My thanks to Jennifer B for all of these wonderful recipes.
Lots of people have asked for the recipes I used during my recent cooking marathon. Let me preface these with the statement that very few are healthy, or even remotely good for you. However, you could probably make them a little healthier by using reduced fat soups, sour creams, cheese, etc. I just get the huge bags of cheese from Sams Club and the cheapest soups I can find.
If I am freezing a casserole that has to be assembled first like lasagna, I line the dish with foil then plastic wrap. I put the casserole onto the plastic wrap and then freeze. When it is frozen solid, I take the casserole out of the dish by pulling on the foil and wrap. I wrap it up tight and freeze it. When it comes time to cook, I peel the foil and plastic off the frozen casserole, put in the original casserole dish and defrost or pop right in the oven. This keeps my favorite casserole dishes free for me to use and saves space in the freezer.
~ Jennifer
Casserole for a Crowd
8 oz sour cream
1 lb hamburger
1 small onion
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (I use about 2 c frozen)
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 large jar pimentos, drained
salt and pepper or cajun seasoning
Brown the meat and onion, drain; Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Heat through.
Served mixed with 1 package wide egg noodles, cooked. If eating immediately, cook entire package according to directions, drain, and mix together. Will serve about 6-8 people.
If you are freezing this, I leave out the noodles and package the wet stuff together in meal sized portions. I usually just half it and freeze it in freezer bags or with a foodsaver bag. When it comes iome to serve it I defrost it in the sink or microwave in the bag, then make my noodles, drain them and mix at that time.
Jambalaya
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg smoked sausage
one onion
1/2 c bell pepper
3/4 c rice
4 c water
cajun seasoning
ketchup
Cook the beef and sausage together. Saute the pepper and onion together. Add pepper mix and meat mix together. Add rice and water, cajun seasoning, and a big squirt of ketchup. Cook until rice is done.
If I am freezing I just saute the veggies and meat together, add the seasoning and ketchup then freeze in a freezer bag. This is another one I separate into two meal servings. Then I just thaw the meat mixture, add rice and water and cook.
Poppyseed Chicken
3 c cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 can cream chicken soup
1 small package (1 cup) slivered almonds
8 oz sour cream
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 c margarine or butter, melted
Serve over rice
Mix almonds, soup, sour cream, and chicken. Put in 8×8 dish. Add crackers and poppyseeds into bowl with melted butter. Spread on top of casserole. Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.
If freezing I add the chicken, soup, almonds, sour cream to freezer bag. I crush the crackers and add poppy seeds to another small freezer bag- then put both those bags along with a stick of butter or margarine into yet another freezer bag. I stick the entire thing in the freezer. Then you just defrost the chicken mixture, melt butter and assemble. You can also mix the rice into the casserole, but need to add appropriate liquid to make that work.
Tater Tot Casserole
32 oz tater tots
1 can cream of chicken soup with herbs
1 can green beans, drained
2 tbsp sour cream
chopped ham
salt & pepper or cajun seasoning
If you are cooking immediately defrost tater tots first. If freezing casserole, leave frozen.
Mix all ingredients EXCEPT tots together. Put tots in bottom of casserole dish and pour rest over top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If freezing, I would keep the tots in their original bag, mix the other stuff together and freeze in a seperate bag. I would probably tape them together or something to be sure the tots didn’t get eaten as a side dish with burgers or something.
Santa Fe Chicken
3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
15 oz corn, canned, drained
15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz black eyed peas, drained
15 oz pinto beans, drained
1 can rotel tomatoes/chiles
15 oz salsa or picante sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 cup cheddar shredded (for topping)
Serve over rice
Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT for CHEESE. If freezing put all the beans mixture into a freezer bag, put cheese in seperate bag, put togther in the freezer and freeze. If baking immediately then top the mixture with cheddar and bag at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve over rice.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
10 oz frozen broccoli
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
2 cans cream chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp curry powder
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
Serve over rice
Mix all together and freeze. I usually turn this into two meals- so makes 2 freezer bags.
Thaw and mix thoroughly again and place in greased casserole dish. Bake 350 for 1 hour.
Hamburger Pie
2 lb ground beef (or 1lb each beef and ground sausage)
8 oz pkg grated mozzarella cheese
8 oz pkg grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs
onion flakes (or real onion diced finely)
garlic salt
1 c mayo
green bell pepper
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup milk
2 unbaked deep dish pie shells
Brown meat. Mix ingredients in skillet with meat. Pour into two deep dish pie shells. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. May need to put foil around edges of pie shells to prevent burning.
If I am freezing I freeze them prior to baking. Then just pop them in the oven still frozen and cook longer.
Also- I find this to be bland, but my husband LOVES it. Might want to add some tabasco or whatever to give it some zing.
HashBrown Casserole
32 oz package frozen hashbrowns- thawed (if cooking immediately. if freezing, leave frozen)
1/2 c melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt or cajun seasoning
Mix all in large bowl. If cooking immediately put in casserole dish and cook at 350 for 45 minutes. If freezing, mix all together and put in freezer bag and freeze. This is another I divide into two bags because it makes a lot more than we can eat at once. Defrost and follow cooking directions.
A lot of people put cornflakes or crackers on top of this, but I don’t bother. I don’t think it adds to the recipe. You can if you would like.
Chicken Roll Ups
Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Cheese
Salsa
Flour tortillas
Fill flour tortillas with chicken, salsa, shredded cheese. Roll up and wrap in foil. Toss a bunch in a larger ziplock bag and freeze. Pull out a couple at a time, pop in the oven or toaster oven and serve with guacamole, sour cream and more salsa.
I do a bunch of these without salsa too for my kiddo to eat since he is not a fan of the red stuff.
Waffle House Waffles (sorta)
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 c plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp softened butter
2 tbsp shortening
1/2 c half and half
1/2 c milk
1/4 c buttermilk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Combine dry ingredients. Combine egg, sugar, butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add other wet ingredients. Mix all together until smooth. Refrigerate overnight.
Next day make waffles- If you double or triple the recipe you will have PLENTY left to freeze. Reheat in toaster oven.
French toast also freezes and reheats well. Make a bunch, freeze on a cookie sheet then toss into a freezer bag, pulling out only what you need. Defrost in toaster, toaster oven or even microwave. Great way to use up loaves of stale bread.
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