Pizza Casserole

I was able to make this delicious meal straight from the pantry (which I stock with sales) except for the red peppers (2 for $0.33), pepperoni which was purchased on sale and stashed in the freezer, and onions that were a big bag of about 8 to 10 for well under $1. So this recipe ended up being quick, easy and frugal for me, so I thought I would share!

Pizza Casserole

1 1/2 cups pepperoni
2 tsp butter
1 medium onion chopped
15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of mushroom pieces drained (I am the only mushroom lover in our home, so I substitute 2 chopped sweet peppers)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 cups tiny shell pasta
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (yes, second amount).

Place pepperoni in 1 and a half cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes, drain (this takes a lot of grease out, so don't skip it).

Melt margarine in saute pan, ad onion, saute until soft. Add tomato sauce, mushrooms, sweet peppers if you are using them, oregano and basil. Stir, remove from heat.

Cook pasta per al dente directions. Drain, turn into 3L casserole (I use 9x13), add parmesan cheese and toss well.

Sprinkle with first amount of mozzarella cheese (or toss this in with the parmesan cheese).

Scatter pepperoni sauces over top.

Cover with tomato-onion sauce.

Sprinkle final cheese amount over top.

Bake, uncovered at 350F for about 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.


To make ahead up to 24 hours in advance, prepare casserole (do not bake), cover, and chill. To serve, bake as above.

To freeze, cover unbaked casserole, label. Freeze up to 2 months. To serve, thaw and bake as above.

Coconut Oatmeal

For years you never would have convinced me that there was such a thing as special occasion oatmeal, but then I found this delicious recipe that I now make a couple times a year:

Coconut Oatmeal

4 cups whole milk
14 oz can coconut milk
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups instant oats
1 tbsp butter

Bring milk, coconut milk, brown sugar, cinnamon stick and salt to a boil in a large, heavy sauce pan, stirring with a whisk.

Reduce heat to moderate and stir in oats. Return to a boil. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.

Stir in butter, then remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick and stir oatmeal before serving.

Orange Cookies

Oh, one of my favorite things to bake! I try to always have a full cookie jar and refills in the freezer! A couple months ago I asked for Cookie Help! and some sweet readers gave me some excellent recipes!

In getting out of my cookie rut I found a great one!

Orange Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp orange flavoring
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 cup raisins

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add orange flavoring and milk.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen


What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Mars Bar Square

One of our favorite desserts that I make for special occasions is Mars Bar Square. In the US you will probably have to substitute Milky Way bars as I have never been able to find the Mars bars with the black and red labels, so we import them when we go back to visit and when company comes down! I plan on making this for Christmas again this year! Oh, and you can double the recipe quite easily so it actually makes it to Christmas!

Mars Bars Squares

4 x Mars candy bars cut up
1/2 cup butter
3 cups Rice Crispies

Topping
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

To make the cake: Heat candy bars and butter together to melt in a large sauce pan, stirring often, until melted. Remove from heat and mix in Rice Crispies. Stir to coat cereal.

Press into greased 9x9 pan

Melt chocolate chips and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat or in a double boiler until melted and smooth. Spread over cake.

Let cool and cut into small squares as a little goes a long way!


This is recipe is incredibly easy, especially when you taste the results! And it freezes well, should it actually last that long!


Updated to add: If you can get the Mars Bars that do not have almonds in them, that are black labels with red writing, those are the ones you want! If you find them in California please let me know where, I have been looking for over 8 years! If you cannot find them then you can substitute the Milky Ways, or do what I do and beg for your family and friends in Canada to take pity on you! :-)

FIF - Creamed Cheese Grilled Cheese

We love grilled cheese sandwiches, and we love cream cheese, so we combined the two to get this delicious and quick sandwich.

Creamed Cheese Grilled Cheese

Butter the outside of piece of bread #1 with butter, place in frying pan heated to a low medium, and butter the inside with cream cheese (or place thinly cut slices to cover). Place favorite cheese slices over top of that, and top with piece of bread #2 that has the outside buttered!

Cook until first side is golden brown, flip and cook until second side is golden brown, and if your pan was not too hot, the inside should be nicely melted.

Serve with ketchup or salsa!

Sooooo yummy!

FIF - Southwest Skillet

This is a favorite quick meal around here courtesy of Campbell's originally, but I have messed with it, so they might not recognize it! :-) The leftovers make wonderful lunches!

