Freezer Meals

I started a new job as a substitute after winter break and I have not worked yet so I decided to be prepared and eat healthier.  On the 6th of January I decided to do freezer meals in case I started working full time days and had no time to prepare meals.  I had seen a post on Facebook about chicken pot pies but didn't share it so couldn't find it when I went to do my list.  So I just made it up, but I'm trying to stay away from white flour so I tried another new recipe for the thickening which I love and will share it later in this post.  I thought about doing mashed potatoes for the top but I had potatoes in the filling so I stuck with pie crust on top.  I tried one freezing the crust on it and 4 without crust adding it later for the rest of the family.  Three of them liked the crust added later and one prefers it frozen it makes it doughier like the store bought kind.  The boys would prefer it with crust on the bottom also I guess I experiment with that another time.  So my menu started out as:  Monday: Spaghetti and Alfredo sauce for me,  Tuesday: Chili Verde Mexican Beef Stew (Got it from the Happy Cookers, LLC I can't re-post the recipe but you can sign up for her newsletter or she sells her cookbooks).  Wednesday: Chicken pot pies,  Thursday:  Chicken nuggets with Alfredo sauce and noodles. All I can say is I bit of more than I could chew I got real complicated and it took longer than expected, but we enjoyed all the meals and for the most part they are healthier.  I wouldn't change the menu just improve time management and put easier meals in between.  I started with the pot pies.

Chicken Pot Pies:

Took one family pack of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 7 breasts, almost 5lbs.

Browned in frying pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Once Browned on both sides I added 2 cups chicken broth cooked for 15 min. more. cooled cut up into pieces for later.

Cut up two cups red potatoes with peeling on, 2 cups onion and 2 cups carrots.

browned onion in Olive Oil.

2 cups more broth (I use better than broth from Costco) on added the potatoes and carrots cooked for about 10 min still a little hard added the browned onions and chicken.  I then added some of my Alfredo sauce to thicken and add some flavor.  I froze five small aluminum casserole dishes with the cardboard tops aluminum down to freeze.  I did not put any tops or pie crust on at this time.  The first two I baked I put them in the oven at 350 oven covered with aluminum foil, baked on 400 for about an hour it was pretty warm so then I added a pie crust cut the size of the pan with three slits for venting.  Baked for another 20 min or till brown.  I used 2 of the crusts but had quite a bit left over so I cut in strips and added to one of the frozen pies.  We just cooked two more and I used one with and one without crust.  Baked same as the other two but the one with crust I just removed the foil and let it continue to bake with the one I put the crust on it need a little more time to be completely warm on the inside.


to finish the pot pies and for dinner that night I then made Alfredo sauce.  I had heard of Alfredo sauce made with cauliflower there are many recipes I choose one from the blog Veggie on a Penny.  http://www.veggieonapenny.com/creamy-cauliflower-sauce/.  I only changed it a little bit I did add 4 oz of Parmesan cheese that I grated my self I was told a doctor recommended that grated has fillers that you shouldn't have if watching your cholesterol.  I don't have a Vita mix but worked great in my blender.  I didn't have soy milk so I just added more water from the cauliflower.  I also added onion cooked in olive oil to the blender instead of the onion powder.

Ingredients

1. One head of cauliflower, cut into florets (5-6 cups, varies)
2. 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3. 3 Tbsp. olive oil
4. 1 tsp. dried basil
5. 1 tsp. onion powder (opt.)
6. 1 tsp. McKay's chicken style seasoning (opt.)
7. soymilk as needed (opt.)

Instructions

1. Cut head of cauliflower into florets. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Boil cauliflower florets until soft, about 10-15 minutes.
2. In a frying pan, sautee the garlic in the olive oil on low. Do not allow the garlic to turn brown as this produces a bitter flavor.
3. Put the cauliflower florets into the blender.
4. Add in 1/2 cup of the water from the cauliflower.
5. Add in the sauteed garlic and olive oil.
6. Sprinkle in all of the seasonings.
7. Blend all together. My VitaMix makes this job easy!
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Add soymilk as needed for the perfect creamy consistency.  

This literally took all day I then threw together a spaghetti sauce for dinner for the rest of the family.  


Broccoli Soup

A couple days later I steamed broccoli and sauteed mushrooms and onions added them to my Alfredo Sauce along with a cup of chicken broth and it was delicious.