Simple Saturday: Terrific Tacos

Make-ahead tacos are not only a fun meal that kids can assemble themselves (thereby making it more delicious to them, of course!), but it's also a great way to ensure your dinner includes some veggies, as vegetables don't always freeze well.  This dish focuses on veggies that will freeze!

Ingredients

Taco stands make taco night
even more fun!

• 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey for a lighter meal)
• 1 T Fiesta Party Dip Mix
• 1 T Onion Onion
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1-1/4 cups diced tomato
• 1 T fresh chopped cilantro
• 2/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 T lime juice
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar or mexi-blend cheese
• 6 (or more) tortillas or taco shells

Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a large skillet, combine ground beef, Fiesta Party Dip Mix, and Onion Onion.  Saute until meat is browned and cook through.  Drain fat.
• Stir in tomato sauce, water, and cumin.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Let cool, and transfer meat mixture to freezer container.
• In another freezer container, combine tomato, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and salt.
• Measure cheese into a third freezer container.
• Pack all containers into one, label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely in refrigerator.
• Place meat mixture in a large skillet.  Heat on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.
• Assemble tacos, with each one having: 1 tortilla or shell; 1/6 of meat mixture; generous 1/4 cup salsa; and 1 T shredded cheese.
• Or, for a "fun" meal, create a taco assembly line on the kitchen counter!

Have you tried a taco assembly line with your kids?  Does it help them stay interested in dinner?

Simple Saturday: Honey Apple Ribs

This grill sauce goes great with chicken,
steaks, pork chops, and more.

This weekend, we're spending our time getting ready for our annual Memorial Day Camping Trip next weekend.  Because I hate chopping, dicing, and general prep work while camping, among other things, I'm spending the weekend making-ahead all of our camping meals.  One recipe I can't wait to dig into around the campfire are these Honey Apple Ribs, made using Tastefully Simple Honey Apple Grill Sauce.

Ingredients
1-2 Racks Pork Ribs
1 Jar Tastefully Simple Honey Apple Grill Sauce
1/2 Onion, chopped

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Place raw ribs in a 6-qt slow cooker.
• Pour 1/4 jar Honey Apple Grill Sauce into small freezer bag; set aside.
• Sprinkle on onion, and pour remaining Honey Apple Grill Sauce over all ingredients.
• Cook on low 7-8 hours.
• Let cool.  Place entire contents of slow cooker in a freezer bag.  Place rib bag plus bag of sauce into another bag and freeze.

To Serve

• Pre-heat gas or campfire grill.
• Place ribs on grill; brush frequently with remaining sauce from rib bag.  Cook until heated through.
• Use extra bag of sauce for spreading or dipping.

Here's what else we'll be enjoying at camping this weekend:

Grandma Peterson's Flank Steak Marinade

White Chicken Chili

Chipotle Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Need equipment?  Check out some of our favorites:

Coleman All-In-One Cooking System

Magma Nestable Non-Stick Cookware

Simple Saturday: Simple Beef Stroganoff

This is a great meal to make-ahead and toss in your slow cooker in the morning, for a great dinner all ready when you get home.  Or, make this a 15-minute meal by browning the beef in a skillet, then mixing in the other ingredients.  Either way, it will be simple and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 T Onion Onion
• 1 T Garlic Garlic
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1.5 lbs cubed beef stew meat
• 14.5 oz can beef broth
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 7.3 oz jar sliced mushrooms
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 c egg noodles, uncooked

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Combine Onion Onion through pepper in a gallon-sized freezer bag.
• Measure sour cream into a sandwich-sized freezer bag.
• Measure egg noodles into sandwich-sized freezer bag.
• Combine all bags into another - seal and freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely.
• Place beef mixture into a greased slow cooker.  Cook on low 8 hours (or more, up to 10).
• Stir in sour cream just before serving.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Spoon beef mixture over cooked noodles and enjoy.

Serves: 4

Simple Saturday: Savory Grilled Chicken

This is a light, healthy dish you can cook up in just a few minutes - and if you're on a freezer cooking kick, it's worth making in several batches for that impromptu dinner party get-together.  It is also very versatile, and you'll find it just as satisfying right off the grill in the summer, or hot out of the oven in winter.

