Chicen Cordon Blue directions and notes

1. Take off plastic wrap before baking, cover again with foil
2. bake at 350 for 20 minutes with foil on.
3. foil off and bake for another 10 minutes
4. put buttered breadcrumbs or another type of crunchy topping on top.
5. the chicken is cooked completley so really all you need to do is warm up./
6. serve with pasta or rice.

December exchange

Date: Sunday, Dec, 5

Time: 10:30 am (near the stairwell)

Anna - Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Kristi - Chicken Delicious (chicken and wild rice bake)
Carey - Blueberry French Toast bake
Andrea - Hot Beef Sandwiches
Chelsey - Rhubarb Pork Chop Bake (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rhubarb-Pork-Chop-Bake/Detail.aspx)
Robin N - black bean chili

November Meal Exchange

Sunday, November 14

10:30 am at Armatage

Anna - Tortilla Soup (way different than salsa chili ;-))
Kristi - Chicken Salsa Chili
Carey - Green chili enchiladas
Andrea - Meatloaf
Chelsey - Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup

Starting again?

Hello! wondering if anyone is wanting to start up again. This cold weather has me in the mood for chilis and hot dishes! I'm in, if others are. :)Kristi

Who made the Salisbury Meatballs? Recipe?

Hey Ladies,

A few months back (maybe many months back) someone made Salisbury Meatballs with egg noodles... I've been in the mood to make that again (even in the summer!)

I can't remember who made them - whoever you are, could you please post the recipe?

Thanks,

Chelsey

Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with Quinoa and Mango Salsa

DEFROST FIRST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Cook Quinoa
• This takes 15 minutes to cook and is similar to rice. 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, put on a lid and turn heat down to low for 15 minutes.
• While Quinoa is cooking, sear chicken breasts.
• Get a pan (preferably one you can put in the oven) as hot as you are comfortable with using a bit of EVOO.
• Cook chick breast for 2 min each side.
• Place in oven to continue cooking.
• These are split breasts so they should cook quickly.
• Quinoa and chicken should be done about the exact same time.
• Serve the mango salsa (REFRIGERATED) on top of the quinoa and the chicken.

May Exchange and Menu

Date: Monday, May 17

Time: 8:15 pm
Place: Ministry Center

**reminder: email your instructions to Carey**

1. Andrea - Chicken Stir-Fry
2. Anna - Spicy Cuban Mojo Chicken with quinoa and mango salsa
3. Heidi -
4. Carey – pork tenderloin (only if she can drop off early)
5. Chelsey - Rosemary Mustard Marinated pork chops (or maybe chicken in the same marinade... haven't decided yet.)
6. Janell -
7. Jenni - Hawaiian Chicken
8. Kelly - breakfast burritos
9. Kristi - A&W chili dogs

Chicken Salsa Chili

Hello--my instructions didn't get the Carey.

Chicken Salsa Chili Instructions:
1. Thaw meal (at least partially).
2. Heat chili on stovetop or microwave.
3. Stir in 2 cubes of cilantro/lime juice.
4. Top with cheese and chips.

This is Jenni and I am so sorry but my husband unplugged our basement freezer without looking or knowing there was something in the freezer and the Hawaiin Chicken that was in the freezer is ruined, so I will not have anything to exchange tonight!

I will try again in May. Once again I can't tell you how sorry I am!

Kalbi marinated flank steak with steamed vegetables and sticky rice - Anna

FOR GRILL (defrost entirely)
Kalbi marinated flank steak with steamed vegetables and sticky rice

1. Start Grill
2. Begin making rice (Thai jasmine rice)
1. 2 cups rice
2. 3 cups water
3. Bring water and rice to a boil over high heat
4. Reduce heat to low, cover pan tightly and simmer for 18 – 20 minutes
5. Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, fluff with work and serve
3. Place Asian mixed vegetables in a foil packet
1. Example here: http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com/grilled-vegetable.html
2. Put on grill as soon as you are able so they have ample time to cook
3. Vegetables have ginger, garlic, sweet chili sauce and sesame oil. You may add more of whatever you like to your preference.
4. Grilled flank steak
1. When the grill is hot, add meat and cook 5 minutes on each side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes on each side for medium well. (I think flank steak is best at medium rare.)
2. To serve, let meat rest 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Tent foil over meat.
3. Thinly slice the meat on a heavy angle against the grain (the lines in the meat).
5. IF you are comfortable (I know many are not) you can make a kickin’ sauce out of the kalbi marinade.
1. Put marinade in small sauce pan and bring to a low boil.
2. Pour over vegetables, rice, steak

