Ravioli Soup

1 Pound Ground Beef
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp onion salt
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 28-ounce can Italian-style or plain crushed tomatoes in puree
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14.5 ounce can beef broth
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil leave
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 12-ounce package plain ravioli without sauce (for serving day)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (for serving day)

Brown the ground beef in a large pot; combine remaining ingredients except frozen ravioli and additional Parmesan cheese. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool, put in container and freezer.

On serving day: Thaw soup base and put in a large pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (the soup is thick and you may want to add water or beef broth to make it soupier).

Thaw and cook ravioli according to package directions until just tender. Drain ravioli; add to soup. Salt to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings

From Wilson & Lagerborg’s Once-A-Month Cooking

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Source: kraftfoods.com
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings, 1-1/3 cups each

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add broth and Neufchatel cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese; mix well.

DRAIN pasta; return to pot. Add chicken and vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

FreezerChicks Instructions: Thaw and reheat. Don't overcook. Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.

Mexican Manicotti

Serves/Makes: 6 | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: > 5 hrs

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 package manicotti shells 8 oz
2 1/2 cups water
1 jar (16 oz) picante sauce
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican style cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
sliced ripe olives (optional)

In a bowl combine the UNCOOKED beef, beans, chili powder, & oregano. Spoon into UNCOOKED manicotti shells, arrange in a greased 13"X9"X2" baking dish. Combine water & picante sauce, pour over shells. cover & refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover & bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover, spoon sour cream over the top, sprinkle with cheese, onion & olives if desired. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Modify for freezer: After assembling, freeze. Thaw completely in refrigerator before baking.

From http://www.cdkitchen.com

Grandma's Secret

This recipe is known in the freezer world as the ''Crowd Pleaser Casserole" or "Feed the Crowd Casserole" but as you know us - we've changed the name and kicked it up a notch!

The name was changed in honor of Janet's grandmother who introduced her to freezer cooking at a young age. Grandma always had this casserole ready to go for when someone came over. After Janet was married, she asked her Grandma about it and learned the art of the freezer!

Here is her scrapbook page capturing this memory:


Click the image to read the story in her own words.

On to the recipe:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onions
12 oz frozen corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 c macaroni noodles
1 c cheddar cheese

Cook noodles only 3 minutes, drain and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Noodles will freeze well and not turn to mush if done this way. Brown beef with onions set aside. In 9x13 aluminum freezer pan, mix ingredients except cheese. Season casserole with parsley, celery salt, season all and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cover with foil and freeze!

To cook: Thaw and cook covered until bubbly at 350.

Lunch Menu for October Exchange (Recipe Included!)

We are meeting tomorrow at Tina's for our October exchange! Here is what we are having for lunch:

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
Spinach Salad with Apples and Red Onions
Pumpernickel Bread

Recipe for Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage:

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Preparation
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread.

A Rachael Ray recipe!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie (6 servings)

This recipe can easily be double, or tripled. The original Spaghetti Pie recipe calls for a full pound of ground beef, but I only use half a pound per pie. I find half a pound to be more than enough. This recipe could also be made with ground turkey, Italian bulk sausage, TVP (texturized vegetable protein), or no meat (or meat substitutes) at all.

6 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 well-beaten eggs
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8-oz.) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (don't drain)
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, American, or Jack), shredded

Cook spaghetti noodles. Drain. Stir margarine into hot noodles until melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese and eggs. Form pasta mixture into a crust shape in a buttered 9-inch pie plate. In skillet, cook ground beef and onions until meat is browned. Drain. Stir into ground beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar , oregano and garlic. Heat through. Spread cottage cheese over bottom of spaghetti crust. Top with tomato/meat mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over all. Cover pie pan with foil; label and freeze.

To Serve:
Thaw. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes at 350 F. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes more until cheese is lightly browned.

Sesame Chicken with Garlicky Broccoli

1 T toasted sesame oil
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 in pieces
2 T sesame seeds
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c Chinese black bean sauce
1/2 t black pepper
1 -2 t garlic powder (to your taste..or lots in my house!)
4 c broccoli florets

Heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add the chicken & cook until golden brown on all sides. Add the sesame seeds and stir to coat the chicken. Cook 1 -2 minutes until the seeds turn golden. Add the broth, black bean sauce & pepper - bring to a simmer. Cover pan & cook until the chicken is cooked through ( about 5 minutes).

To freeze:
Cool mixture and freeze.

To Eat:
Thaw chicken mix & reheat over medium heat. When the sauce is simmering, add broccoli & sprinkle with garlic, cook until broccoli is crisp & tender. Serve over angel hair noodles.

Yum-O!

Just wanted to share with you how the Italian Mac n Cheese looks after baked! It is one of the yummiest meals that we have! The Italian sausage, the cheese, the tomatoes....you get the picture! You must try this recipe! It's one of those great comfort foods...this is one of my family's favorite meals! You don't need anything else to make this meal...I'm serving it with a salad & bread.

-misti

Black Bean Lasagna Meal

One planning meeting we made the suggestion to include Black Bean Lasagna for one of our freezer meals the next month. It was voted down real fast. About 6 months later, one of the members (L) wasn't going to return the following month & she was one of them that voted it down so we decided to make 1 pan of it and give it a try. In the meantime, L decided to stay with the group. Well, she loved it! We all love it!

Here is the recipe:

9 lasagna noodles
2- 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2- 15 oz can low-sodium tomato sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1- 12 oz container low-fat cottage cheese
1- 8 oz package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
Tomato slices (optional)
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Mash one can of beans; set aside. (I used the no cook noodles.)

2. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray: add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender but not brown. Add mashed beans; unmashed beans, tomato sauce, and snipped cilantro; heat through.

3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside. Spray a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick coating. Arrange 3 of the noodles in the dish. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Spread with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice; ending with the bean mixture. Reserved the remaining cheese mixture. If freezing, dollop with reserved cheese mixture and garnish with tomato slices and cilantro, if desired.

4. Thaw. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

It is very filling. We had it for dinner this evening along with a fresh cucumbers, tomatoes & onions salad. What was even better is that it didn't take me any time to prepare dinner after a long day working in the garage!

-misti

Italian Mac-n-Cheese

Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray.

1 pound ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi

1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage

1 T olive oil

1 T butter

2 or 4 cloves chopped garlic

12 crimini mushrooms, sliced

salt & pepper

2 T flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 10 oz sack (2 1/2 cups) shredded Italian 4 cheese blend

1 can diced tomatoes, drained well

1 t hot sauce, optional

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

For sauce:

In a nonstick skillet, brown & crumble sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add EVOO, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden.

To mushrooms, add flour & stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce, if desired.

Cool and freeze in freezer bags.

Serving day:

Thaw sauce, combine with cooked pasta, transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.

Yum-Oh!