Use your leftover Onion Onion mix to prepare
Onion Onion dip - great for a backyard barbecue!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. Onion Onion
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.  Freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely.
• Arrange chicken on preheated grill.  Discard extra marinade.  Grill chicken to reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.
• Or, place chicken on a brimmed cookie sheet or broiling pan.  Pour extra marinade over chicken.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.

Try these complementary side dishes with it:

Baked Baby Reds

Light and Delicious Veggie Grill

Simple Saturday: Tikka Chicken

In this recipe, curry powder transforms what would otherwise be a Mexican-flavored dish into a classic Indian-inspired meal.

Fiesta Party Dip Mix, prepared as dip - YUM!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 can (10.75 oz) golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. Onion Onion
• 1 tsp. Fiesta Party Dip Mix
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 c rice (uncooked)

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Combine chicken, soup, mayonnaise, Onion Onion, Fiesta Party Dip Mix, curry powder, and water in a freezer container.
• Measure frozen peas into a separate freezer container.
• Measure rice into separate freezer container.
• Combine containers, label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Thaw completely.
• Place chicken mixture into a greased slow cooker.  Cook on low 3-4 hours.  To cook longer, add 1/3 cup water.
• 30 minutes before serving, stir in peas.  
• Prepare rice as directed.
• Serve chicken and sauce over hot rice.

Try this dish with a side of steamed broccoli cooked in a few tablespoons of chicken broth with some Tastefully Simply Seasoned Salt.  

Have you tried this recipe?  Let us know what you think!

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

Creamy Pepperjack Chicken

This dish is one of the most customizable I have ever known, so have fun and go crazy with it!

Ingredients

6 chicken breast halves, cubed

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 family size cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (do not add water!)

10 slices pepperjack cheese

Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a large skillet, cook chicken. I prefer to cube it and add half an onion and minced garlic with black pepper and red pepper flakes. (These aren't in the original recipe.) I don't add salt because the soup has plenty. Drain liquid. Place in freezer bag or container.
• Add soup to freezer container; freeze.
• Place cheese slices in a freezer bag or container and freeze with other ingredients.

To Serve

• Thaw in refrigerator; or run cold water over bag to thaw. (If using this second method, add 10 minutes to your baking time in the next step.)
• Place chicken/soup mixture in a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for fifteen minutes.
• Top with cheese slices and bake for another fifteen. You will be halving the last two slices to cover the whole dish.

Serve as a hearty soup or spoon over rice or pasta. We like it over jasmine rice.

White Chicken Chili

This is a great chili for the upcoming cold weather. I love to pour my chili over fresh cornbread!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of chicken, cut up into cubes

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 (4-oz) can, chopped (can substitute fresh chilis)

8 green onions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour (can substitute 2 Tbsp cornstarch for gluten-free preparation)

2 cups chicken broth

2 (14-oz) cans white northern beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from pan.
• Saute onion, red and yellow pepper, chili peppers, and garlic in the same skillet. Return the chicken and add ginger, salt, sage, cumin, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly. Allow to cool, and transfer to freezer bag or container; set aside.
• In a separate dish or pan, melt butter and add the flour to make a roux. Whisk in the chicken broth. Stir this mixture into the freezer container with the sauteed vegetables and chicken.
• Add the beans with the liquid to the freezer container. (If you like it thicker I suggest that you don't put in the liquid from the beans.) Seal and freeze.

To Serve

• Stovetop: Thaw in refrigerator. Bring to a simmer in a medium pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and serve.
• Slow Cooker: Can cook from thawed or frozen. Place meal in slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours).

Winter Squash Chili

It's been awhile since I've posted any recipes, so it's about time that I contribute. Speaking of time, it is now the time of the year to start thinking about using squash in weekly meal planning. Here is a great recipe that I got from a squash farmer a few years ago; every time I make it, I just can't get over how easy and tasty the recipe is.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups celery, sliced

2 cups carrots, sliced

1 clove minced garlic

3 cups cubed squash

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 (14-oz) cans stewed or diced tomatoes

2 cans undrained black beans

1 (4-oz) can mild chopped green chilis

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Brown onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Place in plastic freezer bag.
• In a second freezer bag, combine remaining ingredients. Add both freezer bags to another bag (so they don't get separated in the freezer), label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Combine all ingredients in a stew pot. Simmer on low for 30 minutes (or longer if cooking from frozen instead of thawed).

