Freezer Meals-Round 1
If you haven't noticed by now I'm a HUGE planner. I know...totally shocked... I am only 6 weeks (ish) away from expecting our first little bundle of joy and honestly who knows what to expect!? From what I hear every child is different so even an experienced mother may not know what to really expect each time. I wanted to have meals ready for when the bundle comes for one less thing to worry about.
While I'm tracked out I decided to get some of the freezer meals out of the way. I didn't want to rely on freezer meals from the store because the portions tend to be too large for just two of us and/or they have way too many preservatives and sodium. This way I can also add some veggies to the meals too. For round 1 I decided to start off with lasagna, gumbo, kale and broccoli soup, and breakfast burritos. Made a trip to Walmart and spent $50 to make these yummy meals.
Ingredients:
Broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
Kale, cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
Vegetable stock
Turmeric
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Gumbo
Ingredients:
Can of corn, drained
Can of sliced stewed tomatoes
Tomato paste
Frozen okra
Onion, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
Chicken stock
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Chili Powder
Salt and pepper
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
1. Saute garlic and onion in extra virgin olive oil in a medium pot.
2. Add half a can of tomato paste and saute for just a minute.
3. Add can of corn, tomatoes, okra, and chicken stock. Mix.
4. Mix in 2 dashes of cayenne pepper (or more depending on desired spiciness), palmful of paprika, palmful of chili powder, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (or more depending on desired spiciness), small palmful of black pepper, and salt to taste.
5. Let simmer on low until thickened.
6. Add any protein and serve over rice if desired to eat immediately. Or allow to cool and add to a jar. When ready to eat, thaw, add protein, and serve over rice.
Momma's Lasagna
Ingredients:
Lasagna noodles, uncooked
Zucchini, thinly sliced
Spaghetti sauce
Tomato paste
Ricotta
1 Egg
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Ground beef
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper flakes
Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Directions:
1. Mix spaghetti sauce, half a can of tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste (keep in mind that store bought spaghetti sauce will already be slightly spiced), palmful of garlic powder, 1-2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes, small palmful of dried parsley, oregano, and basil.
2. Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of your foil pans. Needs to cover a small layer on the bottom of the pan.
3. Brown meat and drain. Add to tomato sauce.
4. Mix container of ricotta, egg, cup of parmesan cheese, pinch of salt and pepper, small palmful of dried parsley.
5. Layer your ingredients: uncooked pasta, 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced zucchini, 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, uncooked pasta, 1/3 of meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
6. Cook at 350 for 1 hour if ready to eat now. Or cover and freeze. When ready to eat put in a 350 oven and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients:
Flour tortillas
Ground sausage
Cheddar cheese, grated
Eggs, scrambled
Salsa
Directions:
1. Brown and drain sausage.
2. Scramble eggs.
3. Build your burritos. Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil. Place tortilla on foil and a small amount of the sausage, egg, cheese, and salsa. Roll up burrito tightly, be careful not to over stuff them or else you won't be able to roll them very tightly. Roll up in the foil and place in a freezer baggy.
4. Eat now. Or if frozen unwrap from foil and microwave for 2 minutes or leave wrapped and heat in a 350 oven for 10 minutes.
More to come with the next paycheck to stock up on freezer meals. This brings each of our meals to about $4 per meal which is a steal and you can't get that anywhere else!
Any recommendations on what to make and freeze next?