Crab Rangoon Mac-n-Cheese

One of my favorite Mac-n-cheese recipes that we still serve often at my house, even after leaving the Bistro has been this Crab Rangoon version.  I use the cream cheese crab filling that I use for a delicious crab Rangoon appetizers to complement the salty-nutty semi-spicy macaroni.  I haven't really shared the variations "twists" or the exact recipe that was the base for what we used in the Bistro, but they are not using my recipes anymore for the twisted pasta so I'm not breaking any rules by sharing this twist here on the blog. Even then, it still isn't the exact recipe I used at the restaurant, but it is darn close. 
 I shared Twisted Mac and Cheese of the Day Base Recipe earlier.  If you are looking for a perfect macaroni casserole style recipe, here's my family favorite. It freezes beautifully. It works perfectly. Every. Single. Time. Just remember the secrets for success. 

My Tips for success:

•  Slightly undercook the pasta.  I generally only cook it about 7 minutes. It will be a little crunchy, but the sauce is a little loose and the noodles will absorb the extra as they bake. This ensures you have a great texture on the pasta, even though it is baked later. 
• Use subtle spices in the sauce to add depth.  My secret is the mustard, cayanne and a hint of nutmeg. Don't use too much nutmeg or it will taste like pudding. You want it to be subtle, yet enough of a nuance that people beg you for your secret ingredient. I use fresh grated, about 1/16 of a tsp. Just a hint. 
• Watch the heat when you add the cheese to your sauce. I take my white sauce off the stove, let it cool about 5 minutes, and then add the real cheese. Real cheese in creamy sauces will tend to get a "grainy" texture if it is heated too high, so this step keeps it creamy-luscious.

Chef Tess Make-Ahead Mac-n-cheese
yield: 8 1 cup servings

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked about 7 minutes (slightly undercooked)
1/2 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
8 cups milk
1T dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Directions: 

• In a gallon sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and saute about 3 minutes until tender, but not burned. Add the flour and stir well with a whisk, about 4 minutes.  Add the milk and remaining ingredients gradually, while whisking and bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer about 10 minutes.  Be sure to stir every 2-3 minutes so the milk doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.  
• Remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to cool about 5 minutes then stir in the shredded cheese.Smooth perfect cheese sauce can't be done if you cook the cheese on the stove, it will get a grainy texture if the cheese gets too hot...and you want it to be creamy smooth right?
• In a large 9inch by 13 inch deep casserole pan, lightly grease the pan. Pour the cooked, drained pasta into the pan and season well with salt and pepper.  Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and stir to combine.  
• Top with breadcrumbs or twisted variation of your choice (see twisted ideas above). Usually just a drizzle of savory sauce and a different crumble of bacon or cheese on top will kick it to the next level of awesome!  I have so many more flavor variations to make it is sometimes scary how my brain works!

To Bake Immediately:
Bake the casserole at 400 degrees until sauce is bubbling and the topping of choice is crisp, about 20-25 minutes. 

To save for later: Cover casserole with foil and place in the fridge. May be kept up to 5 days. Ready to heat and eat. Bake, covered with foil, 400 degrees 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and allow to bake 10 minutes more, until topping is crisp. 

To make into a freezer meal:  Cover with foil, label and date and transfer to the freezer. 
To prepare: Thaw the casserole in the fridge for 24 hours and follow the directions for the refrigerator version. OR bake from frozen, covered with foil 1 hour 20 minutes. I recommend thawing first. It just gives your sauce a really great texture.  

 Crab Rangoon Version

Combine:
8 oz chopped crab (fresh or a combination of imitation and real)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Fold the rangoon mixture into the macaroni casserole before baking.

At service, top with fried wonton wrappers or  fried won-ton salad strips.

There you go! Make some twisted mac-n-cheese tonight.  There will definitely be more versions to follow on the blog soon!


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Enchilada Tortilla Skillet Casserole

Hey Wednesday is a good day to post a quick middle of the week meal. I for one am running around like a super geek. I think if I really wanted to, I could pull off wearing the Super Geek tights and cape (in a lovely lilac color) complete...with foil wrist bands and jalapenos dangling from my ear lobes. I will also require some highly reflective lime green go-go boots, kiwi scented hair gel and a bean burrito sized belt buckle full of super geek gadgets. That just seems to be a super geek necessity. Tell me I get a communicator badge like captain Kirk. Seriously...I'd roll from one galactic tragedy to another in my Super Geek suit. No, I would not be causing the tragedy. Yikes. Perhaps we could fashion some rudimentary cardboard wings and duct tape them to the magic mini van. It's a bird. It's a plane. Oh dear Land...it's Super Geek. Save yourselves!

