Freezer Meals Part One (Recipes Included)

Also Entitled: How I Totally and Completely Destroyed My Kitchen

Disaster Zone (click to see it in all it's horrific glory)

Before returning to school, I wanted to put a few meals in the freezer to have handy for those days when we are busy with soccer and other activities. I looked for casserole recipes all over the internet, but everything I found was extremely heavy on the butter, "cream of soups", and American/processed cheese and light on the veggies. While I occasionally use all (okay, I more than occasionally use butter), I'm not a huge fan of "cream of" soups and American cheese (I know . . . I'm positively un-American in this regard). I decided to make up my own recipes and make them healthier. Notice I said healthier and not healthy. I still ended up using some "cream of" soups. I also added in more veggies and used whole wheat tortillas and pasta and brown rice, but in the end, I probably used more cheese than I should've, but at least it was real cheese . . . as if that makes it okay.

I started by boiling five large chicken breasts. This gave me the benefit of having both the chicken and the broth, but if you wish you could use rotisserie chicken and canned broth. I also cooked three cups of brown rice (1 1/2 cups dry), a bunch of whole wheat angel hair pasta, and steamed carrots and broccoli. Any extra rice, pasta, and veggies can be bagged and frozen for later.

All of these recipes are mine and are free for the taking. Just please don't take credit for them. Unless they're awful then take all the credit in the world.

Brown Spanish Rice and Chicken

*If cooking immediately, preheat oven to 350⁰F.

1 cooked chicken breast cut up

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon of olive oil

¼ cup diced onion and jalapeno (optional)

1 tsp. cumin

1 ½ tsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can diced tomatoes

Two large serving spoonfuls of chicken broth

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated (optional)

Heat olive oil in sauce pan and add in onions and jalapenos. Stir around 2-3 minutes and add in rice. Stir in rice well. Add in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, diced tomatoes, chicken, and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for around 10-15 minutes. This will thicken the sauce and blend the flavors, but the rice is already cooked so it is not necessary to cook for longer.

*Optional Step for freezing or baking with cheese: Pour into and 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam. If desired top with grated cheddar.

If eating immediately with cheese: Bake at 350⁰F for around 5-10 minutes. Everything is cooked and hot so you only need to bake long enough to melt the cheese.

You can also take this straight from the pan and put in on a plate and top with cheese. No baking is necessary.

If freezing: Let cool. Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and two layers of foil. Freeze up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours and bake at 350⁰F for 35-40 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

If cooking immediately, preheat oven to 350⁰F.

2  cooked chicken breasts cut up

¼ cup diced onions

1 diced jalapeno (optional)

4 medium sized tomatoes diced

½ can cream of mushroom soup

½ can cream of chicken soup

1 large serving spoonful of chicken broth

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated

2 oz. fat free cream cheese

1 tablespoon of chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 ½ whole wheat tortillas cut into small strips

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated for topping

In a bowl combine onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, broth, ½ cup of cheddar cheese, cream cheese, cumin, and chili powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and add in chicken. In an 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam layer the chicken mixture and tortillas starting and ending with the chicken mixture. Top with ½ cup of cheddar cheese.

If eating immediately: Bake at 350⁰F for 35-45 minutes.

If freezing: Let cool. Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and two layers of foil. Freeze up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours and bake at 350⁰F for 45 minutes.

Chicken Spaghetti

If eating immediately, preheat oven to 350⁰F.

1-2 large Chicken Breasts cooked and cut up

2 ½ -3 cups of whole wheat angel hair pasta cooked

1 small red bell pepper diced

1 small yellow bell pepper diced

¼ large onion diced

1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic

½ - 1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 medium sized tomatoes diced

½ tsp. sweet basil

1 tsp. spicy spaghetti seasoning

4 oz. fat free cream cheese

½ can cream of chicken soup

½ cup of grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses

1 cup lowfat or skim milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated cheese (any kind) to top

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or stock pot. Put in the garlic first, and then sauté the bell peppers and onion until the peppers are soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the basil, spaghetti seasoning, and tomatoes. After 2-3 minutes, remove from heat. Add in the pasta and stir well.

In a separate bowl combine the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, grated cheese, and milk. Mix well. Next, mix in the chicken and stir.

Combine pasta mixture with the sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything well. Pour into a 9x13 pan sprayed with pan. Top with the grated cheese.

If eating immediately: Bake at 350⁰F for 30 minutes or until hot all the way through.

If freezing: Let cool then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap followed by two layers of foil. Freeze up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and bake at 350⁰F for 30-40 minutes or until hot all the way through.

Brown Rice with Chicken and Veggies

If cooking immediately preheat oven to 350⁰F.

1-2 cooked chicken breasts cut up

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice (just cook per package directions)

2 cups of fresh broccoli and carrots steamed (you can also use frozen)

½ cup of sliced mushrooms

½ can Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ cup Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt

¼ cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

¼ cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated cheese for topping

Mix together Cream of Mushroom soup, Greek Yogurt, chicken broth, and mozzarella cheese. Once it is all well blended add in the cooked chicken, vegetables, and rice and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into an 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam. Top with grated cheese as you like.

If cooking immediately: Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes until hot all the way through.

If freezing: Let the casserole cool. Then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap followed by two layers of foil. Freeze for up to three months. When ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, and bake at 350⁰F for 30-40 minutes.

Final Results

I was able to put away five meals worth of food. On Monday, I'm making lasagna for dinner so I'm going to make two extra lasagnas and put them in the freezer. That should get me through a large portion of soccer season.