Mega Cooking/Freezer Meal Recipes
The following are some of Linda and Rebekah’s Favorite Meals
Single Batch
Times 10
Teriyaki Chicken
4 large chicken breasts 1-20 oz. can. chunk pineapple ¼ cup soy sauce 1/3 cup maple syrup 2/3 cup sugar 2 cloves minced garlic (1 tsp.) 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/4 tsp. white pepper 60 chicken breasts (5 or 6 fit nicely) 200 oz. chunk pineapple 2 ½ c. (20 oz.) soy sauce 3 1/3 c. (26.5 oz.) maple syrup 6 2/3 c. (52.8 oz.) sugar 20 cloves garlic (10 tsp.) 10 tsp. ground ginger 2 ½ tsp. white pepper
Place all ingredients except chicken into freezer bag including pineapple juice. Mix well, and then add chicken into bag. Freeze. Take out of freezer and place in fridge the night before cooking and allow to marinate. Bake at 375’ for 30 minutes. Drain juice into a pan and heat to boil; mix 2 TB cornstarch with cold water and add to juice, boiling for a couple minutes.
Italian Wedding Soup
12-15 ½ oz. frozen meatballs (quartered) 6 cups Chicken broth (or 4 cans) ¼ cup chicken, chopped (1 chicken breast) ½ cup carrots, diced ½ cup celery, diced 1 bunch spinach, stems removed garlic salt, taste lemon pepper, taste ¼ cup Romano cheese ¼ - ½ cup tiny pasta 150 meatballs 60 cps. (480 oz.) chicken broth 2 ½ cps (10 breasts) chicken, chopped 5 cps. diced carrots 5 cps diced celery 10 bunches spinach garlic salt, taste lemon pepper, taste 2 ½ cps. (20 oz.) Romano cheese 5 cps (40 oz.)Orzo pasta
Quarter meatballs. Blanch spinach by dipping into boiling water (we do this in 10 bunches). Combine all ingredients into freezer bag except tiny pasta and freeze. We measure out tiny pastas into small Ziplocs to store in the second, double protection freezer bag. Defrost and cook in crock-pot and cook all day on low or three hours on high. If the pasta is added during the last hour of cooking you will see the pasta, or if you put it in the beginning, it thickens the soup some. (You can also cook this on the stove on med/high for 30-45 minutes adding pasta the last 15 minutes.)
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
16-1oz. meatballs 15oz. tomato sauce 20 oz. pineapple chunks ½ cp. brown sugar 2 TBS. vinegar 160-1 oz. meatballs 150 oz. tomato sauce 200 oz. chunk pineapple 5 cp. brown sugar 20 TBS. vinegar
Sort all ingredients into individual bags and freeze. Defrost and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over rice.
Taco Soup
½ lb. ground beef ¼ cup chopped onion 1-16oz. can stewed tomatoes-undrained 1-16 oz. can red kidney beans- undrained 1-8oz. can tomato sauce ½ envelope (2 TBS) taco seasoning 1 ¼ cp. Water
(Times 20) 10 lbs. ground beef 5 cp. onion 320 oz. stewed tomatoes 320 oz. red kidney beans 160 oz. tomato sauce 10 envelopes of taco seasoning (40 TBS.) 12.5 cups water
Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add all other ingredients into freezer bag and freeze. Defrost and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with: cheese, corn chips(Fritos), olives, sour cream, etc…
Cheesy Breaded Chicken
1 c. bread crumbs ½ c. cheddar cheese, grated ½ c. parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 6 boneless chicken breasts ½ c. butter 10c. bread crumbs 5 c. cheddar cheese, grated 5 c. parmesan cheese, grated 10 t. salt 2 ½ t. pepper 60 boneless chicken breasts 5 cps. butter (only use as needed)
Serving day 2 T butter 20 T butter (2 ½ cubes) ¼ cp Parmesan cheese, grated 2 ½ cps. Parmesan cheese, grated (We measured the butter and cheese into 20 snack bags and put one of each with six chicken breasts into a gallon ziplock.) Mix together bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter, then in cheese mixture. To freeze, wrap each bundle in plastic wrap, and then place in freezer bags. To serve: Thaw, then place chicken in large, shallow baking dish. Melt remaining 2T. butter and pour over bundles. Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350’ approx. 1 hour, until chicken is crispy.
