Recipe: Freezable recipe ideas

Fleigh - Here are a few ideas that might help your friend.

First, most casseroles can be frozen ahead.
It’s important, though, that care be given to
assembling them if they are to be frozen
before baking -- warm ingredients (like the
sauce) shouldn't be combined with raw
meats unless the dish is going to be cooked completely right away. Cooled components of casseroles canbe assembled and frozen, though. I used the Search feature on this site, and used
“casserole” as my keyword, and it returned nearly 4,000 results!!!! There are lots of recipes here that your friend might like! Anything with pasta and tomato sauce, or the condensed soups and cheese freeze very well.

There are other foods that freeze well, too.
Her family’s favorite soups, chili, beef BBQ, sloppy joes, stuffed peppers, and meatloaf
all come to mind. Even if her husband
doesn’t do much cooking in the kitchen, he
probably does man the grill. To take a break
from the casseroles, cubed sirloin for kebobs,
whole flank steak, prok tenderloin, or chicken pieces can all be put in a ziploc bag with marinade on them and frozen. As they defrost in the fridge overnight, they are flavored and ready for the grill.

Here are a few recipes that will freeze and
might be just a bit different than the usual
casserole recipe:

Country Captain Casserole

Serves: 8
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut up and skin
removed
1-1/2 pound large shrimp
3/4 pound keilbasa
2 medium-size onions, chopped
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored,
and diced
1 large green pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated, peeled gingerroot
3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can tomatoes in pur e
1 13 3/4 to 14 1/2-ounce can chicken broth
5 ears corn on cob, cut into thirds
1/2 cup dark seedless raisins
1 teaspoon salt

1. In 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high
heat, in 2 tablespoons hot vegetable oil,
brown chicken in batches, removing pieces
to bowl as they brown.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In same
Dutch oven over medium-high heat in 1
teaspoon hot vegetable oil, cook onions,
apple, green pepper, garlic, and ginger 2
minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to
medium; cover and cook 5 minutes.

3. Stir in curry powder, black pepper, and
cumin; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes with
their pur e, chicken broth, raisins, salt, and
chicken pieces; over high heat, heat to
boiling; boil 1 minute.

4. Cover Dutch oven and bake 1 hour or
until juices run clear when chicken is pierced
with tip of knife. (Cool completely then
freeze. Thaw and heat to serve.). Hot rice is
a traditional accompaniment.Rolled Fillet of Sole Casserole
Serves: 6

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
6 sole fillets (or flounder, tilapia, snapper,
etc.), about 5-6 ounces each
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons salad oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 8-ounce package shredded pasteurized
process cheese food (1 cup)
3 tablespoons dry sherry
paprika

1. In small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese,
pepper, and 1/4 cup chopped parsley.
Sprinkle fillets with salt. Pat parsley mixture
on one side of each fillet; roll fillets, with
parsley side in, jelly-roll fashion. Place fillets,
seam-side down, in shallow 2-quart casserole
or 11" by 7" glass or ceramic baking dish.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In 2-quart
saucepan over medium-high heat, into hot
salad oil, stir flour until blended; cook 1
minute. With wire whisk or fork, gradually
stir in chicken broth, cheese, sherry, and 3
tablespoons water; cook, stirring constantly,
until mixture boils and is very thick. Pour
cheese sauce over fish. (See NOTE for
make ahead instructions.)

3. Bake casserole, uncovered, 20 minutes or
until cheese sauce is hot and bubbly and fish
flakes easily when tested with a fork.

4. To serve, sprinkle fillets with paprika and
remaining chopped parsley.

NOTE: To assemble and freeze, uncooked,
completely cool the cheese sauce before
pouring over raw fish! Sesame Chicken and Noodle Salad
Serves 4 (at least)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cooled, poached and cubed or shredded, as
preferred (or use leftover cooked chicken
meat of your choice)
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (more or less, to
taste - this amount is pretty zippy)
8 ounces angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti
(use whole wheat to improve nutrition)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce,
sugar, sesame oil and hot sauce; whisk well.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package
directions; drain. Toss with 2 teaspoons of
vegetable oil and set aside (or, dress with
dressing and omit the extra oil).

Divide pasta among serving bowls and top
with carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, green
onions and peanuts. Pour on remaining
dressing and toss to coat; add chicken and
serve.

NOTE: To make ahead for freezing, mix all
the ingredients and make sure that all are
coated well with the dressing. Place in
ziploc bag, press out all the air, and freeze
flat so it stacks well in the freezer. Just
defrost for serving, or, warm in the
microwave and serve. An alternative is to
replace the shredded carrot and bean sprouts
with 2 cups of the pre-packaged fresh
coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots with no
sauce, found in the produce section of most
supermarkets).

Wish your friend the best with her new arrival!!