Freezer Crock Pot Meals

I don't use my crock pot as much as I should.  When I do, there is nothing better than coming home after a long day to a meal already cooked!  After a recent freezer and pantry clean out and organization spree, I decided I needed to use up some food we had on hand.  So I began meal planning and came across lots of recipes on Pinterest for freezer crock pot meals.  Basically, you assemble the ingredients for the meal in a freezer bag, and it is ready for your crock pot!

For just about an hour of prep work, I have four meals in the freezer ready to be defrosted and dumped in the crock pot!

Stephanie’s Goulash (Originally found at Mama and Baby Love)

3 cups chopped onions
2.5 cups coarsely chopped green bell peppers, about 2 cups.
4 large beets, peeled and diced, about 2 cups (I left these out of mine)
2 cups of baby carrots or diced carrots.
4 cloves garlic, minced.
2-3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch cubes, or whole and you can cut it after it is cooked.
4, 6-ounce can tomato paste.
2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Divide everything into a gallon freezer bag, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.
Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.  Serve over 4 cups cooked pasta with sour cream.




Sausage and Peppers



6 Italian Sausage (I cut mine into chunks)
2 green peppers, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans italian diced tomatoes
Drizzle of olive oil
1 Tbs Italian seasoning

Put everything into a gallon freezer bag, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. 
Instructions for Bag: Cook on low 8 hours. After cooking, serve over hot pasta or on hollowed out, buttered crusty bread.



Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken (Originally found at Mama and Baby Love)
This recipe was originally for one meal, but it seemed like lots of food to me.  So for mine, I made a few changes to get 2 meals out of it! 



3 medium unpeeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 2 cups.
2 large green pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 2 cups.
1 large red pepper, cut into strips or cubes, about 1 cup.
2 zucchini, chopped, about 2 cups.
2 cups chopped onion.
2 tablespoon flour.
3 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks.
2 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes.
8 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon ground yellow mustard.
4 clove garlic, finely minced, about 2 tablespoons.
2 teaspoon salt
Divide everything into two, one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.
Day of cooking, dump it into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low 6-8 hours, depending on your specific slow cooker.

Oven Fried Chicken

When it comes to healthy versions of good food, I am a skeptic!  There is a reason fattening, buttery, rich foods are good.  I came across a recipe for oven fried chicken in my Cooking Light: Way to Cook book and thought I'd give it a try. I figured it would be good, but I never thought I would actually compare it to fried chicken.  Wow- it is just as good.  I promise.  And you won't believe it, but that is without the skin!!!

Combine 1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used regular milk) a chicken (4 bone-in skinned breasts or whatever pieces you like) in a shallow dish, turning to coat.  Combine 1/3 cup flour with 1/3 cup cracker meal (I used some fried green tomato breading I had in the pantry) in a dish.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour mixture.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter (I know- I thought that wouldn't be enough to be good but it was!) in a large ovenproof skillet (nothing but cast iron for me) over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan, meaty side down; cook about 4 minutes until golden brown.  Turn chicken over; place pan in oven preheated to 425 degrees for about 32 minutes or until 165 degrees.

So crispy- so moist!

My plan for next time: add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before cooking! Yum!

Zucchini Cakes

Wow- these zucchini cakes were so good.  They almost taste like crab cakes, which I love but am allergic to! 

Ingredients

3 cups grated zucchini

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)

1 egg

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I used the Old Bay blackened seasoning because that's what I had.)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. mayonnaise (or you could use plain yogurt)

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. butter

Directions

1.  Place grated zucchini in a colander.  Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 30 minutes to pull the water out.  Press with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.

2.  Put zucchini and all other ingredients (except oil and butter) in bowl and mix.  Form into small patties and chill. 

3.  Heat oil and butter in skillet.  Add patties and cook on both sides until brown.  Drain on paper towels. 

I think you could also bake these instead.  Next time, I'm going to try spraying them with olive oil spray and baking on a baking sheet at 450 until brown! 

Sizzling Tilapia



Now this was a yummy dinner- sizzling tilapia, zucchini cakes and broiled Roma tomatoes! 

Sizzling Tilapia

Ingredients

- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

- 1 tsp. paprika (I use smoked paprika because I'm obsessed with it!)

- 4 (6 oz) fish fillets (flounder, tilapia, grouper, catfish)

- 3/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1/2 cup butter (pretty sure you could use half this much or either half butter, half olive oil)

- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and zest

Directions

1.  Place 1 oven rack right under the broiler and 1 in the middle of oven.  Preheat to 450 degrees. 

2.  Heat butter in a broiler safe 13 x 9 baking dish about 8 minutes, until melted and slightly brown. 

3.  Season fish with salt and pepper and place in butter.  If it has skin, put it in skin side up.  Bake on middle rack for 10 minutes. 

4.  Flip fish over, baste with pan juices, sprinkle with lemon juice, zest, and mixture of cheese and paprika.  Bake 5 more minutes or until flaky.  Remove from oven and set to broil.

5.  Broil fishon top rack for 2-3 minutes or until brown. 

Fried Green Tomato Club Sandwich

How good do these look?  They taste even better!

Start by slicing up some green tomatoes. 

Dip them in some milk and then breading.  I use fried green tomato breading, but you could use a flour and corn meal mixture seasoned with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little cayenne. 

Next, fry them up!

Now, get some good bread. 

Slather on mayo if you like (I don't) and the best part- red pepper relish!

Cook up some bacon...

Now build you a sandwich. 

By the way, if you have some onion, some caramelized onion on top is Fab-u-lous.  I was all out! 

Now take a juicy bite!



My New Weekday Breakfast: Muff-elettes (Muffin Omelettes)

Don't be alarmed by the picture- I used purple muffin cups because that's all I had!

I've really been looking for a low calorie, high protein breakfast that doesn't require cooking in the morning!  Tonight, I thought of a great idea, tried it out, and LOVE it!

These muff-elettes can be customized just like an omelette- you could put anything in them.  I made two varieties. My recipes make just two muffins each (because I was testing) but double or triple it to make several. 

Farmer's Muff-elettes

Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. egg white (I used the stuff in a carton!)
- 1/8 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 turkey sausage patty, cooked and chopped up (I used the pre-cooked kind and just cut it up.)
- 1/3 c. hash brown potatoes (the frozen cubed kind, defrosted)
- salt, pepper, green onions

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour egg white into 2 muffin cups, dividing it between the two.
- Add remaining ingredients, splitting them between the two muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes. 
- Eat now or refridgerate and heat in the microwave for breakfast! 
 (165 calories and grams of protein for 2!)

Fiesta Muff-elettes

Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. egg white (I used the stuff in a carton!)

- 1/8 c. colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 turkey sausage patty, cooked and chopped up (I used the pre-cooked kind and just cut it up.)
- diced onion and pepper (I had a bag of them frozen and just defrosted a couple of spoonfuls in the microwave.)
- 2 tsp. salsa

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour egg white into 2 muffin cups, dividing it between the two.
- Add remaining ingredients, splitting them between the two muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Eat now or refridgerate and heat in the microwave for breakfast!
(135 calories and 13 grams of protein for 2!)

Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. finely chopped celery
- 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
- 3 c. water
- 2 cups, peeled and diced potatoes
- salt and pepper
- 2 chicken boullion cubes
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 1 pint half and half
- 2 tbsp. flour
- chives, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese (optional toppings)

Directions:
Bring to boil vegetables and seasonings in water.  While cooking, mix sour cream, half and half and flour in a bowl.  When potatoes are tender, add sour cream mixture.  Stir and simmer on low heat about 15 minutes.  Serve with optional toppings.