Pineapple Pork, Teriyaki Honey Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Beef Broccoli

Prep these Freezer Meals Together - see shopping list below.

Pineapple Pork 

IN THE BAG- 1.5 lbs cubed Pork Loin or Tenderloin,1/2 cup apple juice, 1/2 a red pepper, chopped, 1/2 onion, chopped, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar,1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, 3 Tablespoons corn starch. Mix well and freeze.
TO COOK- Thaw in the fridge. Place in slow cooker. Add one 20 oz can of crushed pineapple. Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours or LOW 7-9 hours.

TO SERVE- Serve with rice or couscous.

Teriyaki Honey ChickenIN THE BAG- Place 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), 1/2 of a red pepper, chopped, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2 t ground ginger, 2 t minced garlic in a gallon bag.

TO COOK- Thaw. Bake at 350ºF covered 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until juices run clear.

TO SERVE- Serve with rice and vegetables.

Lemon Chicken IN THE BAG- Add 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 5 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 sliced lemon, 1 teaspoon parsley to a gallon sized freezer bag.

TO COOK- Place in crock pot, remove the lemon rinds and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

TO SERVE- Pair with rice, quinoa or potatoes.

Beef BroccoliIN THE BAG- Whisk together 1/4 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons white wine, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. Add mixture plus one and a half pounds chuck steak, cut into strips, to a gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze cooked 2 cups brown rice and 1 cup broccoli florets in their own separate bags.

TO COOK- Thaw beef/marinade bag and rice, but not broccoli. Cook beef mixture in crock pot for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Add frozen broccoli for the last hour of cooking.

TO SERVE- Serve over warm brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Pot Roast - Slow Cook

2-4 pound beef chuck pot roast
1/2 cup flour
kosher salt and pepper
3 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, quartered
3 onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup beef broth

1. Coat roast with 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Sear roast in skillet on stovetop (optional).
2. Place all vegetables in Crock-pot, except mushrooms. Add roast and spread mushrooms on top. Pour in liquid.
3. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 6-8 hours, or until tender.

Baked Beef Taquitos

adapted from ourbestbites.com

 
3 C cooked, shredded beef roast
4oz green chilies, undrained
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)
6" white corn tortillas (about 20) or flour
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take your shredded beef and slice any larger pieces across the grain so you have pieces about 1/2-1" long. Place in a bowl and set aside.
ombine chilies,  garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)

Now bust out the queso fresco. You can find it at just about any grocery store now days. It's generally in the refridgerated cheese section. you can always substitute monterey jack or pepperjack, but I like queso fresco because I feel cool using foreign foods. Plus, it's a traditional Mexican cheese and it tastes good.

Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture and roll that baby up.


I use 6" tortillas and I usually get about 20 taquitos. I fill them on the full side, so you could definitely stretch this and easily get more out of the recipe.

Place seam-side down on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Use cooking spray or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each one. (I use olive oil in a mister and it works perfect.) Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on the top of each one.

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and your house smells like a Mexican restaurant. A Mexican restaurant in a good way, not in a nasty, greasy, stinky way.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool for just a few minutes. Eat 'em hot!

These should absolutely, positively be served with a healthy smothering of fresh guacamole. And some sour cream if you wish.

Freezer instructions: Taquitos are definitely best right after cooking, so if you're not going to use all of them, plan ahead and freeze some. Then you can pull them out for a quick meal, appetizer or snack any time! To freeze: Make as noted above through the step where you sprinkle the tops of the taquitos with salt. Place in a dish a single layer, not touching each other and set in the freezer. After frozen, place in zip-top bag, foodsaver bag, or any other air tight container. To cook, preheat oven to 425. Place frozen taquitos on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until edges are golden brown. (Usually about 30 minutes)

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cups taco sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) package shredded
Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
shredded lettuce
1 tomato, diced

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease, and add the onion, bell pepper, and corn. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the taco sauce, and season with chili powder, garlic salt and cumin, stirring until blended. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Open the can of beans, and spread a thin layer of beans onto each of the tortillas. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with as much shredded cheese as you like. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce and tomato.

Taco Soup - Can be a Freezer Meal too!

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can beans - pinto, red, or kidney, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans (or a can of chili if you don't have chili beans on hand)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water (can add extra water if you want the soup to be thinner)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, undrained


Brown hamburger in a pot with chopped onion. Add beans, chili beans, tomato sauce, water, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes and corn. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, olives, and tortilla chips.


Freezer Meal Instructions:Brown hamburger in a skillet with chopped onion, drain and allow to cool. In a bowl combine beans, chili beans, tomato sauce, water, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with juices, and corn with juices. Add cooled hamburger and pour into a gallon size ziplock. Label with cooking instructions and freeze flat.

Cooking Instructions:Thaw. Pour into a pot and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. If desired thin with a little water or V8 juice. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, olives, and/or tortilla chips.

Crockpot Shredded Beef for Tacos

2 lb chuck roast
2 packets of taco seasoning mix
picante sauce
3/4 cup water

Place chuck roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle 1 packet of taco seasoning over the roast and then pour 1 cup of picante sauce over it. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove roast to a cutting board and shred meat with 2 forks.

Wipe out the baked-on stuff in the crockpot and place the meat back in. Sprinkle with about 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water and a bit more picante sauce and stir around. Let heat all the way through on high, stirring occasionally till it is hot.Serve shredded meat in taco shells and tortillas with your favorite taco fixings - we like shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and diced tomatoes.

CROCKPOT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

1 lb. beef stew meat
1/2 cup beef broth, low sodium
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBSP dried, minced onion
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh (if desired)
1 (16oz) bag of frozen broccoli, thawed
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP cornstarch

Combine broth and soy sauce in a crockpot, add onion, brown sugar and garlic. Stir in beef cubes. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 4-6 hours). About an hour before serving, combine water and cornstarch and blend well. Stir cornstarch mixture into the crockpot. Add broccoli (and mushrooms) to the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes until broccoli is crisp-tender, or done to your liking. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

2 lbs beef chuck or stew meat in 1'' cubes
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
4 carrots, peel and slice
3 potatoes, peel and slice
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced

1. Place meat in crock pot. Mix flour, salt and pepper, and pour over meat; stir to coat meat with flour.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
4. Stir thoroughly and remove bay leaf before serving.

Beef & Bean Burritos

1/2 pound beef round steak, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4 ozs) diced green chilies, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
6 tortillas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray, heat over med heat until hot. Add steak and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until steak is cooked to desired doneness.
2. Stir beans, chilies, and cilantro into skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until heated through.
3. Spoon steak mixture evenly down center of each tortilla; sprinkle cheese evenly over each tortilla. Fold bottom end of tortilla over filling; roll to enclose. Garnish wih salsa and sour cream if desired.

Italian Beef Saute

Mix the following with 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of beef strips:
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP basil, chopped
2 TBSP garlic, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
2 cups tomatoes, diced

Cook in a skillet over med-high heat for 10-14 minutes.
Then add: 2 cups of asparagus and 1/4 cup sundried tomato pesto
Cover and cook for about 4 more minutes or until asparagus is heated through.

Serve over noodles. And top with parmesan cheese.

Freezer Meal Option: Mix ingredients from 1st step in a gallon sized freezer bag. Add asparagus and tomato pesto to a sandwich size bag. Place both bags and cooking instructions all in another gallon freezer bag. Thaw an cook another day! I like to get all the ingredients, make 2-3 batches at once which saves me time later!