I digress.

Hopefully this gives you some ammo in the kitchen as you get ready to face the last few days of the work week. We love it around here. It's a casserole that doesn't require turning on the oven. Now isn't that nice? Take it from a Super Geek...



Enchilada Tortilla Skillet Casserole
1 poblano* pepper, (or bell pepper works too.)
1 onion, chopped
1 lb hamburger, very lean (or well seasoned ground turkey or chicken)
2 tbsp Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 can organic(15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups organic thick and chunky salsa, (roasted variety has more flavor)
4 cups broken baked organic tortilla chips
1 cup (4 oz) organic shredded cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese blend (for a lower fat version, try using only a 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar!)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)
Taco toppings like: fat free Sour cream, chopped avocados, fresh tomatoes and black olives (optional--but a must have around my house!)

1. Remove stem and seeds from poblano pepper, chop. Combine hamburger, onion, peppers and seasoning mix in a large skillet (12 inch or larger with a lid). Cook over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until peppers are soft and meat is no longer pink.

2. Drain and rinse black beans.

3. Stir beans and salsa into hamburger mixture. Gently stir in tortilla chips. Grate cheese over casserole. Cover 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted everything is hot. If desired, snip cilantro; sprinkle over casserole.
Yield: 6 servings

*Poblano peppers are dark green chilies with a rich flavor that varies from mild to slightly spicy. Poblanos are about 2 1/2 in. wide and 4-5 in. long, forming a triangular shape.

For a freezer meal: Put in a freezer safe casserole dish. Combine all ingredients according to recipe until you get to the last cooking time. Don't cook. Cover, label, and freeze. To cook, heat in microwave 15-20 minutes from frozen or 5-7 minutes if defrosted.

For solar oven/conventional oven baking: Bake 1 hour from frozen, or 30 minutes if defrosted. Allow an extra 15 minutes of baking for every time you open a solar oven.

This dinner is excellent served with a Mexican brown rice or a fresh spinach salad with roasted corn kernels, tomatoes, or fresh pineapple chunks and a lime olive oil dressing. Not sure how to make salad dressing? Check out the 4 Basic Pasta Salads and One dressing for some great ideas.

Creamy Ham and Chicken Lasagna (freezer Meal Friday)

I recently had a freezer meal cooking session with my friend Kathy. We've know each other since high school, so going to cook at her house was like a big girlie party. Her adorable daughter pushed a stool up the the counter, strapped on her apron and dawned a chef hat. She was so excited to make this lasagna with me. How can I resist that? How can anyone? She also had a little kitten the size of a baseball who kept trying to climb into my chef bag. If the little girl wasn't adorable enough...add a fluffy kitten to the mix and I was melted butter. Aweeee. That's so cute.

Chicken and Ham Lasagna


¾ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
¼ cup butter
½ cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 can chicken broth (or homemade)
1 lb frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained--well chopped
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper ( I always use Chef Tess All purpose Seasoning )
Dash of nutmeg
12 oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups cubed cooked chicken


In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, and green pepper in the butter until tender. Stir in the flour until blended. Gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the broccoli, salt pepper and nutmeg.

Spread 2 cups of the broccoli mixture in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch by 2 inch casserole dish. Top with 4 noodles. Overlapping if needed. Layer with 2 cups broccoli mixture, 1 ½ cup ham, 2/3 cup Swiss cheese, ,four noodles. 2 cups broccoli mixture, chicken, 2/3 cup Swiss cheese four noodles and remaining broccoli mixture, Swiss cheese and ham.

Cover tightly with foil and freeze.

To serve:

Defrost in the fridge 24 hours. Place defrosted lasagna in the oven and bake 350 degrees 45 minutes, covered with foil. Remove from oven. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Yield 12 servings. May divide into loaf pan size casseroles for smaller families.

There you go. Make some lasagna. If you can get a cute little girl to stand on a stool and spread out the cheese...even better.

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie for the Freezer

Oh I love Friday! You know that means a freezer meal recipe here on my blog. What's not to love about saving time and money? At any rate, if this is your first time joining us on Freezer meal Friday, I have to say hello. This recipe will add to our ever growing frozen casserole section. It's a good one to do if you are planning a Freezer Meal Baby Shower, or just a regular make ahead meal for your family. It's been a couple of weeks since I posted a freezer meal due to some fun out of town cooking classes I taught. Welcome back freezer meal enthusiasts! Hooray!

