Healthy Mama Barbecue Chicken 3 medium unpeeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 large green

pepper, cut into strips 1 large red pepper, cut into strips 1 zucchini, chopped 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca 2 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (I wasn't sure if this meant actual mustard or the spice so I did a little of both) 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon salt Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Cheddar Bacon Soup 6 cups fresh broccoli 1 large onion, chopped 1 large garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped 1 cup shredded carrots 4 cups chicken stock cup flour 2 cups whole milk ( or half and half, or a combo of both) 4 cups very sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup reserved Bacon 6-8 thin slices
Freezer Beef Stew 1 C. Diced Onion 3 C. Beef Broth 2 C. Diced Carrot 2T. Brown Sugar 1 C. Cubed Red Potato 1 tsp. Salt 1 C. Green Beans 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 1 lbs. Beef Stew Meat tsp. Pepper (Id do 1/4 tsp) . tsp. Dried Thyme 3 T. Flour

1 tsp. Chopped Garlic 2 tsp. Tomato Paste 2 Tbsp cornstarch (if desired)

Apple Porkchops Ingredients:

cups cups

apples, peeled & sliced sugar all-purpose flour ground cloves ground allspice pork chops ground cinnamon

Tablespoons teaspoons teaspoons teaspoons pounds

Directions: Place pork chops in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a separate gallon zippered bag place all of the ingredients except the pork chops. Mix. Once mixed, dump on top of pork chops in the slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6-8 hour or HIGH 3-4 hours. Freezing Directions: Add all ingredients except the pork chops to a ziploc bag. Squish this around so that the apples get coated and the spices get mixed around. Add pork chops to the mix (1.5 lbs per bag) or freeze them in a separate gallon bag. Then put this in the freezer. To serve: Thaw both bags (apples and pork chops). Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on LOW 6-8 hour or HIGH 3-4 hours.
Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes kosher salt and black pepper 1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate) 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken) 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 6 garlic cloves, finely minced 6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)

1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an italian blend that had provolone in it)

1.

1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces) Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If youre going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken
with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.(Since I used left over chicken, I just cooked the mushrooms in the olive oil) 3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan. 4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top. 5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Freezer instructions: To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool. Cover pan well with plastic wrap. Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, preheat oven to 400. Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside. Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes) or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Corn, Black Beans & Beef Empanadas recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated Filling 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 pound 85% lean ground beef salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup taco shredded cheese blend 1 package empanada dough rounds

To make the filling, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add the corn, black beans, cumin, cayenne, and cloves and cook until fragrant. Crumble the beef into the pan and brown. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and transfer the beef mixture to a bowl; cool. Stir in the cilantro leaves into the beef mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cool completely in the refrigerator. Once cooled completely, fold in the cheese.

To assemble the empanadas, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Using the premade empanada dough, place 1/3 cup of filling mixture in the center of each dough round. Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold dough over the filling. Press the edges to seal and crimp the edges using a fork.

To bake, drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve. * To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the empanadas as directed above. Once assembled, place empanadas in a gallon sized freezer bag in one layer. Remove any excess air from the bag and freeze flat. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the frozen empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of frozen empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve. Oven Fried Chicken recipe from Cook's Illustrated 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 box plain Melba toast (about 5 ounces), processed to sand and pebble texture 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dried thyme 3/4 teaspoon table salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 4 chicken leg quarters Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line sheet pan with foil and set large flat wire rack over sheet pan. Separate the chicken into drumsticks and thighs. Remove the skin and pat dry. To make Melba toast crumbs, place the toasts in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag, seal, and pound with a meat pounder or other heavy blunt object. Leave some crumbs the size of pebbles in the mixture. Drizzle vegetable oil over Melba toast crumbs in a shallow dish or pie plate; toss

well to coat. In a second shallow dish or pie plate, mix eggs, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and optional cayenne with a fork. Working one piece at a time, coat chicken on both sides with egg mixture. Set chicken in Melba crumbs, sprinkle crumbs over chicken and press a mix of sand and pebble crumbs onto the chicken to coat. Turn chicken over and repeat on other side, then shake off excess crumbs and place on rack. Bake until chicken is deep nutty brown and juices run clear, about 40 minutes. * To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken and coat completely. Once coated, place the chicken on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze uncovered. Once frozen, place the chicken in a single layer inside a gallon sized freezer bag; seal and freeze. When ready to prepare, partially defrost chicken. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line sheet pan with foil and set large flat wire rack over sheet pan. Place chicken on the rack and bake in the preheated oven until chicken is deep nutty brown, about 40 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 and bake the chicken for an additional 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear.

Cranberry Chicken: 2 medium apples, cut into wedges 1 medium onion, chopped 2 pds chicken breasts or thighs 2 lemons cut into wedges 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca 2 tablespoons honey 1 can of cranberry sauce (or you can use fresh cranberries if they are in season) Dump everything into gallon freezer bag and label. When ready to cook, dump into slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve with rice or couscous. Moms Meatloaf in Cupcake Tins