Southwest Skillet

1 x 1 1/3 lb package of ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup minute rice

Serve with:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Crumbled tortilla chips
Salsa

Brown ground turkey, mix in chili powder. Mix in soup and water, bring to a low boil. Add kidney beans, tomatoes, bring back to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rice, bring to a boil and simmer on low until ready to serve, stirring frequently, at least 5 minutes.

FIF - Zesty Ziti

When you need a quick meal with an Italian flair, might I recommend:

Zesty Ziti
Quick and delicious

1 lb Italian sausage cut into about quarter to half inch pieces (or bought without casings,
in which case it can just be scramble fried)
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
28 oz (1 large jar, two standard jars) of pasta sauce
4 1/2 cups hot cooked ziti (tube shaped pasta)

Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

In a medium skillet cook sausage, onion and pepper until sausage is cooked. Pour off fat.

Add pasta sauce. Heat to a boil.

Then either serve over ziti topped with parmesan cheese. Or mix all together, put in casserole, sprinkle mozzarella cheese and a bit of parmesan cheese over top and bake at 350F until cheese is melted.

We always use the oven version, but when it is hot or time is short, you can easily skip that step!

Happy Friday!

P.S. If I am a little bit invisible for the next few days with comments and email please bear with me, my wrist is acting up in this heat change, and typing is very difficult. If I rest it should be better quickly, but then I just have to be careful to avoid over doing it!

Asian Beef Kabobs

I am thrilled! I made up a recipe that matches almost perfectly the Asian Beef Kabobs we had from Dream Dinners as part of our moving stash! It was a high priority because Miss Pear actually ATE BEEF and then ASKED FOR MORE! You mommies of 2 year olds know what I am talking about!

So here it is!

Mrs. Pear's Asian Beef Kabobs

1 tsp ginger
2 cloves of garlic (4 if small)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce (available in almost all grocery stores in the asian section - about $2.50 for 3/4 cup size)
1/4-1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

1 lb good cut of beef (like sirloin) cut into kabob size

Mix ginger, garlic and hoisin. Stir in teriyaki. Add beef and mix well, if beef is not coated nicely with marinade, add more teriyaki.

Let marinate for at least the afternoon.

Grill beef with onion and peppers. (Cook beef to no more than just barely a hint of pink left or it gets tough)

Serve with rice.

(If it is not BBQ season or your BBQ is in full sun for supper so it is just too hot, it cooks up wonderfully on an indoor grill, but not so great in an electric frying pan.)

To Freeze
Put marinade and beef in freezer bag, using the Zip Top Bag Method!


Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Successfully freezing cookies and baking
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals
Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal
Sauce for Freezer Meatballs
Pineapple Tuna Cracker Snack
Freezer Cooking with Limited Space
Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Orange-Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
Converting your Casserole Recipes to Freezer Recipes
Converting your Meat Recipes to Freezer Meals
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Bacon-Macaroni Bake
Once A Month Freezer Cooking Simply Explained
Planning Your Freezer Cooking Shopping Session
Zip Top Bag Method
Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce
Menu Planning
Freezer Cooking Online Resources

Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce

I still cannot figure out how it happened, but I completely missed Favorite Ingredient Friday last week. I had a recipe picked out and everything! But all of a sudden it was Saturday, and then Sunday, and then Monday! However, here is my:


This is also the recipe I was freezing in the Zip Top Bag Freezing Method Tutorial that I promised to post.

Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce
1 lb Italian Sausage (either in bulk or thinly sliced) (I use turkey sausage so do not worry about draining the fat off because there is none!)
1 tbsp oil
1 onion diced
1-2 sweet peppers diced
2 large or 4 small garlic cloves, finely minced
2 x 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 lb of pasta, cooked
2-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Saute sausage in oil until almost cooked. Add onion and garlic. When sausage is cooked and onion is translucent add the peppers, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Mix sauce with pasta, pour into casserole (9x13 for whole recipe, 9x9 for half recipe) and top with mozzarella cheese.

Cook at 350F for about 30-40 minutes, until pasta is hot through and cheese is melted and just starting to brown slightly.

Options for Freezing

1. Freeze sauce, and then on baking day thaw sauce, cook pasta, pour into casserole and top with cheese. Bake as directed.

2. Mix pasta with sauce, and divide into freezer bags and freeze (this is what I did in the tutorial). On baking day, thaw, pour into casserole and top with cheese. Bake as directed.

3. Assemble right up until you would put the casserole in the oven. But rather than put it in the oven, cover it, label it, and freeze it.

Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals
Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal
Sauce for Freezer Meatballs
Pineapple Tuna Cracker Snack
Freezer Cooking with Limited Space
Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Orange-Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
Converting your Casserole Recipes to Freezer Recipes
Converting your Meat Recipes to Freezer Meals
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Bacon-Macaroni Bake
Once A Month Freezer Cooking Simply Explained
Planning Your Freezer Cooking Shopping Session
Zip Top Bag Method

FIF - Summer Fruit Salad

We now resume our regular blogging seeing as all the contest questions are posted (you can still join us!)

So to celebrate I am sharing with you my favorite fruit salad that I make year round, that is inexpensive flexible, and every one is convinced I add jello to because it is nice and thick. I was given a copy of this much sought after recipe at my bridal shower by my Mother-in-Law as it is a favorite of my husband's.

Summer Fruit Salad
do not drain anything!

1 x 10 0z can mandarin oranges
1 x 14 oz can pineapple tidbits
1 cup each fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
1 cup grapes
2 bananas
2 kiwi fruit if you can get them

1 cup peaches if available

Place all ingredients in a large bowl, mix, and enjoy.


We freeze fresh berries now so that we can have this in the winter! But you can always just buy frozen in the winter too. However, this is a great way to deal with those end of the season berries that were not as flavorful as you would like!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

When you need a good boost of chocolate like I did this week, this is the cookie recipe you want. It is sweet, delicious, doubles beautifully, and freeze fabulously! Life is good when these are in the freezer!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup cocoa
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips of your choice
1 cup chocolate chips another of your favorite, but different that the one you already used!

(when I made the cookies this week I used semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, yum! My MIL always uses white chocolate chips and milk chocolate and throws in a cup of nuts if we will not be around).

Cream margarine.

Add sugars, egg and vanilla.

On low speed blend in the dry ingredients.

Mix in chips.

Drop heaping spoonfuls on your cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

Usually makes about 4 dozen cookies that freeze wonderfully - provided they don't disappear immediately.....


Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals
Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal
Sauce for Freezer Meatballs
Pineapple Tuna Cracker Snack
Freezer Cooking with Limited Space
Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Orange-Apricot Glazed Pork Chops
Converting your Casserole Recipes to Freezer Recipes
Converting your Meat Recipes to Freezer Meals

FIF - Oatmeal Crisps and Granola Bars

Mrs. Overwhelmed with joy is having Appetizers and Snacks this week - some of us misunderstood and posted it last week instead - I would NEVER say Mrs. OWJ got her dates mixed up, even though she confessed, that would just be rude! :-) So I am posting snacks again, two of my favorite in fact! Just not freezer recipes this week as all the ones I have are more like lunches than appetizers or snacks!

While technically this is a cookie recipe, it is so healthy and low fat that it makes a great healthy snack too!

Oatmeal Crisps

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup rolled oats

Cream margarine and sugar together. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir to moisten.

Mix in rolled oats.

Drop by the teaspoon full onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.


Okay, so maybe saying that it is healthy is pushing it, but for a cookie it sure is.

Maybe it is just a cookie recipe....

How about Granola bars? Those are snackes! We cannot buy granola anything because of Miss Pear's peanut allergy, and Miss Pear LOVES "ola bars", so I make my own, here is my recipe. Mr. Pear always asks me to make these for when he travels for business so that he is not left to the mercies of the airports, or the hotel in Mexico.

Granola Bars (Adapted from a recipe I found at Tammy's Recipes)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
8 cups rolled oats (can substitute quick oats, if not using shredded coconut add 1/2 cup)
2-3 cups mixed goodies such as (chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, flax seeds
etc.)
We like:
1 cup raisins
1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried pineapple
1 cup shredded coconut

Melt butter in a small pot. Add the sugars and heat until the sugars are dissolved.

While the butter is melting and the sugars are dissolving, mix the oats and goodies in a large bowl.

Once the sugar mixture is ready, pour it over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly making sure there are no big clumps remaining.

Turn out onto well-greased jellyroll pan or half sheet pan (I use parchment paper and then spray the paper with cooking oil). Pat mixture down firmly with the back of a spatula or with your hands, making sure that it is evenly.

Bake at 350F for 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn out on large cooling rack or cutting board (whatever is large enough) and cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut as close to 10 minutes as possible so that they are not too chewy and not too crisp for best cutting. Let cool the rest of the way and store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.

Pineapple Tuna Cracker Snack

Mrs. Overwhelmed with Joy is certainly challenging me this week, I was determined to stick to freezer meals, but a freezer meal appetizer or snack??? I thought about just reposting my taco chili recipe again, after all, it is always a hit, and we always love it. Or the land of nod cinnamon buns that use freezer dough (although you can use fresh too). Or the famous mushrooms that disappeared very quickly, even though it is not a freezer meal.

