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 :)