April Exchange and Menu

Date: April 13
Time: 6:45 pm (just prior to City Moms)
Place: Ministry Center

**reminder: email your instructions to Carey**

1. Andrea -
2. Anna - kalbi marinated flank steak for grill, vegetables packets for grill, sticky rice.
3. Anneke -
4. Carey –tequilla-lime chicken with some side (still making up my mind but it will be a veggie or slaw.)
5. Chelsey - sweet and garlicy pork with thai peanut sauce (sauce optional)
6. Jamie - Sloppy Joes
7. Jenni - Hawaiin Chicken w/rice
8. Kelly -
9. Kristi - Chicken Salsa Chili

March exchange

Date: March 9
Time: 6:45 pm (just prior to City Moms)
Place: Ministry Center

**reminder: email your instructions to Carey**

1. Anna - Garlic naan and shrimp curry (from page 158 of F, F, F)
2. Andrea - Cranberry Chicken
3. Kelly - Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs (page 56 of F, F, F)
4. Kristi - Mostacolli Bake
5. Anneke
6. Jamie - Beef Pita Tacos
7. Jenni
8. Carey - calzones

Chelsey Taking March Off

Hey ladies,

Never thought the month would come that I'd need to take a break, but between work and vacation, I'm going to be nuts over the next few weeks, and think I need to sit March out.

I'll be back in April and on my A game!

Chelsey

Busy Moms - I am not going to be able to participate this month. Our family has had a busy week and sickness and I just haven't and will not have the time to make my meal this month (brocolli cheese soup). I am sorry for the short notice and promise I will be back next month.

Chili Pie

Please note: you will need 1/2c. milk, 2Tbsp vegetable oil and 1 egg white to make this meal.

Instructions:
1. Thaw meal.
2. Layer chili in bottom of casserole dish or 7x7 baking dish.
3. Combine dry cornbread ingredients with the following and spread on top of chili
a. ½ cup milk
b. 2 Tbsp oil
c. 1 egg white, beaten
d. Stir in ½ cup cheddar cheese
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until heated through and cornbread is golden.
5. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients: sweet Italian sausage, kidney beans, salsa
Link to recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chili-pie-10000000610475/index.html

Jenni - I'm making broccoli cheese soup.

February Exchange

Date: Tuesday, February 9th
Time: 6:45 pm (just prior to City Moms)
Place: Ministry Center

***reminder - email your instructions to Carey!***

1. Anna B - chicken ravioli and red sauce
2. Chelsey B - Ground Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas
3. Kristi G - Chicken and Black Bean wraps and Chili Pie
4. Anneke R. - Chicken Satay w/ peanut dipping sauce.
5. Jamie L - Hawaiian Chicken
6. Carey C -

January Exchange

Date: Tuesday, Jan 12
Time: 6:45 pm (just prior to City Moms)
Place: Ministry Center

***reminder - email your instructions to Carey!***

1. Anna B - Chicken-Broccoli Bake
2. Andrea S - Teriyaki Chicken Thighs w/rice
3. Kelly S - Breakfast Burritos
4. Chelsey B - Easter in January - Apple Cider Ham and Cheesy Potatoes
5. Kristi G - Chicken Delicious
6. Anneke R. - Red Beans and Rice
7. Jamie L - Vegetarian Chimichangas
8. Jenni A - Corn Bread Casserole
9. Carey C - Spicy Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups

Quiche (Anna) - Bake from Frozen!

BAKE FROM FROZEN!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place quiche on a cookie sheet
3. Remove foil and put lightly place part of the foil around the edge of the crust to protect if from burning
4. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes (or until filling is set and crust is golden brown). Directions say 60 minutes, but I baked mine almost 90 and broiled for a few minutes at the end as well.

December exchange and menu

1. Anna B - Quiche
2. Andrea S -
3. Kelly S -
4. Chelsey B - Apricot Chicken Cheddar Melts
5. Kristi G - Shepherd's Pie
6. Anneke R. - Chicken Gyros
7. Jamie L - Chili
8. Jenni A - Spaghetti Pie
9. Carey C - Mini Stuffed Meatloaves with Glazed Carrots

Date: Monday Dec 14
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: MC

November menu

Date: Nov 16
Time: 8:15
Place: MC

1. Anna - green chili enchiladas
2. Andrea - penne pasta with meatballs
3. Kelly -
4. Chelsey - philly cheese steak
5. Kristi - bacon cheeseburgers and fries
6. Anneke - beef stew and bread

November exchange

Date: November 16, 2009
Time: 8:15
Place: MC

Question: has everyone already made their meals? Let's have a quick discussion by email about whether or not we should continue with so few people. Does it make sense to take a break for a couple months and do some heavy recruiting and then start again in January?

Side note: This months exchange totally snuck up on me. I'm having surgery tomorrow and will be out of commission for a week so I will not be able to participate this month. I could, potentially, make a meal the following weekend and get it all to you then.

