Recipes that Freeze Well

I mentioned in yesterday's post a few recipes for new mommies that freeze well!  It's always nice when friends bring dinner after the new baby comes, but after a while you're back to cooking again, so I thought it'd be nice to share a few of my favorite recipes that also freeze well.  These would all be great to half or double and take for the new mommy and daddy to eat at the time and then an extra to freeze for later.

Before I get to the recipes, please know that I do not follow recipes well, and most of these were handed down from my Memaw, so the measurements are not precise.  Specifics of what I use:
- 98% fat free cream soups
- Mexican blend shredded cheese (unless otherwise specified)
- 2% milk Velvetta and original Rotel
- 93/7 ground beef and I don't drain it
- yellow onion (it's sweeter, IMO)
- I season all meat w/ salt, pepper and garlic (SPG), to taste

Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 bell peppers, cut in half from top to bottom to make a bowl (color doesn't matter)

1 lb ground beef

1 diced onion

3 ribs diced celery

8oz can tomato sauce

1 boil in bag white rice, cooked according to package

handful shredded cheese

large can crushed tomatoes

photo credit: foodphotoblog.com

Directions

- preheat oven to 350*

- Boil peppers in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes, drain

- Brown meat, onion and celery, season with SPG

- once meat is cooked, add rice, cheese and tomato sauce, mix well

- put peppers in baking dish, stuff with meat mixture, top with crushed tomatoes

- bake for 20-30 minutes

Tips

 - to freeze, do not add crushed tomatoes until you are ready to bake. 

- goes straight from freezer to oven (don't forget to add tomatoes), bake at 350 about 1 hour, or until hot

- I always make the full recipe and put it in 2 pans, one to cook now, one to freeze for later.  The 8" square tin pans are perfect for this!  Could also double and use 9x13 pans.

- Serve with mashed potatoes

Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and chopped, I boil the chicken in chicken broth

(or one rotisserie chicken shredded)

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

4 oz velvetta

1 can rotel

12 oz spaghetti, cooked in chicken broth according to package with celery & onion, drain

(I use the same water I boil my chicken in - cook the chicken first, then the pasta)

1 diced onion

3 ribs diced celery

shredded cheese

photo credit: myrecipes.com

Directions

- preheat oven to 350

- Once you drain your pasta, throw it back in the same pot and add all ingredients, except shredded cheese

- Mix well and keep heat on low so velveeta will melt

- Once mixed put it in a baking dish and cover with cheese.

- Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes

Tips

- to freeze, do not add cheese until you are ready to bake.

- goes straight from freezer to oven (don't forget the cheese), bake at 350 for an hour, or until hot

- I always make the full recipe and put it in 2 pans, one to cook now, one to freeze for later. The 8" square tin pans are perfect for this! Could also double and use 9x13 pans.
- Serve with caesar salad and garlic bread - we love the salad in the bag w/ all the fixin's and Texas Toast Garlic Bread w/ Cheese.  So GOOD!

I'll be back with more freezer friendly recipes next week!