March 2012 Jen Kempton

Greek Lemon Chicken Pita Sandwiches

Your freezer meal includes: the chicken, ready to just reheat; feta cheese and 8 pita halves. You may want more pitas if your family will want more than one each and we like to also top them with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and Greek Tzatziki (recipe follows). For those of us who watch bread intake or have gluten issues, topping a bed of lettuce with the chicken, tomatoes, cheese and Tzatziki is a super yummy salad!

Lemon Chicken

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c lemon juice
1 grated rind of lemon
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 c oil

Combine all ingredients and marinate overnight (or freeze). Cook in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours. Shred chicken and return to strained juices. Warm and serve in pitas or over a bed of lettuce for salad.

Greek Tzatziki Dip/Sauce

2 c. plain yogurt (use greek because it is thicker)
2 large cucumbers
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Peel, seed and coarsely grate cucumber. Squeeze to drain well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Yummy as a dressing, sauce or veggie dip.

Italian Stuffed Shells

Flora's Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lg jar of spaghetti sauce
  
• 1 tsp of rosemary, oregano, basil (optional) I like to use fresh herbs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups (16 ounces each) 4% cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 24 jumbo shell noodles, cooked and drained

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and fresh spices; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stuff shells with cheese mixture.
• Arrange in a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Pour meat sauce over shells. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Frozen Meal Prep:

Thaw pan of shells. Pour 1 cup of water around the edge. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes (or until pasta is soft)

Country Style BBQ Pork Ribs (March) Lyndi Sutton

This is Lyndi. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing Country Style BBQ Pork Ribs this month for my freezer meal. I don't have time today to post the recipe but I will post it soon. Thank you!!

Wanted: Creamy Pasta Recipe from Last Month

I would love the recipe to the creamy pasta sauce we had last month with bacon and chicken in it!!

I am making Cheddar & Cracker Chicken: Adrianne Orr

Cheddar & Cracker Chicken (Recipe needs to be doubled for 8 Servings)
recipe adapted from Real Simple

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350° F.

In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken as directed above. After coating it in the cracker mixture, place chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and freeze flat in your freezer. When ready to prepare, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake as directed above from frozen until cooked through, possibly 30-35 minutes depending on thickness.

I will be making my Grandma's Meatball's for this months Frezzer meal group. This was one of my favorite dishes that my Grandma Glenys made for me as a child. I hope you enjoy it as much as I and my family do.

Grandma Glenys' Meatballs

2 lbs. Ground Beef
1/2 C. Soda Crackers
2 Eggs Beaten
2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 large Onion Minced (Cut the onion in fourths and put it in a blender with the egg. This will save some time and makes it easier to mix in the ground beef.)

Combine onion and egg mixture with the remaining ingredients in a big bowl and shape meatballs. I like bite size meatballs. They cook faster.

Meatball Sauce
3 T. Worcheshire Sauce
3 T. Vinegar
1/4 C. Sugar
2 C. Ketchup
2 C. Waqter

Mix this all together and pour over meatballs. Place in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve over rice or in meatball subs.

Baked Pork Chops by Darby

8 boneless pork loin chops
1 can tomato soup
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp worcestershire (I like to shake more in)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Brown the pork chops in fry pan. Mix the sauce together and pour over chops in crockpot. Cook 3-5 hours. 5 on low. 3 on high.

We like rice pilaf with this. Saute rice and onion (celery if you have it) in a little bit of butter. Then I add chicken broth instead of just water, a little more liquid than I use for normal rice. Cover and let it simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.