You know those days where you have no money to go grocery shopping until payday - more than a week away? And you know you're going to be eating out of your pantry and freezer and try to be creative to make it delicious. Well, we're having one of those weeks, payday cannot come soon enough. Ironically, weeks ago I signed up to feed dinner to our church missionaries, lovely right? I didn't have enough chicken, beef or pork to make something nice, but c'mon, I'm Camille, I can't serve something lame and crappy, lol. I did stare into my pantry for a while before the idea hit me - navajo tacos!! I had 2 cans of chili, milk and eggs for the dough and enough toppings to squeak by, phew. And yes, it was so delicious the missionaries had no idea just how cheap the meal was:) Beats tuna casserole aye?

Note: I make my own dough for the scones, it just tastes so much better. I have friends that use rhodes frozen rolls, it saves time, but consider making your own using my Best Ever Bread Dough recipe, it's fool proof. One recipe made 16 giant scones, I stuck the extras in the freezer for another fast meal, or you could have the recipe for 8. Enjoy!

Husband and Missionary Rating: 5 stars

1 recipe of Best Ever Bread Dough

2 cans chili
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup cheese, grated
Diced tomatoes, olives, onions and your favorite toppings

Oil for frying


Separate your dough into 16 equal portions, they end of being about the size of tennis balls.

Roll out until flat. I like to make my scones thin, they cook faster and you don't run the risk of them being doughy in the middle.

Heat your oil to medium-high. Make sure the oil is heated before your drop in the first scone. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on a plate with paper towels.

Heat up chili (yay for the microwave) and assemble toppings.

Don't they look golden delicious? Mmm Mmmm! Scoop on your chili, then layer with cheese and other toppings. And yes, you're allowed to have seconds.

Linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
and Idea Sharing Wednesday at Women Who Do It All

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Yes, delicious tostadas. This recipe is amazing on the grill, but since we had wannabe hurricane winds outside, I just went for broiling in the oven. Tostada shells are just like hard shell tacos, except round and flat. I love the "Guerrero" brand, they should be right by tacos and tortillas at your grocery store. I covered the chicken and melted cheese with chunky guacamole, but you could go the lettuce/olives/salsa route too.

Note: I used some of my diced chicken that I always keep in the freezer. Makes for some speedy dinner prep! Click here for my easy instructions on getting chicken ready for your freezer. I just chop it, separate in to 2 cup portions, label and freeze. The night before simply place in your fridge to thaw, or if you are super last minute, give it a minute in the microwave and then right to your warm skillet. Simple pimple!

Husband Rating: 4 stars (he said refried beans would have made it a 5, lol, I'll work on that!)

2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 Tbsp. fajita seasoning
1/2 tsp. favorite Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
8 tostada shells
1 avacado
1 large tomato
1/4 cup red onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch of Salt
Sour cream, optional

Add fajita seasoning and Mrs. Dash to your chicken. (My chicken was still partially frozen, so I added a Tbsp. of butter to a warm skillet and stirred it around w/ the seasoning.) Heat oven to broil. Layer tostada shells on a cookie sheet.

Spread around 1/4 cup of chicken on to each tostada.

Add a handful of cheese to each tostada.

Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tostada shell is warm and golden. Top with guacamole, sour cream and favorite toppings.

Chunky Guacamole:

I threw 1 avacado, 1 large tomato and 1/4 cup of red onion into my magic bullet and pulsed for a few seconds. Stir in lemon juice and a dash of salt. If you don't have a food processor, mash avacado and add in diced tomatoes and onions. Yummy stuff!

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!

Linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!
and Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff