This meatball and sauce recipe is delicious, filling, frugal, and so freezer-friendly; which makes it the perfect recipe to fit in with the freezer meals I’m featuring this February. So lets get out the onions and start chopping, because we need to fill the freezer up.
Start by chopping your onions up in small pieces and mixing them into the ground beef.
Then cut up the pieces of bread and mix them into the meat.
Then add in the milk.
Add in the egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Next shape into 16-20 meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place the meatballs on baking sheets lined with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Let the meatballs cool and mix them into a jar of your favorite sauce.
Pour the meatballs and sauce into a freezer bag and label.
Now you have an easy meal to add to your freezer meal collection. When you are ready to use this freezer meal, put the bag in the refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to make it. Then the day you cook it pour it into a skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.
3/4 cups of soft bread crumbs (1 1/2 slices of bread)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 eggs
1/2 of a teaspoon of salt
1 jar of your favorite tomato pasta sauce
Instructions
Start by chopping your onions up in small pieces and mixing them into the ground beef. Then cut up the pieces of bread and mix them into the meat. Then add in the milk. Add in the egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Next shape into 16-20 meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place the meatballs on baking sheets lined with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. Let the meatballs cool and mix them into a jar of your favorite sauce. Pour the meatballs and sauce into a freezer bag and label. When you are ready to use this freezer meal, put the bag in the refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to make it. Then the day you cook it pour it into a skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.
Do you love to have meals ready to go in your freezer? Then this is the recipe for you. During this next month, I will concentrate on recipes that are great for freezing so I can help my sister, who is expecting her 3rd daughter next month, load her freezer with great meals. The first freezer friendly dish that I will focus on is Chicken Enchiladas. It’s easy to make and loaded with flavor. This recipe has a wonderful blend of delicious chicken, melted cheese, a savory sauce with green chiles, and corn tortillas. So let’s get started filling our freezers!
Start by cooking the chicken. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and then I baked it in the oven at 350 for 1 hour. Your chicken might take less time since I used thick chicken breasts. Make sure your chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees before taking it out of the oven. Once it is cooked, shred the chicken and put it into a bowl that you will set aside.
Next you need to make the sauce. In a pan heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Remove the oil from the heat. Mix in the flour.
After the flour is mixed in, put it back on the heat.
Pour in the chicken stock.
Add the tomato paste.
Mix in the can of green chiles, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano,1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then simmer for 20 minutes.
Now you can start making the filling. Chop the onion and brown it in a pan with some vegetable oil.
In a bowl mix the shredded chicken, onion, 2 cups of cheddar cheese and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Now that the filling is done you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.
Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9″x13″ casserole dish.
Dip tortillas in the sauce.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling onto each tortilla.
Roll up and arrange, seam side down, in the 9″x13″ dish.
Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool, and there you have it! It’s ready to be served.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, olives, and any other taco fixings. Now you have a yummy enchilada meal for the whole family to enjoy. And don’t forget you can freeze them for later. To freeze, assemble enchiladas and then before you bake them wrap with foil and freeze. When you go to bake them later, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven covered and then 5 minutes uncovered.
Start by cooking the chicken. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and then I baked it in the oven at 350 for 1 hour. Your chicken might take less time since I used thick chicken breasts. Make sure your chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees before taking it out of the oven. Once it is cooked, shred the chicken and put it into a bowl that you will set aside. Next you need to make the sauce. In a pan heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Remove the oil from the heat. Mix in the flour. After the flour is mixed in, put it back on the heat. Pour in the chicken stock. Add the tomato paste. Mix in the can of green chiles, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano,1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then simmer for 20 minutes. Now you can start making the filling. Chop the onion and brown it in a pan with some vegetable oil. In a bowl mix the shredded chicken, onion, 2 cups of cheddar cheese and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Now that the filling is done you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9"x13" casserole dish. Dip tortillas in the sauce. Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling onto each tortilla. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, in the 9"x13" dish. Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool, and there you have it! It's ready to be served. And don't forget you can freeze them for later. To freeze, assemble enchiladas and then before you bake them wrap with foil and freeze. When you go to bake them later, thaw overnight and cook 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven covered and then 5 minutes uncovered.