This is one of those down home classic dinners that we enjoy here. Mind you, my husband, Ace is vegetarian most of the time so we use the Meatless Wonders in our pot pie most often. However, it can also be made with real chicken if you aren't opposed to some yard bird now and then. Using a roasted chicken will add an extra depth of smoky goodness to your finished pot pie. You can use a variety of veggies, but I tend to stay clear of potatoes in my pot pie, only because the crust is already starchy and we use a lot of veggies. Asparagus is one of my all time favorite veggies in homemade pot pie. Use it in place of green beans or broccoli if desired. You'll find what you like best in your family.

CHEESY CHICKEN POT PIE
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie crust
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves pressed garlic

1 carrot, chopped
1 head fresh broccoli, chopped or 1 1/2 cup chopped green beans
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked & chopped (or 3 cups cubed vegetarian Meatless Wonders)
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup (or Homemade cream of condensed soup replacement )
2/3 c milk
1 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (or 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion in 1T olive oil until tender add the pressed garlic and cook a 2-3 minutes more. In the meantime, steam carrots and broccoli in a covered pot for 3 minutes, until slightly tender but still firm (you can avoid this whole step if you use frozen veggies). In a large bowl, mix together onion, carrots, broccoli, chicken, soup, milk, cheese and seasoning. Spoon mixture into pastry-lined 8 inch pie pan and cover with top crust. Seal edges. I tend to make the crust gather just inside the pan instead of up on the edge. This allows me to stack the frozen pies with less crust edges cracking. Do what you want. I just like it that way. Next, cut small steam vents in top. Place in freezer and freeze solid, uncovered, about 1 hour. Place frozen pie in a gallon size freezer bag and label with cooking directions:
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until golden brown. Excellent baked in a solar oven.



There you go. Make some pot pie.

Green Chile Bacon Baked Macaroni with Significant Cheese

I bet a lot of you never thought you'd see the day when I made macaroni on my blog. I'm supposed to all "gourmet" and junk. La-teee-dah. Well, I wouldn't be an all American Gal if I didn't somewhere on my blog and in my freezer meal collection actually have some form of macaroni and cheese? Am I right? Yankee-doodle-doo! It's Freezer Friday and I am actually a little under the weather today. I want something comforting. Oh and, my ding-a-dang kiddos wanted macaroni and I just so happened to have this little frozen casserole pop in my freezer. Problem...most of my freezer meals call for "defrosting 24 hours"...well what do I do when that is the case? Pop. I just pop it out of the foil container and into my trusty stoneware microwave safe thingy-ma-Bob.

Hello Bob. See the ice in it's hair? Looks like New York City right now with all those blizzards. Yikes. Or a dramatic movie poster for Titanic...with Leonardo DiCaprio about to plunge into the icy depths of the Atlantic much to the sorrowful stunning red head holding his frozen fingers. I bet she wished she could've just "Popped this bad boy in the microwave on defrost for 10 minutes..." I'm just saying...

Then follow the directions for baking.

But wait, I guess I should give you the recipe for the luscious saucy macaroni with significant cheese and chunks of bacon nestled between tender noodles and caressed with roasted green chile, all topped with a light crunchy tortilla topping. Note to self...this may not fit into my normal "light and healthy" mold. My humble apologies well in advance. For the rest of you who sometimes delve into a hearty macaroni casserole...giving you the recipe now would be good, because then I can bake it. See it's still frozen a bit. I break it up once it's defrosted so it reaches the sides of the new pan.

Recipe. Here we go.

Tess'Chile Bacon Baked Macaroni with Significant Cheese
1lb elbow macaroni, cooked 7 minutes (yes, that's way undercooked...but you'll be glad)

1/2 medium onion

1 clove fresh pressed garlic

4 oz. bacon, uncooked, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Pampered Chef chipotle chile rub (or 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder, 1 tsp dry cilantro)

1/4 tsp cumin

6 T all purpose flour

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 cups milk

8 oz. shredded jack cheese

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 small can roasted diced green chile

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (restaurant style works best)

Directions:

In a large one gallon pot, saute the onion in with the bacon until both are cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for one or two minutes. There should be bacon fat in the pan. Add the flour and stir and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Add the seasoning, chicken stock, and milk. Stir well and simmer about 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. Do not add the cheese yet!! Cooking cheese in the sauce will make the cheese sauce really grainy. You want it to be creamy and smooth. Right?