Garnish each serving with cilantro and sour cream; tortilla chips or hot crusty bread are great to add on the side. This recipes yields quite a bit of soup, but luckily, it freezes well so you can have an easy make-ahead meal later.

Enjoy!

Jessica Finger, RD, CD

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2-1/4 cups gluten-free biscuit mix (divided; 1/4 and 2 cups)
10 cups chicken broth
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Make-Ahead Preparation

• In a large non-stick pot coated with non-stick cooking spray over medium heat, stir chicken and onion about 5 minutes or until chicken is browned.
• Add celery, and sauté several minutes longer.
• Sprinkle chicken mixture with 1/4 cup flour and gradually stir in broth, carrots and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heated, stirring occasionally until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dumplings as follows: In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups flour and baking powder. Stir in buttermilk and season with salt and pepper.
• Drop dumplings into soup by tablespoonfuls. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes or until dumplings are done.
• Serve immediately, or to freeze: allow to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer container, label, and freeze.

To Serve

• Defrost in refrigerator.
• Re-heat over low heat in a non-stick pan.

Calories: 307, protein 54g, carbohydrate 35g, fat2g, calories from fat (96) 7, saturated fat 1g, dietary fiber 4g, cholesterol 67 mg, sodium766 mg, diabetic exchange 3.5.

Check out more recipes from the book: Trim and Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals

Cherry Skillet Chicken

This chicken is excellent chopped over salad with red grapes, blue cheese, and sunflower seeds. Or try serving over rice.

Makes 3 entrees 4-6 servings each

Ingredients
6 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chopped dried sweet cherries
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
wax paper
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

On hand for cooking each entree:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Rinse and trim chicken as desired.
• Lay each piece of chicken, smooth side down, between two sheets of wax paper. Using a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer, pound each chicken piece to 1 inch thick. Divide chicken evenly among the three freezer bags.
• Put cherries in a small bowl and cover with hot water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Measure 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into each freezer bag with chicken.
• Drain cherries. Divide cherries equally into the freezer bags with the chicken. Seal and gently shake bag to distribute cherries.
• Freeze

To Serve

• Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and pour cherries and juice over chicken. Cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes.

Richard's Seafood Pasta

Today's recipe comes via my husband, who had a culinary epiphany one evening when I left him to his own devices with one simple rule: Have dinner for the family ready by the time Bugger (our one-year-old) and I got home from our run.  At first I wasn't sure what to expect, but after my husband improvised this recipe, we were anything but disappointed.

Simple Saturday: Pesto Rotini with Smoked Salmon

It's no contest.  My absolute favorite Tastefully Simple item is the Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix, and I use it in everything!  Here is yet another way to use this versatile mix to make a fabulous one-dish meal, or a great dish for a buffet-style party.

Ingredients
1 (8-oz) box Ancient Harvest Quinoa Rotelle (or regular rotini pasta)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen pepper strips (or fresh chopped bell peppers, all colors)
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided (1/1)
2 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix
12 oz smoked salmon

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil.
• While pasta is cooking, heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and peppers, and sauté until tender (approximately six minutes).
• Add Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Mix and pasta to pan, and toss.
• Transfer to freezer container and freeze.  Tip:  Salmon can be frozen separately, or chunked and tossed with pasta.  Or, consider not freezing the smoked salmon; when vacuum packed, it can be refrigerated for several weeks or even months; check the expiration date on the package.

To Serve

• Thaw completely in refrigerator.
• In a saucepan, combine pasta mixture and 1/3 cup water.  Cover, and warm over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  
• Spoon onto serving dishes, and top with flaked salmon.

Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 60 min.
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 6
Serving Size: 1/6 loaf
WW Points+: 7

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

Other Recipes You Might Like:
Aunt Laurie's Unrolled Cabbage Rolls
Jack Daniels Glazed Ribs
Apple Cranberry Pork Roast

Pasta Fresca

For busy weeknights, nothing beats the ease of a one-dish meal.  This pasta salad, filled with flavorful sausage and all varieties of color (translation = vitamins!) will stash in the freezer for weeks and still deliver a healthy and fresh-tasting meal in minutes.

