Recipe Tally

Once you gather your recipes, and list of things you would like to cook - you need to make a tally of what you need to buy (or dig out of your cupboard).

It's not really hard - just write the ingredient down, and how much you need of it each time it comes up in a recipe.

Here's my list;

Ingredients List.doc

If you would like to see the list in Word format, please leave a comment with your email address and I will send it to you!

Next...... Lets Get Cookin'!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sweet & Sour Chicken

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup vinegar
Juice from 8oz can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ginger
3 cups cooked, debones diced chicken
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
1 4oz can mushrooms, drained
1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained (I didn't have these - so I didn't use any)
1 8oz can pineapple chunks

In a saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch, then add next 7 ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring until thickened.  Pour into freezer container with chicken, fruit, vegetables and freeze.

When thawed, bake, uncovered for 45 minutes at 350F.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 package spaghetti
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 tbsp butter
5 1/2 cups cooked, deboned diced chicken
4 cups grated monterey jack cheese (I used mozza)
2 10 3/4 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the spaghetti according to the package.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.  Saute the onion and green peppers in the butter.  Mix together all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl.  Pour into either a casserole dish or large ziploc bag.  Freeze.

When thawed, bake, uncovered at 350F for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly.

Birds Nest Pie

Birds Nest Pie

1 package spaghetti
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup parm cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 lb burger
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
grated mozza cheese

Break the spaghetti in half and cook in boiling water until done (DO NOT OVERCOOK!).  Drain.  While it is still warm, combine it with the eggs and parmesean cheese.  Pour into a well greased pie plate and pat mixture up and around sides with a spoon.  Melt butter and saute onion until limp.  Stir in sour cream and spoon over spaghetti.

Brown burger in skillet.  Drain.  Add it to the tomato paste and water.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Spoon the mixture on top of the sour cream mixture.  Freeze with cheese in freezer bag attached.

When thawed, back, uncovered at 350F for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle the mozza on top and return to the oven until the cheese melts.

Lasagna

Lasagna

Pasta Sauce
1 12 oz containers cottage cheese
3 cups grated mozza cheese
2 boxes no cook lasagna noodles
1 pkg sliced pepperoni

In your casserole dishes, layer;
sauce
a row of noodles
sauce
cottage cheese
a row of noodles
sauce
pepperoni
a row of noodles
sauce
mozza cheese

Freeze.

When thawed, bake uncovered at 375F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Chili

Chili

Make sure you've used all of the Pasta Sauce that you need - dump what you have left into your slow cooker, add 2 cans of Kidney Beans, some chili powder and cayanne pepper (to taste).  Let simmer until you're done your cooking - then pour into plastic dishes - let cool then put cover on and freeze.

Dump frozen chili into slow cooker, and cook on simmer for 8-10 hours (you might need to "thaw" the chili in the microwave first for 1 minute so you can get it out of the dish).

BBQ'd Burgers

BBQ'd Burgers

5 slices of bacon
1 lb burger
salt
lemon pepper (I used Mrs. Dash)
1/4 cup parm cheese
1 2oz can mushrooms
1 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp finely chopped green pepper

In a skillet or microwave, cook bacon until limp, not crisp.  Drain on paper towel.  Pat the burger on waxed paper into a 12x8x1/4" rectangle.  Sprinkle lightly with salt & lemon pepper.  Top with parm cheese.

Combine the mushrooms, onion and green pepper and sprinkle evenly over meat.  Roll up jelly roll style, starting from the long side.  Cut into 1 1/2" slices.

Wrap the edge of each slice with a strip of partially cooked bacon, securing with wooden toothpicks.  Freeze with a piece of waxed paper between each patty.

When thawed, grill over medium heat 8 minutes, turn and grill 8 more minutes.

