Southwest Seasoned Pork Chops

This is taken from the "Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook." It's so simple but resulted in extremely tasty pork chops! I didn't freeze these, but just marinaded all day and grilled in the evening. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
4 boneless pork chops, about 1/4 in thick

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in freezer bag and add pork chops. 
2. Freeze or refrigerate until grilling.
3. Grill until cooked through - 10 to 15 minutes (160 degrees for medium doneness)

BBQ Pulled Pork

I used this BBQ sauce recipe from allrecipes.com to make a great pulled pork in the slow cooker. This freezes well, making it a great OAMC recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 pinch celery salt
1 pinch dry mustard
3 lbs pork shoulder or picnic roast
Liquid smoke to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Combine BBQ sauce ingredients. Place pork in slow cooker and pour on the BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred pork with fork.

Servings: 6

Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili

This is the best bean chili recipe, in my opinion! Found on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Serves: 6

Garden Penne

I was looking for a recipe to use with my first summer squash of the season. I modified this one from allrecipes.com and it was a hit. If only my red onions and peppers were ready! I'd have had all the ingredients from my own garden. While this was delicious fresh, I bet you could freeze it as well.


INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 (28 ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn,drained (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS:
1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, place the pasta in a large bowl, and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the zucchini, squash, onion, red and green peppers, and garlic until the vegetables are tender, for about 10 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, pasta sauce, and corn, and stir to mix. Sprinkle with red and black pepper to taste, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Pour the vegetable mixture into the bowl with the cooked penne pasta, stir to mix well, and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Servings: 6

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

This is a recipe I found on CooksIllustrated.com. We've made it twice now and it has been fantastic each time! There are some fabulous recipes on the site. I highly recommend it - you can do a free trial for 14 days. As for this recipe, I think the secret is in the salt bath to make it tender, and the goopy flour/egg dip that acts like glue to keep the bread crumbs from falling off.


Supposedly you can freeze the unbaked, breaded pork chops and bake 35 - 40 minutes from frozen. I've not tried that yet. Leave a comment if you do!



INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup salt plus 1/4 tsp
4 center-cut boneless pork chops , 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 tablespoons) (I used dry minced onion - 1 tbsp)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I used 1/4 tsp dry)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (I used 1 tbsp dry)
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 6 tablespoons
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1 . Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag.
Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1 - second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry , about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
*** Alternately, I used 3 1/2 cups of Panko bread crumbs and mixed with the parm, thyme and parsley and skipped the oven step. This tasted great! ***
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing
gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

When I need to cook a bunch of chicken for my OAMC, I double or triple this recipe and make it up the day before. After it cools, refrigerate overnight and it will dice up nicely the next day.  Beware, however, as this makes a very moist and tender chicken and it smells so good it may not make it past dinner...

Ingredients:
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lbs. chicken breast halves, skinned and rinsed
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. water
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

1. Combine oregano, salt and pepper. Rub all of mixure into chicken. Melt butter in skillet. Brown chicken in skillet. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Place water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon in skillet. Bring to boil, loosening browned bits of chicken from skillet. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 
4. For OAMC: Cool chicken and refrigerate. This recipe makes such a tender chicken that dicing it while hot would only result in shredded chicken. It's best to cut it after it's cold.
5. For Dinner: Add parsely and baste chicken. Cover. Cook on High 15-30 min, until chicken is tender.

Serves: 4

Taken from: 

Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken

I found this recipe on Hungry Girl's website. It turned out quite tasty and definitely more low-fat than our other Asian chicken recipes. I have this recipe tripled from what she posted, as it only served 2.


Ingredients: 
2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3/8 tsp. salt
3/8 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (or 3 eggs)
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour, divided
3/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
3 tbsp. cornstarch (I substituted tapioca since I was out of cornstarch...)
6 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
6 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar-free ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp. lite/low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
3 tsp. sesame seeds
6 tbsp. thinly sliced scallions
Optional: crushed red pepper

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place chicken in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and cover with eggs. Toss to coat and set aside.

In small batches, toss the chicken cubes in flour and place on baking sheet. (If you do it all at once, it becomes a gooey mess instead of nice, dry, floured pieces of chicken.)

Bake chicken in the oven until fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes.  (Internal temp 165 degrees, I believe. Cut into a big piece to make sure it is cooked.)

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a small nonstick pot and stir to dissolve. Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well and bring to medium heat on the stove. Stirring often, cook until thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside.

