What’s Cookin’, Good Lookin’?

The moms’ group I belong to asked me to give a little talk on whatever I wanted to, so of course I chose cooking. A few years ago, I did a presentation at the Fort Lewis Women’s Conference on quick cooking, so I used those recipes, plus a few more freezer meals.

That presentation was the start of this blog, technically.  I needed a way to distribute all the recipes, so I jumped into the blogosphere and made my first post on “Chaos Served Daily.”  Then I didn’t blog for two and half years, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Here’s this week’s version of my talk, in brief.

My Ten Favorite Quick Recipe Meals (not those meals you can put together without a recipe, in your sleep…if you ever got any sleep)

Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Country Green Beans

Mozzarella Chicken with Linguine and Chopped Salad

Chicken Pot Pie with Fruit Salad

Chicken Enchiladas with Black Bean and Corn Salad

Pierogies with Bacon and Green Peas

Chicken Penne Caesar Salad with Dinner Rolls

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pork Chops with Cider Gravy, Sauteed Apples and Onions

Chicken Yakisoba with Cucumber Salad

Lazy Day Lasagna with Green Salad

Sweet Potato-Sausage Hash with Waldorf Salad 

These recipes can be found on my blog post from 2009 or you can print them here.

Ten Amazing Crockpot Meals (you’ll just need to add a freshly made side)

Taco Soup with Corn Pudding

Shredded Beef Sandwiches with Coleslaw and Alessi Frozen Fries

Pork with Sauerkraut and Apples with Steamed Broccoli

Jambalaya with Sourdough Rolls and Fruit Salad

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew Serve over couscous

Cola Pot Roast and Vegetables with Biscuits

BBQ Shortribs with Roasted Vegetables and Cornbread or Quick Grits

Black Bean Chili with Cornbread & Raw Veggies

Vegetable Curry Serve over rice or with flatbread

Roast Chicken Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus with Browned Butter Sauce 

These recipes can also be found on that same blog post, or you can print them right here.

For the moms’ group, I added a menu of ten freezer meals, with a grocery list, game plan detailing how to make the ten meals in four hours or less, and recipes.  Here’s the menu:

Meals to Make for the Freezer

• Pepper Steak with freshly made rice
• Lime Cilantro Chicken to use in wraps, over salad, or with Mexican Rice
• Huevos Rancheros with fresh fruit salad
• Sausage and Peppers to use for sandwiches or with pasta and a salad
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Cider Braised Pork Loin with Apples and Potatoes
• Big Greek Pasta
• Lasagna Ruffles
• Butter Chicken with freshly made rice and cucumber strips with rice wine vinegar
• Cottage Pie with fresh Waldorf Salad (apples, celery, craisins, almonds, and vanilla yogurt)

Here’s where to print them:

Menu, Tips, and Schedule
Grocery List
Freezer Meal Recipes

Once you do a round of freezer meal prep, I think you’ll love how easy it makes the daily “What’s for dinner?” answer.  I try to cook for the freezer about every six weeks, and making ten meals is perfect for us.
I don’t use freezer meals every night, but they sure are nice on busy weeknights. In our home, we eat two or three freezer meals a week, I cook fresh a couple of nights, and we eat out once or twice a week.  We always have at least one night a week that’s leftovers, either reinvented or everyone can “order” off the leftovers menu.
When I cook a fresh meal, I try to double it, so I can freeze a meal for later.  It really doesn’t take more than a few extra minutes to make a double recipe, yet saves me an hour in the future when I can use a freezer meal!