What A Crock!

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Welcome to Freezer Food Friday….. Share a recipe for a freezer meal or a make ahead meal. Link it below at Mr. Linky…..Leave me a comment!

 Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

 Prep: 1 hour Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

 This recipe is easily doubled; you can bake one batch tonight and freeze another for a no-fuss weeknight meal.

 Serves 4.

 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 small chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon sauce (from a small can)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound lean ground beef

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

 1.            Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking occasionally, 1 minute. Add broth, chili powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

  2.            Make filling: In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

 3.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (If freezing, don’t place any sauce in baking dish.) Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside. Make enchiladas: Stack tortillas; wrap in foil, and warm in oven, 10 minutes. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese; tightly roll up.

 4.            Raise oven heat to 450 degrees. Arrange enchiladas, seam side down, in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with cilantro and, if desired, a green salad.

To freeze: make sauce and enchiladas; arrange enchiladas in baking dish without sauce (so tortillas don’t become soggy). Place sauce in an airtight container. Cover dish with plastic wrap and foil. Label, date, and freeze enchiladas and sauce. Use within 2 months; bake without thawing.

To bake from frozen: Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove foil and plastic wrap from baking dish. Pour sauce over top, and sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; serve.

If baking right away: Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of baking dish; pour the rest over the enchiladas.

Any comments will be posted at a later date… headed out on vacation.

Packed Potatoes from Julie Kay

Serves 4

1 lb. ground sirloin
1 onion, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can Mexicorn
1 (10-oz.) can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 (16-oz.) can red kidney beans
1 (1 1/4 oz.) package enchilada mix
1/4 cup water
4 baking potatoes

PROCEDURE

• In a skillet, saute onion over medium heat and add ground sirloin.
  Brown and place mixture in slow cooker.
• Add Mexicorn, Ro-tel tomatoes, kidney beans, enchilada sauce mix and 1/4 cup water.
• Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Bake potatoes and split in half when done.
• Using a slotted spoon, fill potatoes with slow-cooked mixture and top with toppings of choice, such as grated cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, or jalepeno pepper slices for a spicier flavor.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Your guests will love the saucy little sandwiches you create from a pork roast that is seasoned and then slow cooked. Low and slow cooking gives you a pork roast that shreds with a fork! Top with coleslaw for a crunchy cool contrast.

2-3 lbs pork roast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 can root beer or 1 bottle of beer
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
3 cups of your favorite barbeque sauce (my favorite is Diana’s)

Trim all visible fat from pork roast. Mix together the salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic. Rub onto roast. Place roast in a slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, can of root beer or beer and barbeque sauce. Cover and cook on low until well cooked or until the pork shreds easily, 6-7 hours. Drain well and stir in the 3 cups of barbeque sauce. Serve over hamburger buns and top with coleslaw if you wish.

Pico de Gallo Tortilla Soup

Published: May 1, 2008
Recipe is from Pace.

Serves 4.

1 (16-oz.) jar Pace Pico de Gallo Salsa
2 cups canned chicken broth
1 large zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup diced, cooked chicken
2 tbls. chopped fresh cilantro
3 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, cut into thin strips

1. Heat salsa, broth, zucchini and chicken in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

2. Stir cilantro and tortilla strips into saucepan.

Tip: To cut tortillas into thin strips more easily, roll them up first, then cut them crosswise into strips.

Here is my Menu Plan for this week. Thanks to Laura The Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Post your own plan and go there to link your plan ( on Monday ) or visit her site to glean new ideas As always, this is THE PLAN, and all plans are subject to change as the need arises or as the fancy strikes my mind. I don’t assign nights as I like to have a little freedom to cook what I want or what I have time for. Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday!

This is a short week for us….

Salmon, Sauteed Spinach, mashed potatoes

Unbeatable Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Mom’s Famous Tortilla Casserole

Mexican Chicken Soup

Grilled Turkey Burgers

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by the lovely Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom . Share a recipe on your blog and go link it at her blog. Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday.

GLAZED CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

Streusel

1/4 cup biscuit baking mix
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Batter

1-1/2 cups biscuit baking mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Glaze

1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

1) Generously coat four-quart crock pot with butter or cooking spray. Cut parchment paper to fit bottom of stoneware and press into place. Spray paper lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Prepare streusel; blend 1/4 cup biscuit baking mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Set aside.

3) Prepare batter: Mix 1 1/2 cups biscuit baking mix, granulated sugar, yogurt, egg and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into the crock pot. Sprinkle 1/2 of the streusel over the top. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel.

4) Line lid with two paper towels. Cover tightly; cook on high 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cake springs back when gently pressed. Allow cake to rest for 10 minutes. Invert onto plate and peel off paper. Invert again onto serving plate.

5) Prepare glaze: Whisk milk into powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Spoon glaze over the top the cake. Garnish with sliced almonds. Serve warm or cold.

I have these in the oven as full size muffins…yummy!

Cocoa Banana Mini Muffins
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 small)
1/2 cup fat-free milk
5 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
2 egg whites or 1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation Steps

Heat oven to 400°F. Line thirty-six miniature muffin cups with paper baking cups or spray bottoms only with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; mix well. In medium bowl, combine bananas, milk, margarine, egg whites and vanilla; blend well.

Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix.)

Fill muffin cups almost full. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Store tightly covered.

Cook Tips and Variations

Cook’s Tip: To make standard-size muffins, line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Proceed as recipe directs. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out
clean.

Recipe Yield:
3 DOZEN
Serving Size:
1 mini cake
Nutrition Information: Calories: 60, Calories from Fat: 20, Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 55mg, Dietary Fiber:

Green Apple Slaw

Published: Apr 24, 2008
From Adapted recipe is from Taylor Farms Broccoli Slaw package.

Serves 12 to 16.

1 (12-oz.) bag broccoli slaw mix
1 (16-oz.) bag coleslaw mix
6 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
4 to 5 green onions, chopped
3 tbls. chopped fresh mint
1 pkg. dried sweetened cranberries, about 1 cup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Bottled coleslaw dressing of choice

1. Toss all slaw ingredients together and moisten with desired amount of coleslaw dressing. It takes just about the whole bottle.

2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Best if made about 3 hours before serving to allow time for the slaw ingredients to mellow.