Place cooked chicken in a bowl, top with sauce, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. If you like, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Chicken Curry Wraps

Knowing we were going to have a "colossal" ice storm this week, I (and several hundred others) went to the grocery store to stock up on food. Unlike the others, my plan was to do a OAMC day or two.  Here is a new recipe I found at Once A Month Mom that we made and really enjoyed. It's kinda like my Quick Chicken Curry, except in a wrap.  And I "healthified" it a bit as well. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken, cooked and diced
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 medium onion
2 cups cooked rice (i used brown rice)
1 cup cashews
1 cup raisins (i used half yellow and half regular)
1 cup pineapple, pieces
6 teaspoons curry
8 tortillas, large (i used whole wheat tortillas)

Directions:
In a skillet brown onion in warmed olive oil. Remove from pan. In same pan place cashews for brief toasting. After about a minute or two add in the raisins and pineapple. Heat until warmed through. In a large mixing bowl mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Place mixture in the middle of a tortilla and wrap. Serve warm.
Freezing Directions:
Complete directions above. Wrap individually with saran wrap and then place in a gallon freezer bag to freeze. To serve: Warm in microwave 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 10 wraps

Turkey Chili

I adapted this recipe from one I found on allrecipes.com.  It was a hit at New Years this year!
Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) jar Pace Picante sauce
• 1 pkg chili seasoning mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

Serves: 8

Mexican Lasagna

I found a new recipe blog that I think is going to be a "go-to" source of new recipes for me.  It's called, "Let's Dish." The first recipe I tried was a Mexican Lasagna. I've made a couple Mexican casseroles before, which I like, but this one I LOVED.  It tastes just like a Qdoba burrito!  This makes a TON, however, and it did not fit in my standard 9x13 pan. I had to take some leftover rice mixture and freeze it. I think it will taste yummy in a tortilla shell.  I also froze about half of the cooked and cooled casserole and will comment later on how that tastes warmed up.  SO, you need to have an oversized or deep-dish pan to make this all fit, or just be prepared to only use part of the layering fillings.

Serves:  10

Ingredients
4 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Rotelle tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 oz.) packet taco seasoning mix
2 packages (10-inch) flour tortillas, torn into pieces
4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde
1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
Sour cream and salsa for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a deep, 9x13-inch lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, and garlic, and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chili powder, paprika, cumin, diced tomatoes, Rotelle, and beans.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Stir tomato/bean mixture into cooked rice, along with chopped cilantro.  Set rice mixture aside.  In the same skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning according to package directions.  

Spread about 1 cup of the salsa verde in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Layer with one third of the tortilla pieces.  Cover tortillas with half of the rice mixture, followed by 2 cups of cheese.  Top with another third of the tortillas; cover with the remaining salsa verde.  Next, layer all of the hamburger mixture, followed by the corn, then the remaining rice mixture. Top with the remaining tortillas.  Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Another great allrecipes find.  This one is perfect for OAMC.  Cook stroganoff first, cool then freeze in gallon ziplock bags.  After it's thawed, cook the noodles as you heat the stroganoff in the microwave. 

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 pkg egg noodles

Directions

1. Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in slow cooker; mix together and cook on low for 5 hours.
2. Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.
3. Cook egg noodles according to package.
4. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

Serves: 4

Tostada Goop

I found this recipe on Once A Month Mom's September menu and decided to give it a go. It was good. Not spicy enough to be great, for our family, but good nonetheless.  I received a request to share it, so here it is!


*Update: my friend Dana made this with the addition of one pkg taco seasoning and said it was an improvement. :)


Ingredients:
- 1 can cream of chicken soup

- 1 can chili peppers
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh)
- corn (either from a corn, frozen or fresh from the cob)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

- cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except beans. Cook in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Add beans about 30 minutes prior to completion.   Shred chicken with a fork when done, and top with cheddar cheese.

Serves: 6

Turkey Empanaditas

I've never had empanadas before, but they look yummy. This recipe seemed healthy and it was freezable! Doug and I liked it. It's basically taco filling inside a pie crust, that you dip into salsa verde.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 empanaditas)

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• Cooking spray
• 12  ounces  ground turkey breast
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  cup  water
• 1  (6-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1  cup  reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 
  DOUGH:
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4  cup  ice water

Preparation

To prepare filling, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in 1/2 cup water and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes or until turkey mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Place in a bowl, and cool to room temperature; cover and chill 30 minutes.

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, add 3/4 cup ice water through the food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands.

Divide the dough into 24 portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining portions to keep dough from drying), roll into a 3 1/2-inch circle on a floured surface. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon turkey mixture onto half of circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together to seal. Place on a large baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and filling. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until firm. Place in zip-top plastic bags; freeze for up to 3 months.

Preheat oven to 400º.

Place frozen empanaditas on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and tops begin to brown. Serve warm.

