I always love the feeling I get after doing a big round of meals. It's such a relief knowing I have these tastey, healthy meals ready to cook in my freezer. This round I made 24 meals for less than $170 (averaging about $7 each meal).
Menu| {make 2 of each}
Baked Spinach Artichoke Chicken w/ Pesto
Caribbean Jerk Chicken on Pub Buns
Pulled Pork on Hawaiian Rolls
Mesquite Lime Chicken Flatbread Wraps
French Dip
Greek Meatballs on Pita Bread
Chicken & Rice Burritos with Red Sauce
Sausage Bake
Fish Tacos
Sweet 'N Sour Meatballs
Beef Lettuce Wraps
BLTs
Grocery List|
Meat:
4 bags of frozen chicken breasts
2 3-pound pork loins
2 2-pound packages of stew beef or beef cubes
3 lbs. of ground beef
1 cooked rotisserie chicken
1 bag frozen tilapia filets
4 small bags of meatballs (about 24 each bag)
2 packages of bacon
2 smoked sausage links
Produce:
2 tomatoes
1 small bag of fresh spinach
Fresh mint
2 lemons
2 bags frozen broccoli florets
Canned:
1 can artichoke hearts
1 jar of pesto
2 cans of red or green enchilada sauce (whichever you prefer, I chose red because they didn't have green)
1 can black beans
Marinades/Seasonings:
2 bottles Caribbean Jerk marinade
2 bottles Mesquite w/ Lime marinade
2 Memphis BBQ Pit seasoning packets
2 Au Jus seasoning packets
2 bottles of BBQ sauce
2 bottles of grape jelly
1 bottle teriyaki sauce
1 bottle rice vinegar
**I buy the Lawry's marinades because I think they taste better than the packet marinades.
Dairy:
1 small bag mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Feta
1 small bag Mexican cheese
Dried Goods:
2 cups rice
1 small bag of brown sugar
Bread:
2 bags pub buns
2 bags Hawaiian rolls
4 bags of pita flatbread
2 bags of hoagies
2 packages of tortillas
2 bags corn tortillas
2 loaves of French or Italian bread
Other:
1 box gallon Ziplocs
2 disposable aluminum trays
Slow cooker liners (because this is always a great time to stock up)
Other seasonings I had on hand:
garlic powder
dried oregano
cinnamon
chili powder
cumin
salt
pepper
As always, once home from your shopping trip, label all bags and trays then start dumping. All the bread (except the flour tortillas), smoked sausage links, bags of broccoli, and bacon will just go directly in the freezer.
**There are lots of new recipes on this round - pictures will be added as I make them. :)
Baked Spinach Artichoke Chicken w/ Pesto
In a disposable tray, place 4-6 chicken breasts, seasoned with basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Smother with half a jar of pesto
Layer 1 sliced tomato and half the can of artichoke hearts
Add 1 handful of roughly chopped baby spinach
Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken on Pub Buns
4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Caribbean jerk marinade
(make two)
Freeze ciabatta with this. Thaw and grill (usually 7 minutes per side on a medium-low grill). Serve on pub buns.
Pulled Pork on Hawaiian Rolls
1 Packet Memphis BBQ Pit seasoning packet
1 3 lb. pork loin
1/4 cup brown sugar
Add 1 cup water and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve on rolls with BBQ sauce.
Mesquite Lime Chicken Flatbread Wraps
4-6 chicken breasts
1 mesquite with lime marinade
Thaw and grill. Serve with flatbread and eat as a wrap.
French Dip
1/2 package of stew beef (1 lb.)
1 cup water
1 packet au jus seasoning
Add 1 cup of water and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve on hoagies with provolone cheese and use extra juice to dip.
Greek Meatballs on Pita Bread
3 lbs. ground beef
1 bunch minced mint
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp oregano
1/4 bread crumbs
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
Mix everything together with your hand, roll into meatballs, and divide in two separate bags (meals).
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with the pita pockets (freeze them with the meatballs) and tzatziki sauce (greek yogurt, lemon zest, cucumber, and dill).
Chicken & Rice Burritos with Red Sauce
Once cooked, mix in 1 can of black beans, rinsed.
De-bone the rotisserie chicken, shred or chop the chicken and add to the rice and beans.
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Spoon the above mixture into tortillas (both packages), add a little cheese and put in bag. To prepare, defrost, smother with red or green sauce, top with cheese, and warm in the oven.
Sausage Bake
Freeze 1 bag of frozen broccoli with 1 package of smoked sausage.
To prepare, defrost the sausage, add the broccoli florets and combine with cubed potatoes and other veggies if desired, drizzle with EVOO, garlic powder, oregano, sage, salt and pepper. Toss and bake. (Note: I have tried freezing the potatoes with this...it doesn't taste as good so I only buy the freezable ingredients and add the fresh ones later.)
Bake at 425 for 45 minutes.
Fish Tacos
1/2 bag of tilapia
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Drizzle with EVOO
Thaw and grill. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill too. Serve as tacos with cabbage and fish taco sauce (which is just a combination of sour cream, mayo, lime juice, oregano, cumin, dill, capers, and a little cayenne).
Sweet 'N Sour Meatballs
2 bags of meatballs
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 bottle grape jelly
4 hours on low.
Beef Lettuce Wraps
1/2 package of stew beef (or 1 lb.)
1/2 bottle of teriyaki sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP brown sugar
7-8 hours on low. Shred beef and serve in iceberg or butter lettuce cups.
BLTs
Freeze Italian or French bread and Bacon. Yep, this is one of those easy ones.
To prepare, defrost both. Cook bacon in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with Tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, and avocado.
And that's all folks! 24 meals for less than $170. Bon Appetit!
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