Remove sauce pan from the heat. Mix in the noodles, jack cheese and green chile. Taste it and add salt or pepper if needed. Yea, I know...the cheese will not be melted all the way, but when you bake it, it will melt. I swear.
Now, this makes 2 casseroles that serve 6 each. If you have a smaller family it can easily make 4 loaf size macaroni and cheese dinners. YES! 4 dinners! If you have teenage boys, one 12 serving casserole should do...for the next hour or so. Better double the recipe. I spread out the noodle mixture between the two casseroles and then divide the shredded sharp cheddar over the top then sprinkle with a little more chipotle rub or seasoning of choice.

At this point you can bake one for dinner tonight and freeze the second...or just freeze the whole wad. Whatever you want. I top mine with crushed tortilla chips. They get soggy in the freezer but will re-crisp when baked. To freeze, cover tightly with foil. Cool in the fridge and then freeze up to 2 months.

To serve: Defrost 24 hours (or ya-da-ya-da what we talked about at the beginning of this post).

Bake covered 375 degrees 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 10-15 more minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.

12 serving pan: Once defrosted, bake 400 degrees, covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes more.

loaf size pan: Once defrosted, bake covered 375 degrees 25 minutes, uncover and bake 10 minutes more.

Now I will slip into my beet-nick poetry reading:

What of the chile mac? (with reverence)

Silence...silence.

What of the chile mac?
Silence.

Silence evermore.

Swoon dramatically. Collapse.

There you go.

Kim's Spaghetti Pie

The first freezer meal seminar I ever attended was given at my church and the instructor was a gal named Kim Rapier. Kim is a mom. She doesn't claim to be a cook, and yet, she was teaching the class. Several years later, I can honestly say that that class was a huge turning point for me in freezer meal preparation. Kim made the idea of cooking in advance a very easy process. Don't ask me why I had never, until that day, conscidered doing freezer meals. I'm maybe not as smart as I pretend to be...but don't tell anyone. Thanks to Kim I in turn was able to make a freezer full of meals when my second son was born...and didn't panic. So, thank you Kim. I love you. Really. Not just because of the freezer meals, but it was a much needed lesson. This is Kim's recipe for a casserole called Spaghetti Pie. She gave it out at that pivotal class, and my family has enjoyed it quite often. I'd never heard of it before that day and when I tried it, I was pleased with the result.
It's made with "regular food" that most everyone has. Middle of the road. Not at all gourmet, but still, very comforting home cooking. Most people eat that way, am I right?

Kim's Spaghetti Pie

6 oz dry spaghetti noodles
2 T butter (melted)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp all purpose Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb ground beef (we use garbanzo beans or veggie meat)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cottage cheese (I use ricotta)
1/2 cup cheese of your choice, shredded

Directions: Cook spaghetti noodles as directed on package (I slightly undercooked them by 2 minutes). Drain. Rinse until cooled. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese and eggs into the cooked noodles along with the Italian seasoning and a dash of salt and pepper.

Butter a 9 inch pie plate (non aluminum if you have one). In a skillet cook ground beef, onions and garlic until meat is cooked through. Meat is optional by the way. I don't use it, but my husband has been know to eat a hamburger now and then. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and any other Italian herbs you desire. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove sauce from the heat. Place the noodle mixture in the bottom of the pie pan and press up the sides of the pie plate as you would a pie crust. Leave a crevasse in the middle. Spread the cottage cheese or ricotta cheese of your choice over the noodle mixture.

Top with tomato and meat mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over all.

Cover and freeze. I like to cover mine with plastic and then foil so that the foil doesn't have any chance of coming in contact with the tomato sauce. Just as a general rule, you don't want foil and acid to touch. It's like the wicked witch of the West and water...don't do it. "Oh my beautiful hideousness"...yeah. Nasty stuff.

When ready to bake, defrost 24 hours in the fridge or microwave. Bake covered for 25 minutes 35o degrees. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is lightly browned.

There you go.

Homemade Frozen Lasagna

Cussing Granny gave me the flu. What a turd. I have to say that the only good thing about being sick is that I have a legitimate reason to use freezer meals. Well, I guess "Tuesday" is a good enough reason, but being sick is even better. I remember having an unexpected visit to the emergency room and 3 days later coming home and crying like a big goof-ball. Not for any other reason than the fact that my freezer was full of dinners I had made and I knew my family would be able to eat well while I was down and out recovering from surgery. It was such an amazing feeling. So today let's start with one of my basics, but I think it has great results. Lasagna.
This recipe makes 16 servings, so feel free to make 2 casseroles or 4, depending on the size of your family. When I use a 8inch by 8 inch pan for our family of four, we end up with layers, like this...