Linguine a la Anne

Linguine a la Anne

1 lb linguinie
6 cups cooked cubed ham
1 stick of butter (1/2 stick used on prep day, 1/2 stick used on serving day)
1 4oz can mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (I used mozza)
1 each red & green pepper (used on serving day)
1 cup croutons (used on serving day)

Cook the lingine according to package directions - DO NOT OVERCOOK!!  Drain, and return it to the pot you boiled it in.

Melt 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Blend in the flour and salt, then the liquid drained from the mushrooms, the water, evaporated milk and bouillon cube.  Bring to a boil and stir the sauce a minute or two until it thickens.

Add 2 cups of the sauce and the drained mushrooms to the linguine and toss until well mixed.  Spoon the linguine mixture into a 13x9 baking dish, pressing it up the sides to leave a slight hollow in the middle of the dish. 

Toss the ham in the remaining sauce and spoon in into the hollow into the pasta.  Sprinkle with the cheese and freeze.

When thawed, bake the casserole, uncovered for 20 minutes at 400F.  Meanwhile, saute the sliced peppers in the remaining butter until soft.  When serving, sprinkle croutons around the edge of the casserole and mound the center with sauteed red and green peppers.

Chicken Broccoli

Chicken Broccoli


1 10oz package frozen chopped broccoli (I used fresh broccoli, and just steamed it)
4 cups cooked deboned, diced chicken
2 10 3/4oz cans cream of Chicken Soup - undiluted
1/2 cup mayo
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp curry powder (I didn't have any, so I didn't use it)
3 tbsp sherry (I also didn't use this)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


Cook the broccoli slightly in boiling water and spread it on the bottom of a greased 13x9" baking dish.  Stir together the chicken, soup, mayo, mushrooms, curry powder, sherry and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese.  Freeze.


When thawed, bake, covered at 350F for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

Poulet de France

Poulet De France

1 box Stove Top Dressing
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups Cooked Deboned Diced Chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup minced chives
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup mayo
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 10 3/4 oz can of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese

Mix together the stuffing, margarine and 1 cup broth according to package directions.  Stir together the chicken, remaining 1 cup broth, onion, chives, celery, mayo and salt.

Spread 1/2 the stuffing into the bottom of the 13x9"baking dish.  Add the chicken mixture. Top with remaining stuffing.  Whisk together the eggs, milk & soup and pour evenly over the top.  Freeze with the cheese in a bag attached.  When thawed, bake covered for 40 minutes at 325F.  After 30 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and continue to bake, uncovered, for the last 10 minutes.

Chicken Packets

Chicken Packets

2 cups cooked chicken
3oz of cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp milk
salt to taste
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (used on serving day)
4 tbsp melted butter (used on serving day)
crushed crouton crumbs (used on serving day)

Combine the chicken, cream cheese, chives, milk & salt.  Mix very well and freeze.  When thawed, unroll 2 pkgs crescent rolls and press each pair into rectangle.  Place 2 heaping spoon fulls of the chicken mixture into each rectangle.  Fold dough over and deal edges.  Roll each packet in melted butter and then in crouton crumbs.  Place on baking sheet and bake 20 mins at 350F.

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce
*this is how I make mine - make yours however you like, just on a LARGE scale - this will be used in a few of your recipes*

4 lb burger
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 large cans pasta sauce (prego, ragu, etc)
1 cup water
garlic
1/8 cup brown sugar
spices (oregano, parsley, bay leaves, basil)
mushrooms
green peppers

Brown the burger, 1 lb at a time in frying pan.  Dump each pan full of cooked burger into LARGE stock pot.  Once all burger is added, add the other ingredients and simmer on the back of the stove for 3 hours.

Moose & Gravy

**disclaimer - this is how I make it... If you have a certain way.. Definately do it your way.. Make the recipes to you or your family's taste**


Moose & Gravy
Roast (moose, deer, or beef)
Package of Onion Soup Mix
Mustard
Slow cooker or oven




Put frozen (or fresh) roast in slow cooker.. spread mustard along the top and sprinkle the onion soup mix on top of the mustard. do not add any liquid..  set slow cooker for 5 hours on lowest setting (if roast is frozen - if it is not frozen, adjust your time accordingly).


