| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CindyG |
Posted - Mar 31 2015 : 3:09:07 PM
Ladies,
Our Girl Scout troop has been the beneficiary of the generosity of a local church that has allowed us to use for their facility for several large events. They are reluctant to accept a financial donation, and have actually turned down manual labor offers of doing some spring cleaning with landscaping, etc.
We finally hit pay dirt with the suggestion of making some casseroles and leaving them for whatever church member might need some dinners, be it single working moms or whomever.
What would you suggest that is widely appealing, freezes well and doesn't cost a mint? I don't want to cheap out on them completely, but I would rather leave several tasty, filling and less expensive casseroles than one big lasagna full of expensive meat and cheese.
An important question in this is what kind of luck have you had freezing something topped with mashed potatoes? I've seen a few shepherd's pie recipes that look pretty darn good, but I"m having flashbacks to my 7th grade Home Ec class where mashed potatoes was on the "never freeze" list.
Any suggestions and assistance would be greatly appreciated!
To close the proverbial loop on this, my co-leader and I are having the teenage scouts - several of whom have little to no cooking experience - do the menu, shopping, cooking, packaging and freezing. A great opportunity to learn, right?
Thanks,
Cindy
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| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CindyG |
Posted - Apr 04 2015 : 08:54:11 AM
Again, ladies, thanks for these great suggestions. I'm meeting with the girls this afternoon and will let them pick.
Regarding freezing shepherd's pie - from what I've read, the mashed potatoes may separate and get watery. I'm willing to give it a try since that is a favorite dish in our house, and I adore the idea of having favorite meals all done and ready to just heat up when needed!
Thanks,
Cindy
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| modernpioneermama76 |
Posted - Apr 03 2015 : 5:37:26 PM
What about pot pie. Really a pretty simple all in one sort of meal. Ingredients are some kind of stew, possibly a can or two of cream of something-or-other soup (which goes well with poultry or rabbit based pot pie) or brown gravy (for beef/pork) and either store bought or homemade pie crust. Depending on the stew you start with, maybe some frozen mixed veggies added.
Soups and stews also feed a lot of people and many freeze well. I have frozen shepherd's pie too without issues. Enchiladas and Spanish Rice also freeze great (just pop those in the oven and warm up a can of refried beans) and so does chili and cornbread muffins. Another old but great casserole... broccoli, chicken, cheesy rice casserole... a favorite at our house because it's like broccoli cheese soup turned into a casserole.
Farm Families Forevermore
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| hudsonsinaf |
Posted - Apr 01 2015 : 07:17:24 AM
Here is a Baked Ziti recipe I created and posted on my blog - http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/2013/06/gluten-free-baked-ziti-freezer-meal.html
It makes 2 13x9 pans, so you could easily turn it into 4 8x8 pans for smaller families. It can be "work intensive" though, so it would depend on what you are looking for :)
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
| notathreatinsight |
Posted - Apr 01 2015 : 05:54:19 AM
Cindy, I have frozen shepherd's pie before and it turned out fine. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have lol.
Here's one... it's literally just called "Easy Casserole"
3 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
1 can cream of... anything
1/2 cup mayo or sour cream
2 cups cooked pasta (medium shells work well)
optional: frozen veggies or shredded cheese
Combine in a bowl, spread in 9 x 13, bake 35-45 minutes in 350 oven.
Basically you just play around with it and make it how you like it. Add your own seasoning, veggies, cheese, etc. I'm sure the veggies don't have to be frozen, and if you're averse to the 'cream of...' canned soup, here's a link to make your own dry on-hand replacement.
http://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html?showComment=1310864846151#c3489139395376988271
Erin
Farmgirl #3762
"It is... through the world of the imagination which takes us beyond the restrictions of provable fact, that we touch the hem of truth." - Madeleine L'Engle
http://www.etsy.com/shop/femmepostale/
http://www.pinterest.com/femmepostale/ |
| CindyG |
Posted - Apr 01 2015 : 05:34:35 AM
Thank you for these excellent suggestions, ladies! I appreciate it :) |
| nubidane |
Posted - Mar 31 2015 : 5:33:29 PM
Cindy
This is a recipe I saved from our own MaryJane. Not sure who posted it, but here is a copy:
"MaryJanes spaghetti pie. She said it makes 2 and that they freeze well. I tried it and it was hands down delicious. Even better after frozen. Each"pie" makes enough to feed 4-6. The recipe is as follows, 12 oz. of spaghetti,1/2 c. parmesan cheese, 2 c. cottage cheese, 3 c. spaghtti sauce, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, 3 T. butter, 2 eggs well beaten. Heat oven to 350. Cook spaghetti and drain. Stir butter into hot spaghetti then parmesan cheese and eggs. In 2 buttered pie plates form "crusts" by pouring the spaghetti into the bottom of pie plates. Next spread cottage cheese evenly over each crust. To each pie layer 1 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce over cottage cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
She also said if you put them in the freezer to put them in uncooked. Let them thaw and cook as normal. I have made these at least 3 times already and I do add meat to the sauce. They are great"
I've made them too, and they are quite good. Leave out the meat, and not too expensive.
Here's another one I posted under a pot luck thread:
"Sesame Noodles:
Box of linguine, cooked al dente.
Add:
About 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup sesame oil, a tablespoon or 2 of honey or sugar, a tablespoon or 2 of soy sauce (I use Bragg's aminos), and a tablespoon or 2 of a nut butter.
Toss with about 5-7 chopped scallions, and a clove of chopped garlic (or 2 if you are making for a garlic lovin' crowd)
Serve warm or chilled. Love this stuff!"
Check out the thread "Virtual Pot Luck"
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=67591
I think there are some casserole type dishes in there too.
Bless you for doing this!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
| gramadinah |
Posted - Mar 31 2015 : 4:29:15 PM
Your are my hero Both with being a Girl Scouts leader and the and showing the girls the way of the cooking world. That said how about canning some soup or freezing soup. Hamburger veg soup freezes well and cans equally well. I would go to the Ball canning and freezing book.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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