Tasty Tuesday - Recipes From My Freezer Cooking Spree

First of all.....HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! I admit I have no idea who the man was, but it feels odd not to wish you a happy St. Patrick's Day, so there ya go. (Are you wearing green today?)

I apologize for the delay in posting these recipes, but you see....at the time I did the freezer cooking, we knew I was pregnant and would soon be too sick to cook, but we weren't quite ready to share that news with all of you. Two days after I finished my freezer cooking spree, I began my bout with morning sickness....and I'm still sick.

Several of you asked for the recipes of the items that I made and froze. A few more of you expressed that you had interest in freezer cooking but weren't sure which foods could be frozen and how. While I'm certainly no pro at freezer cooking, I do have a bit of experience so I'll share what I know.

I'm relatively confident when I say this: Most foods can be frozen. Some foods, like vegetables, require blanching before being frozen while other foods, like meats, can be directly put into the freezer. There is a list of freezer cooking resources at the bottom of this post that you will find very helpful in your quest to begin learning about freezer cooking. I'd also encourage you to check out Gretchen's other blog. She regularly posts about Once-A-Month-Cooking and usually posts all of her recipes for those meals as well.

Now, onto my recipes....

alfredo sauce

English muffin pizzas - Slice each English muffin in half, add a tablespoon of tomato sauce (or pizza sauce), sprinkle on some pizza seasoning and add mozzerella cheese (and other toppings, if desired). When ready to bake, just pop in the oven til cheese is melted!

turkey soup - Boil down a turkey carcass (or make chicken or turkey broth w/ bouillon), slice up carrots, celery, and onions; add turkey and any kind of noodle; boil for 10 minutes; serve w/ homemade bread - YUM!

waffles

2 lg eggs
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 T. sugar
4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until smooth. Pour into waffle maker and cook to desired doneness.

pancakes

1 1/4 c. flour
1 egg
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sugar
1 heaping t. of baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. oil
pinch of salt

Mix with mixer until smooth. Let sit 10 minutes before cooking on griddle at 325 degrees.

pumpkin muffins

chicken pot pie, biscuits, and a loaf of french toast (all three recipes are in the same post)

calzones

Crust:

5-6 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. salt
4 1/2 t. yeast (2 pkgs)
6 T. oil
2 c. very warm water (120-130 degrees)

Mix 2 c. flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add oil and water. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl. Stir in enough flour until dough leaves sides of bowl. Knead 5-8 minutes on floured surface until smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Then prepare crusts into 10-inch circles).

Insides:

Place any combination of veggies, meats, and cheeses (I prefer mozzerella and ricotta) inside, fold over, and seal. Brush with egg and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

oatmeal chocolate chip breakfast cookies - Okay, I honestly have no idea what I put in these. I have a basic recipe that I completely altered to make my cookies. I know there was oatmeal, flour, sugar, banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and probably all other normal baking ingredients (i.e. baking soda or powder, salt, etc.). If I ever come up with an ACTUAL recipe, I'll be sure to post it. :)

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For further information on freezer cooking, I highly recommend checking out the following books:

Once a Month Cooking


The Best Freezer Cookbook


Freezer Cooking Manual


.....and the website 30daygourmet.