What's not to love. Plus when I make the smaller casseroles, there isn't a ton of leftovers for the next day or two that provoke the "hey let's not have lasagna for six weeks" comment. You know the one? This recipe I have tweaked quite a few times to find just what I liked, nice tender pasta that is still a little firm with just a great amount of sauce and meat (or veggies) to hold the layers apart and still keep it's shape. I hope you enjoy it.

Sauce:

2T olive oil

2medium onion, chopped

2 stocks celery, sliced thin

2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup minced garlic

2 lb lean turkey Italian Sausage (out of casing...or vegetarian substitute like TVP or crumbles)

4 quarts (16 cups) tomato puree (I use home canned organic tomatoes, but store stuff is okay)
1T fennel seed,1T dry rosemary, 1T dry oregano

1 1/2 T crushed red pepper
Directions: put the oil in a large dutch oven on the stove. Saute the vegetables and the meat until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

Add tomato puree. I used 4 quarts of my home canned tomatoes, but you can totally use the store cans. It take 4-28 0z cans of tomato puree, or if you like a chunky sauce, use two 28 oz can of tomato puree and 2-28 oz cans of diced tomatoes.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes. While the sauce cooks, I gather the rest of the ingredients.

Sauce may seem a little thin, but keep in mind that I don't cook my noodles first, so there needs to be a little extra liquid for the noodles to cook properly.

Cheese filling:

2lbs ricotta cheese (low fat is okay, but has less flavor when baked so add more spices--vegan? I have used medium tofu in place of ricotta with pretty awesome results)

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil, or 2T dry basil
2 eggs

salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon each)
Combine well:

Noodles:

24 oven ready lasagna noodles (dry)

2 lbs mozzarella cheese, part skim is okay

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Decide the size casserole you will make:
8 inch by 8 inch yields 4 casseroles

9 by 13 inch yields 2 casseroles

16 by 11 inch yields 1 casserole

Be sure to use NON aluminum pans, as they will have a reaction to the tomato products. Just as a general rule, tomato products should not be stored in aluminum.

To assemble:

8 inch use 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 3 dry noodles, 1/3 cup cheese filling per noodle.
9 by 13 use 1 cup sauce, 4 dry noodles and 1/2 cup cheese filling per noodle.
16 by 11 use: 2 cups sauce, 8 dry noodles, and 3/4 cup cheese filling per noodle.

Spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of your pan, avoiding large chunks of meat, lay noodles down across the bottom of the pan on top of the tomato sauce.

Spread the cheese filling over the noodle...I use my hands.

Top the cheese layer with some tomato sauce

8 inch pan: 3/4 cup tomato sauce

9 inch: 1 cup tomato sauce

11 inch: 2 cups tomato sauce Then top with cheese, about 1/2 cup for the 8 inch size, 1 cup for the 9 inch size and 2 cups for the 11 inch size.
Top with the same number of dry noodles as you used for your first layer and repeat the cheese, then tomato sauce, then cheese.

For the third layer, top with noodles and then the remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. You know, I say three layers, but really it just depends on how big the pan is. I always end up with more layers on the smaller pans than the large ones. Especially if I use a loaf pan instead of an 8 by 8 inch casserole. So...you know. 5 layers or so for the small pans.

Cover with plastic wrap and then foil, as we don't want any tomato to come in contact with foil.

Label clearly with cooking directions:

Defrost in fridge 24 hours, or microwave defrost. This is the best way to cook frozen lasagna. By far. I've tried straight from the freezer to the oven and I don't like how uneven it cooks, even with the store purchased lasagna. I'm weird that way. I'm okay with that.

To Serve:Adjust oven rack to middle of the oven. Remove foil, remove plastic. Spray side of foil that comes in contact with cheese with a non-stick coating of your choice. Replace foil tightly sealing edges. Place on oven rack ( Usually put it on a sheet pan on the oven rack).

Bake times 400 degrees:

8 inch: 25-30 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until hot throughout and the cheese is browned in spots. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

9 inch by 11: 30-40 minutes, remove foil and bake additional 25-30 minutes until hot throughout and the cheese is browned in spots. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

11 by 16 inch: 40-45 minutes, remove foil and bake additional 30-35 minutes until hot throughout and cheese is browned in spots. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

One more thing. If you measure the inside of your crock pot and can find a plastic container that fits it and goes about 4 inches up the sides, you can put all these layers of cheese, sauce and noodles in the container and freeze it. When you want lasagna, you simply invert the container under hot running water until the lasagna cube comes out. Place it in your crock pot on low 6-8 hours OR on high 4-5 hours.

