Everyone knows I love my crock pot. I mean, do I really have to say it anymore? But I also love my grill. Especially during the Spring and Summer months. I like to take full advantage of grilling. It's so easy to make healthy meals with the grill and clean up is always pretty easy too - my kind of cooking! So for this round of freezer cooking I made 24 grill-ready (that could also be put in the crock pot or oven) and summer favorites for $140. All of these meals with exception of the beer chicken are also GLUTEN-FREE.
One of the great things about freezing grilling meat with the seasoning (besides that it's easy) is that as the meat defrosts, the meat marinates and soaks up all the flavors. The entire process took me 3 hours (and both my children were here and awake without my husband home to help entertain). Success!
Menu |
2 Cilantro Lime Chicken
2 Smokey Mesquite Chicken
2 Baja Citrus Chicken
2 Ranch Pork Chops
2 Italian Sausage & Peppers
2 Beef & Veggie Kabobs
2 Honey Crips Apple Beer Chicken
2 Smoked Sausage, Potato & Veggie Roast
2 Dirty Rice
2 Smoked Sausage Dirty Rice
2 Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast
2 Spaghetti Sauce
Shopping List |
Meat:
2 lbs. ground sausage
5 lbs. ground beef
4 bags frozen chicken breasts
2 pork roasts (or loins)
1 package bacon
8 pork chops
2 packages Italian sausage links
2 (2-3 lbs.) packages of cubed beef
4 large smoked sausage links
Produce:
1 bunch cilantro
2 limes
8 green bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
6 zucchinis
1 3 lbs. bag of red potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes
1 head of broccoli
Canned Goods:
4 cans tomato sauce
2 cans tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
Seasoning:
2 packets "Baja Citrus" seasoning
2 packets Ranch seasoning
Smokey Mesquite seasoning
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Brown Sugar
Basil
Smoked Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Beverages:
1 bottle of Shock Top Honey Crisp Apple Wheat Beer (I got a six pack (because I don't mind if I do!) and only used one for these meals)
Dried Goods:
8 cups of brown rice
Other:
1 box of gallon-sized plastic bags
2 foil cake trays
Once I got home, I put all 5 lbs. of ground beef in the crock pot on high. By the time I finished all the other meals it was cooked so I added that last. I also cooked the ground sausage on the stove top and got all 8 cups of the brown rice in the rice cooker. While those 3 things were cooking I washed and chopped all my veggies and fresh produce. (Note: I cute the lime in fourths, gave the cilantro a rough chop, diced only 2 green peppers, and cut the other peppers into strips. All other produce was washed and cut into big chunks.)
Then dump.
Recipes |
Cilantro Lime Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 lime (squeezed and left in the bag)
1/4 of the cilantro bunch
1 Tbsp. of lemon pepper
1 tsp. of garlic powder
Drizzle with EVOO and shake
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Yum.
Smokey Mesquite Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. Smokey Mesquite seasoning
Drizzle with EVOO and shake
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Yum.
Baja Citrus Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/4 of the cilantro bunch
1/2 lime (squeezed and left in the bag)
1 Baja Citrus seasoning packet mixed with 1/2 water
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Yum.
Ranch Pork Chops
4 pork chops
1 packet ranch seasoning mixed with 1/2 water
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Yum.
Italian Sausage & Peppers
1 package Italian Sausage
1 sliced red bell pepper
2 sliced green peppers
Garlic Powder to taste
Basil to taste
Drizzle with EVOO
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Yum.
Beef & Veggie Kabobs
2 sliced zucchinis
1 package of cubed beef
Add garlic powder (1/2 Tbsp.), smoked paprika (1 tsp.), cayenne pepper (1 tsp.), sea salt & pepper (to taste)
Drizzle with EVOO
Thaw, put on kabobs & grill.
Update: Yum for the beef. Zucchini doesn't freeze well unless it's in a soup.
Honey Crips Apple Beer Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle of Shock Top Honey Crisp Apple Wheat Beer
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Thaw & grill or cook in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Update: Don't put this in the crock pot. Not a good idea. If you like beer chicken this is a great recipe.
Smoked Sausage, Potato & Veggie Roast
1 smoked sausage, sliced
1.5 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 sliced zucchini
1/2 head of broccoli
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle with EVOO
Toss with your hands before covering and freezing. Thaw and cook in the oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour. I have a friend that grills a dish similar to this and it's pretty awesome too.
Update: This doesn't freeze well. If you make it fresh, it is the BOMB. Instead just buy the smoked sausage and frozen broccoli and freeze together. The day you want to make it, add fresh potatoes and veggies. Trust me.
Dirty Rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 pounds cooked ground beef
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. (at least) of Montreal Steak Seasoning
Drizzle with EVOO
Thaw and warm in a skillet, enjoy.
Update: Yum.
Smoked Sausage Dirty Rice
1 sliced smoked sausage (I used regular smoked turkey sausage but spicy sausage is really good too)
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
Drizzle with EVOO
Thaw and warm in a skillet, enjoy.
Update: Yum.
Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast
1 pork roast
Rub 1 Tbsp. of Smokey Mesquite Seasoning on the roast
Wrap in 1/2 the package of bacon
Rub 1/2 Tbsp. of brown sugar on top of the bacon
Cook on low in the crock pot for 8 hours.
Update: Yum.
Spaghetti Sauce
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can drained tomatoes (diced or crushed)
1 can paste
1 lb. cooked Italian sausage
1 lb. cooked ground beef
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. Basil
1/2 Tbsp. Oregano
1/2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Update: Yum.
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