Empty Freezer -- Recipe Share!

My freezer is pretty empty.  I'm planning on cooking / prepping a bunch  this weekend.  I have some favorites that I'm planning on making, but would love to know some of your favorites.  The weather is getting cold and I think I should break out the slow cooker again.  I like to keep my freezer stocked so that I can have variety and easy healthy options.  I freeze things in portions of 1-3 -- muffin tins are great for this.  

This is what I am planning on making this weekend:

• korean bbq steak (marinade & freeze -- I grill these fresh when I'm ready to eat)
• chicken cordon blue casserole
• ham & broccoli crustless quiche
• green beans
• bacon brussel sprouts

I'll post the detailed recipes in a few & maybe some pics once they are done.

What are your favorites?  

My freezer is full to the brim with meat, so I can't stock it with prepared food.  But I will be roasting a flat of tomatoes from the farmers market and then pureeing them for delicious spaghetti sauce in the winter.  I hope to get those roasted tomorrow.  I also love the bacon and black bean chili for freezing - http://www.mangeratrois.net/index.php/recipes/soup/736-beef- chili-with-bacon-and-black-beans

For the tomatoes I just halve them, toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and then roast at 475 for about an hour.  (On a rack set over a baking sheet.  Cut side down so the juices can escape and dry out the tomatoes.)

oh the tomatoes sound great!  

I am a freezing queen. Some of my favorite freezer meals or meal components are:

• Shredded Pork or Beef (pork is my preference, but if beef is on sale I get that sometimes) - I will buy two roasts to slow cook all day with salt, pepper, garlic, and a couple bay leaves. It just falls apart!  Then vacuum seal meal portions enough for my family and a couple smaller pkgs, too. I use it for multiple things. Most often I make a small salad topped with the meat, a bit of cheese, a chopped cherry tomato, and hot sauce.  I also will make tostadas by baking soft corn tortillas on a cookie sheet until crisp and top with the meat, cheese, and hot sauce. Sometime I also put a few black or pinto beans on either of those option. I also cut one of the tortillas in half before I bake them, because I only eat half of one.  
• Chili - I make a meat heavy recipe made with ground chicken & lean beef. I only make this in the winter, too.
• Beef Stew no taters - I just use carrots, celery, kohlrabi, onion, and mushrooms usually to cut the carbs & calorie count in the taters.

All of these things freeze really well, too. I freeze the stews/chili in glass pyrex containers or mason jars, and I freeze the meat and other solid things in food saver bags that I can press flat so they stack nicely.

the shredded meat sounds good!  Do you cook it in a slow cooker?  Do you add liquid?  

Beef stew will be great for the winter :)

I'm moving slowly, so still haven't started cooking -- killed it at the gym and now am TIRED!

Korean Steak BBQ -- this is so freaking good!  I just marinaded it.  I'll grill up some tomorrow for lunch all week and I threw one batch (.5 lbs in the freezer for later).  

recipe for 1 lbs of steak -- I separate it at the end into two servings (one for fridge, one for freezer).  

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup soy sauce (I used full sodium b/c I need salt)
• 1 tbls ginger
• 1/4 cup hoisen sauce
• 1 tbls splenda
• 1 lbs sirloin tips (or flank steak or whatever)

Mix it all up and marinade.  I like this grilled, but have cooked it on the stove when my grill igniter thing broke.  yum!  It actually warms up well in the microwave so is a decent option to bring to work.  

Green Beans -- inspired by Gwen's recipe: green beans and pork

ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic diced
• 2 onions diced
• 1.5 lbs green beans
• 4 tbls soy sauce
• 4 tbls water
• 2 tbls sherry
• 1 tsp splenda
• crushed red pepper
• dry mustard
• black pepper

saute garlic & onions ~ 2 mins

add green beans ~5 mins

add sauce ~3 mins more

I leave these a bit under cooked b/c I heat them up in the microwave for work.  

I don't freeze this recipe, but it might work fine.  

chicken cordon blue casserole:

• 4 cloves garlic diced
• 2 onions diced
• 12 oz diced ham
• 2 chicken breast poached & chopped up
• 2/3 cup frozen peas
• 1 progresso creamy garlic recipe starter
• 3 slices light swiss cheese diced

1) saute onions, garlic & ham over medium -- ~10 mins

2) mix frozen peas, chopped chicken, progresso sauce, and onion, garlic, ham mixture together

3) pam muffin pan

4) spoon in mixture into muffin tin

5) top w/ swiss cheese

6) bake ~20mins at 350 -- this will not be completely done.  Up to 400 for last 10 mins or so to brown top.  I like to pull out at 20 mins, stick in the freezer.  Once they set I pull out what I want unfrozen (I often store in ramekins for easy heat up) and put the rest in a freezer bag.  Then you can easily pull out one serving at a time :)

bacon brussel sprouts (I'm obsessed w/ these)

• 1.5 lbs brussel sprouts cut up well
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 onions diced
• 4 slices bacon diced

1) prep 2 pans w/ pam

2) put ingredients on pan (I always go brussel sprouts, then onions, then garlic, then bacon)

3) bake at 350 for 20 mins -- mix everything up, then another 20 mins.  This will leave them ALMOST done.  I like to leave them like this b/c I bake them up in my toaster before eating them so they are crispy.  I also add salt right before eating them.  

I do not freeze this recipe, but you might be able to.

I ran out of swiss cheese, so the quiches will have to wait.

this is what I got :)  (6 of those little green bean thingys -- I am portioning them out for lunches.