There you go. Make frozen lasagna.

Taco Shells and Italian Shells

What is it about stuffed shells that make my kids go nuts. They aren't rocket science to make. They are in fact one of the simple dishes on my list of things to make. I love them as a freezer meal. My recent production of Italian shells ended on a very good note. Face asked if we had leftovers he could take to school for show and tell. What?! Do you know any kids on earth who WANT to take leftovers for show and tell?! Oh he is MY son. So...no there wasn't any left overs, but I did have a picture since I "show and tell" all the time on the blog. This one is for little Face. Now go get Mrs. Shasta and have her come look at the computer. Tee hee.

For everyone else who may want to make these I have to admit this picture doesn't go with this first recipe. These are Italian. I will of course tell you how to make the Italian version as well.

This first recipe is a great way to use up some taco meat for a freezer dinner. Freezer meals rock! If your a vegetarian you may substitute tvp for beef or chopped mushrooms.

Mexican Sea shells

Taco filled Pasta shells (yield 2 casseroles, 6 servings each!)

2 pounds lean ground beef (or vegetarian equivalent)
2 envelopes taco seasoning (or 4T Steph's taco seasoning. I make my own)
1 package 8 oz low fat cream cheese
zest of 2 limes
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells (under cook by 2 minutes for freezer meals so they don't get soggy)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Additional ingredients for each casserole:
1 cup each, salsa and taco sauce (I love greeen salsa!--or homemade from my tomatoes)
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips (can use baked)
3 green onions, chopped

In an deep skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink and drain. Add taco seasoning. Add Cream cheese and lime zest and stir until melted. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge 1 hour.
Cook the pasta according to package directions but lower cooking time by 2 minutes. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 T meat mixture. Place 12 shells in a non-aluminum freezer container You are making 2 casseroles. Repeat and put the remaining 12 in another casserole. Spoon half of salsa over one casserole and half over the other, repeat with the taco sauce. Do the same with the cheeses, tortilla chips (you may keep the tortilla chips separate if you want a crunchy topping and put them on just before you bake it) and onions. Freeze covered with plastic then foil, up to 3 months. To prepare. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Bake 350 degrees 35-40 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered. top with sour cream at service. It is possible to make one casserole now and one for the freezer! Just bake one and put one in the freezer for later!

To bake in a solar oven, uncovered bake 1 1/2 hours full sun if defrosted, 3-4 hours from frozen.

For Italian...

Filling:Use 4T Italian seasoning (or just use lean turkey sausage instead of beef)

omit the lime zest, though I love orange or lemon zest in my Italian shells.

add 2T minced garlic and 1 onion, chopped to the Italian version.

For Italian sauce:

Use 2 cups Homemade Spaghetti sauce with mushrooms

2 cups mozzarella

omit tortilla chips and green onion.

There you go! Two great freezer meal ideas.

Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole

What is it about Broccoli that pairs so well with cheese? Is it the perfect balance of contrasting color on the color wheel that any artist has seen? Is it the slightly sweet rustic flavor of the broccoli paired with the salty cheese? Is it the age old need to smother something healthy in fat? Mmmmm fat. I'm not sure. This however is one of my family favorites for dinner tonight and for putting a couple of casseroles in the freezer for later.

Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole
1 small onion, chopped
10 oz packages frozen broccoli
1T butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1tsp dill, 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp curry powder.
cracked black pepper and all purpose seasoning to taste.
-----------------------------------------------------------
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 cups rice, cooked with 6 cups of chicken broth and set aside to make casserole.

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, suate the onion in butter for 3-5 minutes until clear. Add flour. Whisk in the milk. Add seasoning. Stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Once cheese is melted, add the broccoli.

Scoop over the rice.
Serve some now, or divide rice and broccoli topping between 3 8 inch foil pans. Put in fridge and chill. Getting the food cold quickly will keep food borne illnesses from growing in your casserole. Yikes. THEN Cover tightly with foil. Label clearly with the following directions:
Defrost 24 hours in the fridge and bake 350 degrees 25-30 minutes. If cooking from frozen, bake 350 degrees 45 minutes to one hour. You may top with extra cheese if desired.
Enjoy!

Note: if you don't want to make the sauce from scratch, you may use one large jar of Ragu double cheese sauce instead, just be sure to season well.