Once roast is done, remove from slowcooker and carve (when I do it it is more like hack) it apart.. pour the drippings into a pot and put on stove on medium.. Bring to a boil and add a little flour and water to make gravy... stir stir stir until thick then let set (if the gravy is too thick add a little water until it is thinned to the consistency you like).. remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.. put as many pieces of meat in a ziploc freezer bag as needed for a meal and pour gravy over the top.  Wait until everything is cooled before zipping the bag up.


There... at least 1 meal is made.. maybe 2 or 3 depending on the size of your roast!  Was that hard?  NO!

.. how it all comes together

Here's the list I made of meals that I wanted to make.. I'll create a new post for each recipe, and link them back here;


-Moose Roast and Gravy
-Poulet de France
-Chicken & Broccoli
-Linguini a la Anne
-Chicken packets
-Lasagna
-Chicken Tetrazzini
-Burgers
-Birds nest pie
-Sweet & Sour chicken
-Spaghetti
-Chili



Once had that list made I went to each recipe and wrote down the ingredients in a list....

I'm not crazy.... I'm lazy! (the planning process)

I've decided to start blogging about my journey to "Once A Month" cooking... which is basically taking about 6-8 hours one day and preparing meals for the freezer for the next 20 days (5 meals a week).  I hate getting home from work between 6:30/7:00pm and STARTING the process of dinner... What are we going to have??  Then I have my 2 year old asking for "just a snack mommy thats all I want"... my hubby is starving, and has some tinkering to go in the yard and is running out of daylight hours to get it all done if he waits an hour for dinner to be ready and then eat... the last thing I want to do at 7pm is make a gourmet meal... I've got stuff to do - get my son in the tub and in bed, laundry needs to be done, tidying up around the house - oh yeah, and maybe try to get to bed before midnight!!! 

What do we end up having for dinner?  Kraft Dinner and pork chops, pizza, hot dogs, or I plug in the forbidden.... the deep fryer!!  Last week I said that enough was enough - I needed to do something - some sort of meal planning... SOMETHING...

About a year ago I came across a blog where the gal was going the "Once A Month Cooking" route.. in order to get her family to eat more balanced and healthy meals... She recommended the book "Once A Month Cooking" by Mimi Wilson.  I borrowed it from the library - made some notes and it went in my pile of "to do's" - much like a lot of ideas I find out in blogland...

Last Friday night I remembered I had my notes and a few recipes from this book - so what did I do?  Decided right that instant that I was going to prepare 20 meals first thing Saturday morning....  haha - some people might say - you need to go grocery shopping first...   Did I?  NOPE!  (I'll tell you more about my "grocery" shopping habits in a later post!)

I went downstairs to my deep freezer, and brought up a frozen chicken, and a frozen Moose Roast (It also helps that I had a freezer full of moose meat to work with at my own avail!).  Frozen chicken went into the oven (with the oven timer set to come on at 2am, cook for 4 hours and shut off), and the frozen moose roast went into the slow cooker, with the timer also set to only cook for 3 hours. 

By this time, it is almost midnight - my hubby has come in for the night and was wondering what the heck I was up to!!

So, with the Chicken in the oven, and the roast in the slow cooker - I went to work writing down some recipes and digging through cook books to find at least 8 items that I could prepare with the chicken, and moose.  I also had TONNES of moose burger on hand, so I added that to the list of things I could prepare...

After making my list of "to makes" - I wrote down each ingredient and started making a tally of each ingredient that I would need to make all of these recipes.

Remember - I do not live close to the grocery store - actually about 30 minutes from the closest one - and I was not making a special trip into town to buy one thing I was missing - so if my list called for it, and I didn't have it - I either didn't make that recipe, or found a substitute, or did without!

Tomorrow I'll give you my list of recipes, and the ingredients needed to make them.