Now for the rest of the menu...

Ready to finish up July's meals? I had a little technical difficulty which I hope is resovled...

Stuffed shells:

1/2 of the cooked shells
3/4 of the leftover ricotta mixture
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz mozarella

1) Spread some sauce in bottom of pan
2) Mix mozarella into ricotta mixture
3) Stuff each shell with a spoonful of cheese mixture
4) Pour remaining sauce over shells
5) Place lid, label, and freeze
6) To eat, thaw and bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes


Chicken "Manicotti"

Other 1/2 of shells
1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup of sour cream
8 oz Colby Jack
1/2 cup of veggie mixture

1) Mix sour cream, cream of chicken and cheese.
2) Mix 1/2 of above mixture with chicken and veggie mixture and stuff 1 spoonful into each shell and place into baking dish.
3) Pour rest of sauce over shells.
4) Place lid, label and freeze.
5) To eat, thaw and bake covered with foil at 350 for 30 minutes


Calzones:

Refrigerated dough
2 oz of leftover tomato sauce in the can
4 oz mozarella
turkey pepperoni
1 lb. Italian sausage, browned
Last 1/4 of ricotta mixture

1) Cut dough into quarters and roll into squares or rounds
2) Place a layer of sauce, ricotta, sausage, pepperoni, sausage, and cheese on half of each dough round
3) Fold dough over and seal edges.
4) Cut slits in top of dough to vent, wrap in foil, label and freeze. I wrap each one individually in foil and then place all 4 in a gallon ziploc bag.
5) To eat, thaw or leave frozen, brush with olive oil and bake at 425 under crispy and brown--about 15 minutes.

Homemade chicken nuggets:

1 pound chicken breasts--cut in one inch cubes and place in large ziploc

Place 1/2 cup pecans, 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, a little salt and pepper in the food processor and grind. Place this mixture in a large ziploc. Place the chicken ziploc inside this one and freeze together.

To prepare, thaw chicken. Mix one egg with 1/2 cup milk and coat nuggets. After placing in wash place in bread crumb mixture. Once coated, place on sheet in 400 oven and cook about 20 minutes, turning once.

Serve with honey mustard or BBQ sauce or ranch dressing to dip. I like to have homemade mac and cheese as a side.


Homemade Mac and Cheese:

8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
3 cups shredded Cheddar or colby Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1) Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag and label
2) Freeze flat on shelf in freezer
3) To eat, thaw and place in crockpot, top with 1 more cup shredded cheese and cook on low for 5-6 hours.


Sloppy Joes:

1 pound of the cooked ground beef
The rest of the can of tomato sauce
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
1/2-1 cup sauteed veggie mixture

1) Mix everything together and place in gallon ziploc and label
2) Lay flat to freeze on shelf
3) To eat, thaw, add a handful of regular oats and heat on top of stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Put on buns and serve with some sides like potato salad or sweet potato fries.


Taco meat:

Mix 1 lb. of cooked ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning and place in gallon ziploc and label. Freeze flat on shelf. To eat, thaw and heat on stove or in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with favorite toppings.


Ribs:

I'm a cheater on this one! My Harris Teeter has a rack of ribs already covered in sauce and cooked to perfection every Saturday for 5.99 (or is it 6.99? either way, good deal!) I buy 2 racks, cut in thirds, place in ziploc, label and freeze. When it's rib night, place in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours and you've got the easiest yummy ribs ever!


Pot Roast:

I freeze the tip roast until I'm ready to use. On roast night, I put a package of baby carrots, a quartered onion, and a package of Lipton Onion Soup in the crockpot, place roast on top, and cover with halved new potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook on low 10-12 hours. A full meal is ready when you walk in the door!


Marinated Pork Chops:

Sound familiar? Throw those chops in a gallon ziploc with some BBQ sauce, label, and freeze. To eat, thaw and toss on the grill.


Shepherd's Pie:

1 pound cooked ground beef
1 cup sauteed veggie mixture
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (12 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fresh frozen green beans

1) Place beans in bottom of baking dish
2) Mix rest of ingredients and place in pan
3) Place lid, label, and freeze
4) To eat, thaw and cover with mashed potatoes (make your own or use some from the refrigerator section like Country Crock or Bob Evans) and then bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until potatoes are golden.


Chicken Noodle Casserole:

Cooked ziti
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 rotisserie chicken
4 cups Colby Jack

1) Mix all ingredients and place in baking dish.
2) Place lid, label, and freeze.
3) To eat, thaw and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Well, there are your staples for the month! Stay tuned for the weekly menu plans based on these dishes...