But you deserve better than that, so I went back to thinking about this.

Some days I am certain I am raising a herbivore as getting Miss Pear to eat meat is often tricky, but there is one trick I have in my arsenal that never fails. It is great on crackers as a snack, it is great on bread as a sandwich, and is great over salad too! It is....

Pineapple Tuna Mix

2 x 6 oz cans of chunk tuna (I try to get the albacore as it works great in this recipe!)
1 x 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 x 20oz (or there abouts) can of crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice for this recipe so you can double it). If you don't drain it you end up with a slimy mess, don't ask how I know...

Mix three ingredients together (electric mixer helps to get the cream cheese nicely blended and lighten the consistency).

Chill to let all the flavors come together.

Serve as a cracker topping or in a sandwich!

To freeze this mixture, just pop in in the appropriate sized zip top bag, press out as much air as you can, label it, and freeze flat to conserve space!



Next up in the series, apparently in no particular order:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- Tips for converting your favorite recipes to freezer recipes
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Enchiladas
Kitchen Day - Tortilla Soup and Enchiladas (How To)
Blessing of Freezer Meals
Lazy Lasagna - A Freezer Meal
Sauce for Freezer Meatballs

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter and Chicken Cordon Blue

In Part 3 of the Freezer Meals series (all freezer meal posts are here)I decided to share two recipes with you, and I always make them together, you will see why.


I am also posting these as the Favorite Ingredients Friday Healthy Eating Edition because they are better for you that what you buy in the store, and paired with rice and veggies are a very healthy meal! Plus, with them being ready for you in the freezer, you are much more likely to eat this on a crazy day than call out for pizza or pick up fast food! At least that is true in our house!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter
(adapted from Don't Panic cookbook on the sidebar)

6 Deboned chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese
1 clove Minced garlic
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup Flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
1 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. In food processor combine basil, parmesan cheese, garlic and butter. Process until well combined. Place in small pan lined with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, continue.

2. Cut a small slit in the side of the chicken breast with a boning knife, from that slit form a "pocket" in the chicken to stuff the butter into. (Can also pound the chicken out relatively flat and just roll it around the butter).

3. Stuff all chicken breasts.

4. Dredge them in the flour (very lightly, I usually skip the flour), dip them in the egg, dip them in the breadcrumbs. (I always need more egg and breadcrumbs)

5. Either place on wax paper lined pan to freeze, or on pan to cook (make sure it has sides, not like my cookie sheets!)

6. To cook, thaw chicken completely, place in pan and cook at 350F for about 35-45 minutes.


Chicken Cordon Blue
6 Deboned chicken breast halves
6 slices ham
about 6 oz of mozzarella cheese cut into sticks (use more or less depending on your preferences.
1/3 cup Flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
1 eggs
3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1. Cut cheese into 6 sticks that will fit in your chicken, wrap each stick in ham.

2. Cut a small slit in the side of the chicken breast with a boning knife, from that slit form a "pocket" in the chicken to stuff the ham and cheese into. (Can also pound the chicken out relatively flat and just roll it around the ham and cheese).

3. Stuff all chicken breasts.

4. Dip them in the egg, dip them in the breadcrumbs. (I always need more egg and breadcrumbs)

5. Either place on wax paper lined pan to freeze, or on pan to cook (make sure it has sides, not like my cookie sheets!)

6. To cook, thaw chicken completely, place in pan and cook at 350F for about 35-45 minutes.


So when I make these all together I:
1. Prep butter
2. Prep ham and cheese
3. Prep Chicken
4. Stuff chicken
5. Dip and bread
6. Freeze on cookie sheets and then move to freeze bags once frozen.

And I usually make a double recipe of each to really get more bang for my buck on mess. Plus, that is two packages of chicken breasts from Costco - in my area that is the best price and best quality. Also, that way I end up with two full cookie sheets, which fit perfectly in my freezer to freeze.

Well, I am off to finish preparations for Mr. Pear's birthday supper. The pork baby back ribs are in the oven, his mom is making the coleslaw, and the cake is cooking! Still need to ice the cake, make the sweet potato fries and green beans to go with it, but it is a bit early for that, so I will get the other stuff ready in the mean time! And have a rest too so that I am perky for tonight!


