Recipes and Links From My Freezer Cooking Post & WFMW

Thanks to everyone who left comments on my freezer cooking post. I received many requests for the recipes that I posted. I had meant to link all of the recipes, but obviously I forgot to do that. So, in an effort to redeem myself, I am posting them all here.

• Chocolate chip muffins
• Sloppy Joes
• Garlic chicken & spinach spaghetti
• Vegetable lasagna
• Pizza pockets
• Tortillas

Salisbury Steak w/Onion & Mushroom Gravy
(* This is not necessarily authentic Salisbury steak. Actually, when I was growing up my mom called it chopped steak.)

• About 1 1/4 pound ground beef
• 1/2 shredded onion
• 1 T. garlic salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
  
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 T. flour
• 2 c. beef stock
• 1 t. Italian seasoning

1. Add the shredded onion, garlic salt and pepper to the ground beef in a large bowl. Incorporate all the ingredients. Shape the beef mixture into hamburger-sized patties. (I usually give mine more of an oval shape for this recipe.) I make 6 - 7 patties.

2. Place the patties in a large saute pan. Flip when browned, about 5-8 minutes. Brown on the other side for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and continue cooking until meat is fully cooked. Remove patties to a plate.

3. In the pan drippings, cook onions and mushrooms until onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Whisk in beef stock, bring to a boil and cook until desired consistency. Stir in Italian seasoning. Add patties back to the pan just to warm.

Florentine stuffed shells

• 1 box large shell pasta
  
• 32 oz. container Ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 2 c. marinara/spaghetti sauce, homemade or purchased
  
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook shells according to directions on box. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Mix together ricotta, egg, Parmesan, spinach, and seasonings. Stuff each shell with filling, about 3 heaping tablespoons per shell.

3. Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 13"x9" casserole dish. Add the stuffed shells. Top with remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella.

4. Cook, covered with foil, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes,. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of cook time. If cooking from, do not thaw first. Place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of cook time.

Blueberry Pancakes

• 2 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 3 T. sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 c. buttermilk
• 4 T. melted butter
• 1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, do not thaw first.)
  

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in eggs, buttermilk and butter. Do not over stir the batter, small to medium lumps are fine.

2. Pour about 1/3 c. batter onto a hot, greased skillet or griddle. Add blueberries immediately. Cook until edges are dry and center is bubbly. Flip and cook for one more minute. Repeat as needed.

If there are any other recipes you'd be interested in, please feel free to let me know.

Now, to answer a few questions.

1. When I freeze homemade tortillas, I've found that they reheat best if I roll them up as tightly as possible, wrap individually in tin foil, and store them all in a plastic bag. To reuse them, keep them wrapped in foil, put on a cookie sheet, and warm in a 325 degree oven for about 5 minutes.
2. We do not have a deep freezer. Everything goes on top of our refrigerator.

Doing all this extra work in the beginning of the month makes the rest of my month so much easier. I have yet to undertake a full OAMC program. I like to scatter my freezer cooking over the course of a week. Once I find my groove and get in a cooking mindset, one week of extra work is worth the 3 weeks of less work.

There are still some days when I will cook a meal from scratch for that evening. Our family still likes that option and variety. I just find that having at least 10 meals or so in the freezer reduces my stress, still allows for flexibility, and saves money and hassle on busy days when I do not have the time or desire to cook. And that definitely works for me.

You can find more WFMW posts at Rocks In My Dryer.