Freezer Meals

3 hours and 12 freezer meals!

My friend Jenna came up and we put together freezer meals that will be a great help when baby arrives. We collected recipes from family and friends and made the following:

1- Broccoli Chicken Casserole

2- Pepperoni Ziti Casserole

3- Tortilla Casserole

4- Tater Tot Casserole

5- Taco Pasta Bake

6- Chicken Tetrazzini

Some things we considered:

-Each recipe made a 9x13 pan, but for a family of two we split each into 2-8x8 pans, and used disposable catering pans for easy clean up.

-We substituted gluten free wherever possible. I know the Cream of Mushroom soups (etc) do contain gluten, but I am not that sensitive so I can tolerate that small amount.  

-I also prepped all the meat the night before, which helped save time when putting the meals together. 

-Many people suggested using plastic wrap on top and foil helps to prevent freezer burn, but we wrote on each foil to remove the plastic wrap before baking!

- Lastly, we wrote in sharpie the name of the dish on the sides for organization, and the cooking instructions on top.

Here are our recipes:

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

4 cups cooked broccoli

2 cups cooked chicken, diced (I used meat from pre-cooked deli chicken from Safeway and used the whole chicken)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup mayo

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Toasted bread crumbs (to be done the day you will cook casserole)

1- Separate cooked broccoli into two greased freezer pans.

2- Mix chicken, cream of mushroom soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry in bowl.

3- Spread mixture evenly over broccoli in the two freezer pans.

4- Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

5- Freeze (plastic wrapped over top, and then foil with instructions on it)

Bake: Remove from freezer, top with toasted bread crumbs, bake at 325 degrees for 45 min to 1 hr with foil until warmed and bubbly in middle, take off foil and bake additional 15 min.

Pepperoni Ziti Casserole

1 lb Ziti, (we used Trader Joe's gluten free tube pasta)

1/2 lb ground turkey

29 oz can tomato sauce

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

5 oz fresh spinach (chopped)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

4 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup water

Parmesan cheese

pepperoni

1- Cook pasta.

2- Meanwhile, brown turkey, drain fat.

3- In large bowl, mix cooked turkey, 29 oz tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, chopped fresh spinach, ricotta, Italian seasoning, garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and pepper.

4- Drain cooked pasta, fold into bowl.

5- Divide into 2 greased 8x8 pans.

6- Combine 1 cup water and 8oz tomato sauce, pour over the tops of the two separate pans.

7- Sprinkle tops with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

8- Line tops with pepperoni.

9- Cover with plastic and then foil and put in freezer.

Bake: Take pasta out of freezer night before or morning of using dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes covered with foil, then uncover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Tortilla Casserole

Meat of cooked deli chicken, diced (about 2 cups)

1 can cream of celery soup

1 cup salsa

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2-4 cups cheddar cheese

2-4 cups pepper jack cheese

1 can black beans

10-12 corn tortillas (flour would work well, too)

1- Mix diced chicken, soup, salsa, beans, and cumin in bowl.

2- Line both greased 8x8 pans with tortillas (I tore them into pieces to fit the square pans)

3- Layer in each pan about 1/4 of chicken mixture on layer of tortillas, top with 1/4 shredded cheeses.

4- Repeat layer of tortillas, then meat mixture, then cheese.

5- Cover with plastic and then foil, and freeze.

Bake: Bake covered with foil for about 1hr or until bubbly in center. Great served topped with sour cream and guacamole.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground turkey

2 lb frozen tater tots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can evaporated milk

1- Brown meat, drain, separate into 2 greased 8x8 pans.

2- Top with tater tots.

3- Mix soups and evaporated milk together and pour over tops of tater tots.

4- Cover with plastic and then foil, and freeze.

Bake: Bake from freezer topped with foil for about 1 hr, or until warmed throughout. Remove foil and bake for additional 10- 15 minutes.

Taco Pasta Bake

1 lb ground meat

12 oz pasta (we used gluten free)

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 package taco seasoning

2-4 cups grated cheese

1- Cook pasta.

2- Meanwhile, brown meat and drain.

3- Mix together cooked meat, drained pasta, taco seasoning, grated cheese, and the drained and rinsed beans and corn.

4- Let cool and cover with plastic and foil, then freeze.

Bake: No baking needed, defrost and microwave servings individually. The cheese will help it stick together. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole. 

Chicken Tetrazzini

12 oz pasta (we used gluten free)

2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 cup frozen peas

4-6 sliced white mushrooms

1/4 stick butter

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Pepper

Sea salt

Paprika

1- Cook pasta.

2- Meanwhile, melt butter and saute mushrooms until soft.

3- In large bowl mix chicken broth, cream of mushroom soups, sour cream, peas, cooked mushrooms, and shredded cheese, add salt and pepper to taste.

4- Mix in cooked, drained pasta and diced cooked chicken.

5- Separate into 2 greased 8x8 pans.

6- Top with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

7- Cover with plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze.

Bake: Bake covered with foil at 350 for about 1hr, or until bubbly throughout. Take off foil for additional 10-15 minutes.

Thankful for this sweet friend in my life :)