Sweet Apron Days: Freezer Meals

Kelly & I decided to roll up our sleeves and prepare freezer meals again. Making a large quantity of food seems like such a huge chore, but each time we have finished I find myself thinking, "This was easy! Why don't we do this more often?"

Following is a list of our recipes with some pictures!

Broccoli & Beef (I had raw beef on my hands=zero pics):

4 pounds lean beef (used a chuck roast from Costco)

6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2-3 Tbs. tapioca
2 Tbs. fish sauce (optional)

1) Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
2) Trim fat from meat and cut into 1 inch strips
3) Divide meat into 4 Ziploc bags
4) Pour equal amount marinade over top and seal tightly

When ready to cook, place in crock pot for 6 hours on low with 1/2 cup water. During last hour, add 1 pound package frozen broccoli florets. Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.

Skinny Chicken Rollatini
(Kelly & I have made this before and our husbands and boys give it two thumbs up)
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/chicken-rollatini-with-spinach-alla.html

We quadrupled the recipe.

We bake the chicken with out the sauce and freeze after it is baked. When ready to make for dinner, place in pan lightly coated with olive oil and slather your favorite marinara (and cheese) atop. Bake at 350 until heated through.

Marinated Pork Chops

20 boneless pork chops (thick cut from Costco)

1 1/2 cups orange Marmalade or apricot jam
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed OJ
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. cayenne

1) Mix sauce ingredients and set aside
2) Divide meat into 4 Ziploc bags
3) Pour equal amount marinade over top and seal tightly

When ready to prep, thaw and heat grill. You may add a dry rub before grilling, too.
Grill as desired!

Turkey Taco Filling
(Light recipe. Great for tacos or filling lettuce wraps)

6 pounds lean ground turkey (used 1/2 ground turkey & 1/2 ground turkey breast)
3 bell peppers, diced
4 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. Adobo
4 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Brown meat in large pot in shifts. When cooked through, place in very large bowl. Using unwashed pot, cook onion and peppers in leftover juice/fat. When softened, add garlic. Add cooked onion mixture to meat along with tomato sauce & spices. Taste and adjust seasoning in necessary. Let cool and place in Ziploc bags. I used two cups per bag. We add lots of beans and rice to our tacos.

Cilantro Lime Chicken
We (DLP familia) has had this and really like it.

4 pounds chicken breast

4 cans black beans (we used kidney this time b/c I opened the wrong cans)
2-3 bags frozen corn
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic. minced
8 limes, juiced

1) Cut chicken into large chunks
2) Drain beans
3) Add beans, corn, cilantro, garlic and lime juice to large bowl and toss.
4) Divide bean mixture in to 4 bags.
5) Add equal chicken to each bag.
6) Seal and freeze

When ready to cook, add to crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. We serve ours with rice.

East Meatballs
Kelly & I are floating in oceans of testosterone and know that men love meatballs. Toss into pasta, add to a sandwich, make some peanut sauce and serve in lettuce wraps.
These taste a lot like the ones I ate when I was in Italy (college days).

3 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds ground veal

2 cups Italian or plain breadcrumbs, toasted
Milk
5 eggs
1 cup grated Parm (use the real stuff, grate fresh...no green cans!)
Salt & pepper
3 cloves minced garlic

Place meat in huge bowl. Add bread crumbs and enough milk to moisten. Add eggs and rest of ingredients.

Scoop into meatballs and place in lightly coated (olive oil) pan. Bake in 350 oven until done.
Let cool and divide into bags. Freeze. If you make homemade marinara, these taste great simmered in the sauce and give it a rich flavor!

Meatball Heaven