Next up in the series:
- Once a month cooking - at least it is my explanation of it!
- Planning your shopping, prep and cooking
- Storing your meals revisited and revised
- Keeping track of what is in your freezer and what is the oldest
- Freezer lunch stash complete with ideas
- Freezer breakfast stash complete with ideas
- Recipes I used in my marathon cook that have not yet been posted
- Tips for converting your favorite recipes to freezer recipes
- What little I know about having a group of friends who share freezer meals
- Books and resources I love
- Answers to questions you post for me or email to me (email button is in my profile).


Previously in the series:
Introduction to the series
Why Freezer Meals?
My Usual Method

Tortilla Soup

We love this recipe, it is best made in the slow cooker, frozen, and then pulled out for a meal later on. It is never as good on the first day as it is after it has been in the freezer for a bit! I am making this today as part of my marathon freezer cooking session!

Tortilla Soup

6 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
2 cloves minced garlic
3 x 14 oz cans chicken broth
4 x 14 oz stewed tomatoes pureed
2 cans black beans, rinsed
2 cups salsa
2 tbsp cumin
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Serve with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chips

Add all ingredients except cilantro to slow cooker.

Cook on high for 6 hours, then on low until serving time.

During last half hour of cooking time, add cilantro.

Freeze using the freezer bag method.

FIF - Famous Mushrooms

Famous Mushrooms

This is the mushroom recipe that was the hit of every pot luck at the company I worked for when I first moved to the US from Canada. It is also the company that cemented in my mind that all I really wanted to do was stay home and take care of my family.

These mushrooms were always gone very early in the potluck, so if you wanted any you had to be there early! I shared the story here about how I found the recipe while putting cookbooks away.

So here is the extremely complicated recipe! :-)

Famous Mushrooms

4-5 packages of whole button mushrooms, cleaned (the white ones in the blue tray)
2 sticks of margarine
2 envelopes Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix.

Add all ingredients together in a Crock Pot. Turn on low for about 3 hours, stirring every now and then. Mushrooms will shrink and get nice and juicy.

Serve and enjoy!


See, I told you it was a very difficult recipe! I will be making it Saturday for our Housewarming/2nd Birthday Party. Complete menu is here.

FIF - Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns

Land of Nod Cinnamon Buns
A delicious cheater method

20 frozen roll dough
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vanilla pudding powder
2 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins (optional, or add more)
1/4 – 1/2 cup melted butter

Grease large bundt pan (can use angel food pan if need be) and add frozen rolls.

Sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding powder, cinnamon, and raisins. (I gently poke around at this point to get the flavors throughout). Pour melted butter over all.

Cover with greased plastic and clean damp cloth. Leave out at room temperature over night. (Rising time is about 8 hours, depending on the temperature of your house).

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and turn onto serving plate.

Best served warm.

This is from one of the Best of Trump cookbooks, I cannot remember which, and I have made this for many a breakfast BSF leaders meeting!

I am trying to think how to make this without buying the frozen roll dough, so if you have some ideas, please let me know! Mrs. U has the answer to this question posted here.

FIF - Secret Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Only in my dreams to I have a freezer this big! I have a handy dandy upright which allows me to lose less....theoretically of course! Keeping a list helps, and I have a plan to revise how I keep track of my freezer, but I will save that tip for when I see if it actually works!

For my first foray into Favorite Ingredient Friday, I am sharing with you my secret spaghetti sauce recipe - although I guess it will not be too secret after I blab it all over bloggityville!

I started making this sauce in Jr. High, and have modified it tremendously from the original, and then converted it to a slow cooker recipe. It makes a full 7 qt slow cooker full, and then I freeze meals of it using the freezer bag method (otherwise it takes forever to thaw!). This is also a key recipe in my method of using my freezer to help me manage my meals, and is a what I make when I want to take a meal to someone!

So, without further ado, here is my recipe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Pear's Spaghetti Sauce

2 packages 1 and a 1/3 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3-4 green peppers chopped (or more)
4x395mL can tomato sauce (medium size can)
3x156mL can tomato paste (small can)
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 – 1/4 cup dried oregano (depending on how strong the oregano is)
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 bay leaves
pepper

Brown turkey, (I usually do one package at a time with 3-4 grinds of pepper) place in slow cooker.

Saute onions and garlic in good olive oil (if possible, if not, whatever will work), place in slow cooker.

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for at least 4 hours, or on low for at least 8 hours.

I use this recipe to make Lasagna too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also posted some other great freezer recipes:

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ground Beef (multi-purpose recipe for Hamburgers, Meatballs, and Meatloaf)

Taco Chili