Valentine’s Day is this Saturday…. Do you know what you’re cooking for your special someone? Well I have an idea of what I am cooking. I am going to create an Olive Garden experience right in the comforts of my own home. My sister made up this recipe a few years back when I wanted to serve an Olive Garden style dinner menu for my daughter’s birthday party. She went to the Olive Garden and counted the ingredients in the salad bowl. That effort was a great start, but we needed more information to get it very close. Fortunately my sister-in-law (who used to work at the Olive Garden) gave us some suggestions to perfect the recipe. When I served this salad for the first time, it was paired with lasagna. However, I have an amazing Chicken Alfredo recipe here on the blog that would be a wonderful addition to your Valentine’s Day menu.
Here are the ingredients you will need: 1 (9oz.) bag of Italian Blend salad mix, 1/2 of a purple onion sliced, 3 Roma tomatoes sliced, 10 black olives, 5 Pepperoncini peppers, croutons, shredded Parmesan cheese, and your favorite Italian dressing.
Start by slicing the onion and tomatoes.
Then pour your salad mix into a large bowl. If you didn’t want to use a salad mix, you could chop up romaine lettuce to fill the bowl.
Then add the onions and tomatoes.
Next drain and rinse the olives.
Add ten olives to the salad and then add five Pepperoncini peppers.
Mix the salad together.
Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Italian dressing on the side .
Now you are ready to bring the Olive Garden experience into your home this Valentine’s Day.
Start by slicing the onion and tomatoes. Then pour your salad mix into a large bowl. If you didn't want to use a salad mix, you could chop up romaine lettuce to fill the bowl. Then add the onions and tomatoes. Next drain and rinse the olives. Add ten olives to the salad and then add five Pepperoncini peppers. Mix the salad together. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Italian dressing on the side.
Note: Double this recipe if you are serving it for a large group.
The big game is tomorrow and you may be looking for a great dip to serve at your party. Well look no further. If you’re an olive fan, you will love this dip! And for a little kick, the cayenne pepper gives it some heat. This is a super easy recipe to make… all you have to do is chop up olives and mix everything together. In my playbook that is a game day winning recipe! If I am hosting a party, I love making recipes like this where you mix everything together ahead of time and then all you have to do is get it out of the refrigerator right before the guests arrive. Then just throw some crackers on a platter to finish off the presentation. So let’s get started so we are ready for the big game.
The ingredients you will need are olives, softened cream cheese, minced garlic in a jar, and cayenne pepper.
First scoop the softened cream cheese into a bowl.
Then chop the olives into small pieces.
Mix the olives into the cream cheese.
Pour in the minced garlic and mix it in.
Add the 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix it in.
Now refrigerate until you are ready to serve the dip. Serve with your choice of crackers.
7 oz. jar of green olives chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup of minced garlic
2 (12 oz.) tube of cream cheese
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
First scoop the softened cream cheese into a bowl. Then chop the olives into small pieces. Mix the olives into the cream cheese. Pour in the minced garlic and mix it in. Add the 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix it in. Now refrigerate until you are ready to serve the dip. Serve with your choice of crackers.
This meatball and sauce recipe is delicious, filling, frugal, and so freezer-friendly; which makes it the perfect recipe to fit in with the freezer meals I’m featuring this February. So lets get out the onions and start chopping, because we need to fill the freezer up.
Then cut up the pieces of bread and mix them into the meat.
Then add in the milk.
Add in the egg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Next shape into 16-20 meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place the meatballs on baking sheets lined with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Let the meatballs cool and mix them into a jar of your favorite sauce.
Pour the meatballs and sauce into a freezer bag and label.
Now you have an easy meal to add to your freezer meal collection. When you are ready to use this freezer meal, put the bag in the refrigerator to thaw the day before you want to make it. Then the day you cook it pour it into a skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.