Southwest Meatloaf

Done right, meatloaf is a delicious and kid-friendly meal packed with nutrients.  Add a Southwestern kick, and suddenly your meatloaf goes from drab to fab in under 60 seconds (or as long as it takes to chop the southwest vegetables, I suppose).  Here is a recipe for moist and delicious make-ahead meatloaf that will put an end to the chorus of, "Meatloaf AGAIN?!"

Cabbage Soup

Soups are a great way to get all your vegetables into one delicious make-ahead meal.  This soup is loaded with healthy veggies, but also plenty of flavor.  Thanks to my mom for this recipe, and for teaching us to eat healthy!

Fill Your Freezer Without Filling Your Day

Today we're taking a break from our usual Simple Saturday post for a special feature!

As you may know by now, our blog is centered around a group of moms who get together once a month to make-ahead freezer meals for our families.  We've showed you how we organize our make-ahead parties, and also how to deal with food allergies when making-ahead for a group.  But, make-ahead cooking can take a lot of time and planning.  So today, we're excited to be a guest author over at Life As Mom, explaining how to Fill Your Freezer Without Filling Your Day!

What are YOUR tips and tricks for making make-ahead cooking an efficient way to care for your family?

Aunt Laurie's Unrolled Cabbage Rolls

I absolutely love cloves.  But aside from putting them in my chai, I'm never quite sure what to do with them. Here is a delicious way to make a one-dish meal featuring cloves.  Whats more, this dinner is loaded with fiber, meat and grain proteins, and just a tiny bit of sugar, which means that for a small amount of calories you'll stay feeling satisfied for longer.

Toscana Soup

Serving Size: 5

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups spicy chicken sausage (or pork)
6 slices of lean turkey bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/4 tsp chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 quart water
2 medium potatoes, cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/4" slices
2 cups kale leaves, cut in half, then sliced (don't forget to cut out and discard the center vein of each leaf)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place sausage (broken into chunks) onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes or until done. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream and simmer 4 minutes.

Serve right away or you can freeze the soup to serve on a later date. To re-heat, thaw the soup and re-heat in a pan to 165 degrees F.

Suggested Sides: Green salad and garlic bread sticks, yummy!

~Jessica Finger, RD, CD

Simple Saturday: Asparagus Rolls

These delicious asparagus rolls are a great make-ahead appetizer for parties.  Whether it's a cocktail party or a kid's birthday party, these are sure to be a hit.  Make the day before, or a month or more and freeze.

Ingredients
12 medium stalks asparagus (approx. 1 lb)
8 oz. neufchatel cheese
2 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
12 slices (approx. 1/3 lb) medium-sliced black forest ham

Make-Ahead Preparation

• Blanch asparagus.
• Soften cheese.  In a small bowl, combine cheese and Spinach & Herb Dip Mix
• Lay ham out flat.  Using a soft (e.g. silicone) spatula, gently spread cheese on ham, all the way to the edges.
• Place one stalk of asparagus on each slice of ham, along the long edge.  Roll ham with asparagus inside.
• Slice each piece of ham in thirds.  Tip:  If you're squishing the rolls while trying to slice, place the rolls in the freezer for an hour or so and then slice.
• Place in freezer container and store in freezer.

To Serve

• Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• Serve cold, as a finger food or with toothpicks.

Makes 36 appetizers.

Weight Watchers Points Value: 1

Devon Thurtle Anderson, Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant
Consultant ID #0119436
http://www.tastefullysimple.com/web/dthurtle-anderson

The Make-Ahead Hostess: 7 Make-Ahead Menus for Parties

Make-ahead cookbooks can give great party
inspiration.  You can purchase them
anywhere online, or you can frequently find
them at your local library.

So now you have your weekday cooking under control, but next weekend you're throwing a party, and you have no time to cook the day of the party.  Can you make-ahead party food?  Of course!  Here are seven great make-ahead menus to cover your next get-together.