Curried Chicken with Couscous

I'm always up for couscous! This recipe was good - something different - not too spicy. Will definitely make again. Doug thought it had a great presentation. :) It's from Cooking Light, which I found on myrecipes.com


Ingredients
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup julienne-cut carrot
1/3 cup raisins (* I used golden raisins)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Combine the water, 3/4 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and curry powder. Add the chicken, and toss gently to coat. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining coconut milk, carrot, and raisins; reduce heat, and simmer for 7 minutes or until the chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Serve over couscous. Sprinkle with cilantro.

* I made this "OAMC" by cutting the chicken up into strips and freezing it. If you buy the carrots already julienned, it's not a long preparation.

Serves 4

Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs

These were quite good - but this recipe makes a LOT. Next time I will break it into two bags to freeze. I just froze the chicken and cut the onions and peppers fresh when it was time to grill. We served this next to Jasmine rice with soy sauce. Yummy!


INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
3 onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
skewers


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (or put into a freezer bag for OAMC).
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Serves: 12

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

This is a Taste of Home recipe that I decided to make for my April OAMC. I froze this as a "kit" and it was very easily prepared and baked later.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes

SAUCE:
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour and seasonings until blended. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through.

TO FREEZE: Cool down sauce and meat mixture in separate gallon sized freezer bags. Measure shredded cheese into quart freezer bag. Put all three components into one gallon size bag and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator and continue with recipe below.

Pour about 1-1/2 cups sauce into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Yield: 5 servings.

Shepherd's Pie

This is a OAMC recipe that I've made from the beginning, but just realized I've never posted it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup peas
1 carrot, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 2/3 cups water
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 2/3 cups potato flakes
Garlic Powder
Pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Paprika

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Brown beef with onion, peas and carrot. Drain grease and add a dash of garlic powder and pepper. Add soup and mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish.

3. Boil water, milk and butter. Remove from heat and add potato flakes. Spread over meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle paprika on top.

4. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 - 60 minutes.

FOR OAMC:
* Do steps 2 and 3. Then wrap well with alum foil and freeze. Later, thaw and do step 4.

Serves: 6

Asian Orange Chicken

An authentic orange chicken recipe - and it freezes, too!

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce.

*** To freezer, stop here. Cool sauce and chicken and freeze in separate ziplock bags. Then thaw and follow remaining step:

6. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over white rice.

Serves: 4

Burgandy Beef Tips

Another Homemade Gourmet recipe, substituting dry onion soup mix for the seasoning mix.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet® Grandmothers Sunday Roast Seasoning Mix or dry onion soup mix
2 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 10.75-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 4-ounce can of sliced mushrooms, undrained
1/2 cup red cooking wine or water
1 12-ounce package egg noodles

Directions:
1. In slow cooker, combine all ingredients except for egg noodles and cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.

3. Serve beef tips over hot noodles.

For a Freezer recipe, combine everything except egg noodles in gallon sized freezer bag and SMOOSH all ingredients until blended. Label Burgundy Beef Tips and freeze until needed.

Servings: 6

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

I have seen a lot of websites where folks use Homemade Gourmet mixes to make freezer meals (especially the 4 Meals in 4 Minutes recipes). They sound delicious, but I can't bring myself to pay the gourmet price for the mixes. So I've found some substitutes for the mixes and have been experimenting with them. This recipe was a hit. Especially on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
3 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Grandmother's Sunday Roast Seasoning
OR 1 packet of dry onion soup mix OR 3 tablespoons of homemade dry onion soup mix
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (may also use chicken tenderloins)
1-1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk

Directions
1. In a slow cooker, combine soup, water and seasoning. Stir and then add chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours.

2. To make the dumplings, combine biscuit mix, cheese and milk. You can make this at the time you use them or you can make them right after filling the slow cooker. Then put the dough into the fridge so they are ready to spoon into the slow cooker when the time comes.
To 'form' the dumplings, scoop out 1/2 teaspoon portions directly into the slow cooker during the last 1/2 hour of cooking time.

3. Cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Serve immediately.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
Place soup, water, seasoning and chicken into a gallon freezer bag. Smoosh to combine, label with name, date and cooking instructions and freeze flat in your freezer. To add the dumplings to your frozen kit, drop your 1/2 teaspoon portions onto a baking sheet. Cover and freeze for about 3 hours. Remove the frozen dumplings from the baking sheet and put them into a small freezer bag. Attach this bag to the outside of the bag with the chicken and add the instruction to put these frozen dumplings directly on top of the chicken during the last hour of cooking time. (Notice...last hour instead of last 1/2 hour since they are frozen and need more time to cook.)

Serves: 6