Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Here is a Taste of Home recipe for Freezer Mashed Potatoes, which allows you to make a large batch and divide it into smaller portions.

Please post a recipe and link it below. Make sure you refer back to this meme. If you do not have a blog, leave a recipe in the comments.

Thank you!

Freezer Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds potatoes (about 9 large), peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 packages (3 ounces each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), cubed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, mash potatoes with butter. Beat in the sour cream, cream cheese, onion powder, salt and pepper. Transfer 1-1/2 cups to a 2-cup baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Cool remaining mashed potatoes. Freeze in 1-1/2-cup portions for up to 6 months.

To use frozen potatoes: Thaw in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Yield: 14 servings.

 

Tomato Sauce from Every Day With Rachael Ray

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Today’s recipe  comes from the Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine. I cannot find it in on line yet but will link it when I do.

Please share a recipe that can be prepared ahead and frozen for later use. Link it below for others to find it.

Tomato Sauce

Makes about 10 cups

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
6 oil-packed anchovy filets, chopped ( optional )
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup red wine
4-28oz or 3 -35 oz cans crushed san marzano tomatoes
Salt

In a 5-6 quart heavy dutch oven, combine the EVOO, garlic anchovies ( if using ) and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the garlic is golden and the anchovies fall apart,  3-4 minutes. Pour in the wine, then add the tomatoes. Increase the heat to high, then bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and reduced by 1/3 about 2 hours 15 minutes. Season with salt. Let sauce cool completely.

Freeze it: Store in 1 and 2 cup containers.

Chunky Peach Popsicles

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Special thanks today to Gwen at  Philadelphia Homeschool for highlighting my blog this week! make sure you check her blog out as she has may words of wisdom to share about homeschooling ( not just in the Philly area ).

Today I have a freezer recipe for popsicles. We have been baking here on the East Coast, had a brief respite but are headed into another heat wave, so popsicles sound really good to me!

Make sure you share a recipe on your blog and link it below using Mister Linky or share a recipe in the comments here if you do not have a blog!

Chunky Peach Popsicles

Serves 12 (1 popsicle each)

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 2 1/4 hours (including 2 hours freezing time)

Equipment: 12 2-ounce or 8 3-ounce freezer-pop molds or small paper cups with frozen-treat sticks.

Make sure to reserve a portion of the peaches as you puree the mixture so the pops will be packed with icy cold, chunky bits of fruit. For a grown-up twist, try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint, lemon verbena or basil.

1 1/4 pounds ripe peaches (3 to 4 medium), halved and pitted
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Coarsely chop peaches in a food processor. Transfer 1 cup of the chunky peaches to a medium bowl. Add lemon juice, orange juice and sugar to taste (depending on the sweetness of the peaches) to the food processor. Puree until smooth. Add to the bowl with the chunky peaches and stir in vanilla.

2. Divide the mixture among 12 2-ounce or 8 3-ounce freezer-pop molds (or small paper cups). Freeze until beginning to set, about 1 hour. Insert frozen-treat sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 1 hour more.

To make ahead: Store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well Inc.

Basic Pizza Dough

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

 

 

Sorry there was no post last week. My husband wiped my pc and reinstallation took longer than planned. I am up and running now though!

Today’s recipe comes from Paula Deen and seems the perfect go to meal for those busy nights.

Add your link to your recipe or a favorite recipe that can be frozen. Thank you for participating!

Basic Pizza Dough

Servings: 2 (12-inch) pizzas

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 1/4 ounces package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons olive oil

Measure out 1 3/4 cups warm water (it should be pleasantly warm on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and allow it to activate, about 10 minutes.

Put the salt and 2 cups of the flour into a food processor. Pulse 5 times to blend. Pour in the yeast and water and pulse 5 times. Add the olive oil. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, pulsing and scraping the sides of the bowl until well blended. As soon as the mixture is combined, dump it out onto a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns. The dough will become smooth and elastic-like.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, until doubled in size, and then punch it down.

Divide it in half; each half will make 1 (12-inch) pizza. You can make 2 pizzas, or freeze half the dough for another time. Freeze the dough in a resealable freezer bag. To thaw, remove the bag from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Roll the dough out while cold and then allow it to come to room temperature before adding toppings.

Rich Chicken Stew

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday. Today’s recipe is a lovely stew that can be served for dinner or prepared ahead for a later dinner. Please share a recipe and link it below.

If you have found this meme helpful feel free to share the posts through Twitter or other media. Thank you!

Rich Chicken Stew

This is delightful over egg noodles.

8 servings, generous 3/4 cup each
•1 pound mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean
•1/2 cup finely chopped shallots, (2 large)
•2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1/2 cup water, divided
•4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•1 cup thinly sliced carrots, (1 large)
•1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
•2 bay leaves
•2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut in 2-inch chunks
•2 1/4-inch-thick lemon slices, (including peel), seeded
•1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
•1/4 cup whipping cream
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•Freshly ground pepper, to taste
•1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, rinsed under cold water to thaw
•1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1.Combine mushrooms, shallots, oil and 1/4 cup water in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring often, until mushrooms are juicy, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add broth, carrots, thyme and bay leaves; bring to a boil.

2.Place chicken in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and lay lemon slices on top. Turn heat to high. Carefully pour in the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

3.With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a bowl; discard bay leaves and lemon slices. Skim fat and pour the juices into a large saucepan; add lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes.

4.Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Add cream and lemon juice; stir until boiling. Return the chicken and vegetables to the sauce and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in peas and parsley.

