Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb round steak
2/3 C water
3 oz canned mushrooms
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 C sour cream
2 T flour
egg noodles, cooked and drained

Cut meat into thin strips; brown in shortening.  Add water and mushrooms.  Stir in onion soup mix; heat to boiling.  Blend sour cream and flour, and add to hot mixture.  Let thicken.
Serve over noodles

To make ahead, prepare completely; let cool and freeze.  On serving day, make fresh noodles and heat sauce.  Sauce will separate somewhat, but vigorous stirring brings it right back.

Spaghetti sauce (easy)

1 jar pasta sauce
1 lb hamburger meat
spaghetti
Make easy spaghetti sauce and freeze in ziplock bag.

Cooking day: Heat spaghetti sauce and serve over hot spaghetti noodles.  Sprinkle cheese on top.

Sloppy Joe Mix

2 lb ground beef
2 cans tomato paste
2 pkg sloppy joe mix
1 pkg buns


Brown beef add paste and sloppy joe mix.  Freeze in Ziplock bag.

Cooking Day.  Heat and serve on hamburger buns

Taco meat

1 lb ground beef
onion
taco seaoning mix (follow directions on pkg)

This can be made ahead and frozen in a ziplock bag.
Cooking day:  Heat meat and use for tacos

Shepherd's Pie

4 lb roast (cook in pressure cooker fast)
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 small bag frozen carrots
1 C mushrooms(optional)
6 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed (add milk, salt and butter as usual) also can be cooked in pressure cooker.
1 jar brown gravy
1 C cheddar cheese.

Cook roast--slice or break apart and put in 9x13 pan.  Add onion, carrots, mushrooms and gravy. Put mashed potatoes on top of meat and vegetables and cover with cheese.  Freeze.

Cooking Day.  Thaw and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Or cook frozen and increase cooking time.

Beef Pot Pie

2 lb beef stew meat
onion
garlic
1 jar beef gravy
4-6 potatoes (can use canned potatoes)
1 bag frozen peas
1 bag frozen corn
1 fresh bag carrots
1 refrigerated pkg. pie crust

Mix all ingredients together and put in pie dish or 9x13 pan and cover with pie crust.  (if using pie dish put one pie crust on bottom of dish. Fill with beef filling and place other pie crust on top)  Freeze.

Cooking Day.  Cook frozen for 1 hour at 350 degrees--may take longer. Cover while cooking so pie crust doesn't burn.

Chili (serve with Fritos, corn bread or over rice)

1 lb ground beef
1 (28oz) can tomato sauce (or 15 oz. tomato sauce/15 oz stewed tomatoes)
2 cans pinto beans (or 1 can pinto and 1 can kidney beans) (undrained)
1 pkg ranch seasoning mix
1 pkg mild taco seasoning
1 can corn (undrained) or 1 C frozen corn
4 oz can green chili
1 small can sliced olives
sour cream, cheese on top-optional

Cook ground beef and add all other ingredients.  Freeze in Ziplock bag.

Cooking day: can cook slowly in crockpot, or over stove in large pot.

Baked Ziti

2 lbs ziti
1 onion
1 lb ground beef
2 jars pasta sauce
6 oz provolone cheese
1 1/2 C sour cream
1 C mozzarella cheese

Cook beef  and onion add pasta sauce.  Ziti does not need to be boiled if you are freezing. Combine sour cream and mozzarella. Mix together everything and put in 9x13 dish. Place provolone cheese on top.  Cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking day: Thaw and cook 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Or cook frozen and increase cooking time.

Baked Rigatoni

1 onion
1 red pepper
1 lb hot sausage
2 jars pasta sauce
1 box rigatoni
2 C mozzarella cheese
1/4 C parmesan cheese

Barely cook rigatoni pasta.  Cook sausage, red pepper, onion in frying pan and add pasta sauce.  Combine with pasta and put in 9x13 pan. Top with cheeses.  Freeze.

Cooking Day. Thaw and cook for 30 min at 350 degrees. Or cook frozen and increase cooking time.

Manicotti or Stuffed Shells

Manicotti pasta shells (1 box) or can use Jumbo pasta shells
1 (15oz) ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 C parmesan cheese
2 C grated mozzarella cheese
2 T chopped parsley
1 (26 oz) jar pasta sauce

Barely boil manicotti (2 min.) pasta. In a large bowl stir together cheeses, eggs and parsley. Put 1 cup of pasta sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan Spoon filling into shells and place in 9x13 pan. Pour remaing pasta sauce on top of shells, cover with foil and freeze.

Cooking Day:  Can cook frozen just increase cooking time by 20 minutes.  Cook at 350 degrees for 40 min.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Lasagna (Easy version)

1 1/2 lb ground beef
3 jars pasta sauce
1 pkg lasagna noodles
1 pint ricotta cheese
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
4 C mozzarella cheese

Cook meat, add pasta sauce.  Cook noodles (barely). Combine ricotta and parmsan cheese with eggs.  Layer meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture and mozzarella in 9x13 pan.  Cover with foil. Freeze.

On cooking day:  Thaw and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or cook frozen and increase cooking time.

Cortney's Famous Meatloaf

2 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
2 pkg meatloaf seasoning
2 egg
1 C. bread crumbs (or 2 pieces of bread)

Mix together in bowl and put in loaf pan.  Cover with foil and freeze.
On cooking day:  Thaw meatloaf and cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees (or until done).

Chipotle Macaroni (a mexican spin on macaroni)

1 package (7oz) elbow macaroni

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

In a large saucepan or pasta pot, cook macaroni according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, brown ground beef with onion and garlic in a skillet until ground beef is completely brown. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies, salt, chili powder, cumin and pepper to skillet, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then simmer (uncovered) for ten minutes. When macaroni finishes cooking, drain and then add macaroni noodles to skillet.

Lightly spray two 2-quart size casserole dishes with non-stick cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly into both dishes, then top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover lightly with tin foil. Bake at 375F for half an hour. Remove tin foil from the top, then bake for another 10 minutes until hot and bubbly and cheese begins to brown. Allow to cool completely, cover and freeze.

On cooking day: Thaw overnight in refrigerator (or remove first thing in the morning). Put tin foil on top (if not already on) and bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until casserole is heated throughout. Serve.

Cheesy Rotini

1 lb corkscrew rotini noodles
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 28oz can tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook rotini noodles according to package instructions. In large skillet, brown ground beef with onions and green pepper until cooked through. Add remaining ingredients except for the two cheeses. Stir well and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Add cooked rotini noodles. Pour into casserole, top with 2 layers each of Mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool and freeze.

On cooking day:
Defrost, and bake in preheated 350F oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.