Beef Enchiladas (This Recipe is more difficult than the above)
1.5 lbs. stew meat 1small onion 1 clove minced garlic 1 tsp. salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 tsp. oregano 2 tsp chili powder 1 ½ cps. Water 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce 12 corn tortillas 2 10 oz. cans Mexican red chili sauce 1 ½ cps shredded cheddar cheese Sliced olives ½ cp chopped onion (optional) 15 lbs. beef stew meet 5 small onions 10 cloves garlic (5 tsp.) 10 tsp. salt 2.5 tsp. pepper 10 tsp. oregano 20 tsp. chili powder 15 cups water 80 oz. tomato sauce 120 corn tortillas 240oz. salsa 15 cps. (120oz.) cheddar cheese 7.5 lbs. sliced olives
Meat: Brown beef in oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder. Add water, cover and simmer slowly 45 min. or until meat is tender. Add tomato sauce, simmer uncovered 15 min. to thicken. If wrapping individually: (I found the tortillas to break easily this way/ you can use thin layers also in pans.) Fry each tortilla briefly in hot oil to soften. Dip into heated chili sauce. Fill with meat and cheese. Roll, place flap side down in shallow casserole. When all are prepared, spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas, sprinkle with cheese, garnish with olives. Cover and Freeze. Heat at 350’uncovered for 20 minutes. Longer if frozen.
Lasagna
meat sauce (suggested recipe follows) ½ lb. lasagna noodles (Use no cook noodles) ½ lb. mozzarella cheese, grated 1 lb. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (or mix half and half) parmesan cheese to sprinkle meat sauce 5 lbs. lasagna noodles 5 lbs. mozzarella cheese, grated 10 lb. cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (or mix half and half) parmesan cheese to sprinkle
Layer meat sauce, noodles, mozzarella, cottage cheese/ricotta in pan. Repeat layers and top with meat sauce. Sprinkle top generously with parmesan cheese. Cook at 350’ for 30 minutes (longer if frozen) until middle is brown and bubbly. meat sauce recipe—use your favorite or try this one…consider making the sauce in advance 2 lbs. ground beef 20 lbs. ground beef 2 cloves garlic 20 cloves garlic (5 tsp.) 2 pkg. Onion soup mix 20 pkgs. Onion soup mix (30 oz.) 12 oz. tomato paste 120 oz tomato paste 16 oz. tomato sauce 160 oz. tomato sauce 1 tsp. salt 10 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 5 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. sugar 10 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. oregano 20 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. basil 10 tsp. basil Brown meat. Combine rest of ingredients and simmer for 15min.
*Charis Cotton recommends following two meals:
3 bean Mexican chili 12 meals
6 c chopped onion 6 c chopped green bell pepper 12 cloves garlic 6 lbs ground beef 6 cans garbanzo beans 6 cans brick oven baked beans 6 cans kidney beans 12 cans stewed tomatoes 18 c salsa 6 c chicken broth 6 tbsp chili pow der
Dump recipe, combine in large pot and then seperate into freezer bags Cooking Day: thaw and heat
Chimichangas: 16 meals (4 per)
4 lbs shredded chicken 4- 16oz jars of salsa 4- 16 oz cans refried beans 4-4 ½ oz cans diced chili’s 4 taco seasoning packets 64 large Cos tco size tortillas 2- 32 oz shredded Mexican mix cheese
Cook and shred chicken. Combine salsa, beans, chilies, taco seasoning, and chicken, mix well. Lay out tortillas on pieces of foil. Add 1/2 cup of filling and sprinkle cheese over the top. fold in s ides and then roll up, from the bottom. wrap tight ly in foil and freeze 4-5 chimichangas per freezer bag. Cooking Day: (from thawed state) bake at 350 for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 10 more minutes until crisp and brown. (straight from freezer) ba ke for 50 minutes at 350, leave in foil.
The reason I started batch cooking and continue to do so is because it takes the headache out of cooking at night, it provides me the freedom to give more freely of my time, and gives me the ministr y oppor tunity to provide meals for others that need them. Plus, the meals are less expensive because we were able to buy in bulk and shop sales. We have had meals as cheap as $5 to feed a family of 4.
*Cami Brecto recomme nds the following recipe:
Fabulous Marinade
1 large clove garlic crushed ½ c. oil ¼ c. soy sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire ¼ c. wine vinegar 1/8 c. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 Tbsp. parsley Whisk together and follow the directions below for the meat you have selected. This versatile marinade can be used with chicken, fish, pork, beef and ground meat. Chicken: Place ½ cup of marinade in freezer bag. Add frozen chicken breasts, seal and freeze. To serve: thaw and grill. Pork: Place ½ cup of marinade in freezer bag. Add frozen cubed pork or boneless pork chops, seal. To serve: thaw and thread cubes on skewers with fresh vegetables like mushrooms, onions and peppers. Grill. Baste with marinade during the first half of the cooking time. Fish: Place ½ cup of marinade in freezer bag. Freeze fish fish filets in separate freezer bag. Marinate fish 10-30 minutes before grilling or broiling. Baste with marinade while cooking until fish flakes. Beef: Place ½ cup of marinade in freezer bag. Add sirloin or London Broil. Seal. To serve: thaw and grill to desired doneness. Ground Meat: Add ¼ c. marinade into lean hamburger or other ground meat. Shape into patties and place into freezer bag. Place buns into a separate freezer bag and package together in a 2-gallon freezer bag. To serve: Thaw and grill or broil, serve on buns.