Simmered Stew variation: Total: 1 1/2 hours In Step 1, use only 1 1/2 cups broth. In Step 2, add chicken, lemon slices and lemon zest to the Dutch oven. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes. Discard lemon slices and bay leaves. Omit Step 3. Continue with Step 4, cooking everything in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Tips & Notes

•Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4 up to adding the peas and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, and reheat on the stovetop, in a microwave or in the oven; just before serving, stir in peas and parsley.

 

 

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Happy Freezer Food Friday!

Today I have a tasty recipe for those tomatoes you are growing in your garden ( or make it when there is an abundance of them in the stores ).

Please share your recipe below and let me know what you are freezing for future use or what you would like to try to freeze.

Freezer Tomato Sauce

6 pounds plum tomatoes
3 medium onions, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 fresh red cayenne chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1/2 teaspoon) or 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1 to 2 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

In a large kettle bring 4 inches of water to boiling. Immerse tomatoes, a few at a time, in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain in a colander; peel, seed, and chop tomatoes. (You should have 10 cups.)

In the same kettle cook onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil about 5 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, if desired. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in oregano and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes more. Cool slightly.

In a food processor bowl process sauce, one fourth at a time, to desired texture. (Or, put sauce through a food mill.) Place sauce in a bowl set in ice water to cool quickly. Fill 3 or 4 freezer containers; seal tightly, label, and freeze up to 6 months.

To thaw one portion, remove from freezer container and place in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. (Or, in a 1-quart microwave-safe casserole cook on 100% power (high) for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally.) Serve hot sauce over pasta. Makes 3 or 4 pints (about nine 3/4-cup servings).

 

Frozen Strawberry Cups

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Please share a recipe that can be frozen for later use. Link it below via Mister Linky and leave me a comment!

With summer coming up, I suspect these cups will be a popular treat at our house. I am guessing you can change out the fruit you use for variety.

Frozen Strawberry Cups

1 (16-ounce) package frozen whole unsweetened strawberries, thawed
1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat strawberry-flavored yogurt
1 large banana, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons sifted powdered sugar

Place thawed strawberriesin container of a food processor or electric blender;
process until smooth.

Spoon strawberry puree into a large bowl. Add pineapple, yogurt, banana, pecans,
and powdered sugar. Stir mixture well.

Spoon 1/3 cup strawberry mixture into each of 12 paper-lined muffin pans. Freeze
until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Tomato-Basil Meat Loaves

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

A little late putting this up… got lost in THE wedding! LOL!

Here is a recipe for 4 small meat loaves (  2 servings each ), but I think I will make 2 family size meat loaves out of it. One for dinner and the other for the freezer.

Please share a recipe and link it below. Comments are always welcome!

Tomato-Basil Meat Loaves

3 eggs
2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
½ cup Progresso® Italian style bread crumbs
1 cup chopped Italian plum tomatoes (3 medium)
½ cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
½ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in all remaining ingredients until well blended. On large sheet of waxed paper, shape mixture into 4 (6 1/2×3-inch) loaves. Wrap 3 meat loaves tightly in heavy-duty foil; freeze up to 2 months.

2. Place 1 loaf in ungreased shallow baking pan; bake 40 to 50 minutes or until thoroughly cooked in center and meat thermometer reads 160°F. Let meat loaf stand 5 minutes before serving.

3. To thaw frozen meat loaf, place in refrigerator for 24 hours, or unwrap and place on microwavable plate; microwave on Defrost about 10 minutes or until thawed. Bake meat loaf as directed above.

Makes 8 servings (1/2 meat loaf each)

Homemade energy bars

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Today I have granola bars that can be made ahead and frozen. I hope you try themout and find them enjoyable!

Homemade energy bars

Makes 12

For long storage, pack the bars in zipper bags and freeze. Remove a bar, wrap it in foil or plastic, and you will be well fueled for a run or whatever your day brings.

Butter (for the pan)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup loosely-packed brown sugar

½ cup natural-style peanut butter

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

½ cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup coarsely-chopped walnuts

½ cup raisins

½ cup chocolate chips

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the peanut butter until blended. Add the banana and vanilla, mixing to incorporate them.

3. Add the oats and flour. Mix just until combined.

4. Remove the mixer bowl from the stand. With a large metal spoon, stir in the walnuts, raisins, and chips.

5. Turn the batter into the pan, smoothing the top with the spoon. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Cool completely. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

7. Make 3 cuts in one direction and 2 cuts in the other to form 12 bars.

Clara Silverstein.

Adapted from Susan Katcher.

Teriyaki Chicken from Fix, Freeze Feast

Welcome to Freezer Food Friday!

Today I have a recipe from Fix, Freeze, Feast a book full of recipes to prepare in bulk and stock your freezer with.

Share your recipe on your blog and link it below or share it in the comments here.  Thanks f0r coming by to participate.

Teriyaki Chicken

1 tray (about 7 pounds or 16 pieces) of chicken thighs on the bone, skin removed
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 teaspoons minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
3 teaspoons minced ginger
3 1-gallon freezer bags, dated and labeled

Rinse and divide chicken evenly among freezer bags. Combine — stirring until sugar is dissolved — soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and oil in small bowl. Divide marinade evenly over chicken. Into each bag, measure 1 teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon ginger. Put bags in freezer.

To cook 1 entree: Thaw entree in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place meat and marinade in ungreased baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat reads 180 degrees. Turn pieces twice during baking. The longer the cooking time, the thicker and stickier sauce will be.