Chicken Pot Pie - Anna

Instructions:
1. Put pot pie filling in fridge night before you plan on eating
2. Put bread dough in fridge the morning you plan on eating.
3. When you are ready to eat……
4. heat oven to 350
5. Split bread roughly in half and roll out the larger of the two halves using a rolling pin.
6. place rolled out bread dough into a pie tin coated with PAM spray (or butter)
7. Bake for 5 – 10 minutes
8. Empty contents of bag into pre-baked crust
9. Place 2nd half of bread dough (rolled out) on top and using a tongs of a fork, pinch sides together.
10. poke holes in top
11. brush top with olive oil
12. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until top is golden brown
13. let sit for 5 minutes before cutting in

October Exchange

Date: Oct 19
Time: 8:15
Place: MC

1. Anna - Chicken Pot Pie
2. Andrea -
3. Kelly -
4. Chelsey - Poppy Seed Chicken
5. Kristi - Cafe Latte Chicken Salsa Chili
6. Jennifer - I am in -beefy cheese enchiladas - note change!!
7. Anneke -

Lasagna--Kristi

Sorry--I didn't include written instructions this time.

Thaw the lasagna at least 24 hours. (Some people can bake from frozen, but I've never had much luck.)

Be sure to remove the cling wrap under the foil.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Let set for 5-10 minutes, cut and serve.

Calzones - Anna

Thawing dough (from the Rhodes Dough package): Let dough thaw (covered with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray to keep it from sticking to dough) for 2 to 4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Actual time depends on the temperature of your kitchen. Remove from fridge 20 – 30 minutes before you are ready to share dough. Carefully remove the plastic wrap.
1. Preheat oven to 400. If you use a baking stone, put baking stone in while oven is preheating.
2. Split dough in half (to make two calzones)
3. Sprinkle counter with flour
4. Roll out half the dough into about a 10 inch circle (this shouldn’t be too thin or it will fall apart when you transfer to the cooking sheet)
5. Put half the calzone mixture into half the dough, leaving about a inch around the sides
6. Moisten side with water and using the tongs of a fork, make your calzone
7. VERY important to cut three slits on the top of your calzone. If you don’t the insides will be soggy
8. Put cooking oil or cooking spray on the baking stone or cooking sheet. You may also want to put some olive oil on top.
9. Make the 2nd calzone.
10. Transfer calzone to cooking sheet and put into the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Take out of oven and let sit for five minute before cutting into it.
12. Dipping sauce included.

Sept Exchange

Small this month! How does this work for everyone?
When: Mon, Sept 14
Time: 8:15 pm
Where: MC

Let's do some recruiting so we can try to get to 8 - 10 for October!

In
1. Anna - calzones
2. Andrea - mini burgers
3. Kelly - salisbury meatballs
4. Chelsey - Rosemary Mustard Marinated Pork Chops
5. Kristi - lasagna

Out
1. Amanda
2. Jen Sp.
3. Jennifer S.

Sept exchange

Who's in? Who's out? Who might want to join? When are we meeting next?

Jen - can you take administrative responsibilities for this since I am way over my head right now? Thanks so much! - Anna

"Baked" Mostacolli

The above title is linked to the webpage with the recipe.

Ingredients: picollini mini penne noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef and italian sausage. Mozzarella cheese separately. (I did not include mushrooms)

To serve: Thaw for 1 day, put into casserole dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Microwave for 5-10 minutes.

May exchange

Monday, May 4, 2009
8:15 pm
Ministry Center

This is our last exchange before summer!

Renee is taking the month off, so we're at 8 meals:

1. Amanda -
2. Andrea - Tex-mex chicken fingers & veggies
3. Anna - chicken and stuffing extravaganza (I just made that up)
4. Chelsey - Wild Rice and Cheddar Burgers
5. Jen Scott -Teryaki Flank Steak (for the grill) and mushroom risotto
6. Jen Spickelmier - Italian Chicken (crockpot)
7. Kelly - Garlic Studded Pork Loin
8. Kristi - "Baked" Mostacolli (microwave meal)

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans

Instead of cooking them in the oven (as was directed on baggie) thaw and heat on stovetop until hot.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Burrito's (Renee Heimer)
12 eggs
2 tbsp butter
1 lb pork sausage, cooked, drained
1/2 chunky salsa
2 cups cheddar cheese
24 flour tortilla's

When ready to eat, unwrap the burrito, wrap loosely in microwave safe paper towel and heat on high for 1-3 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. You can also thaw burrito's in the refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls
Heat all 4 in microwave for 2 min 30 seconds.
Top with frosting.

Mongolian Beef (adapted from P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef) - Anna

This is the link to my post from last spring when I made this.

http://12busymoms.blogspot.com/2008/05/mongolian-beef-adapted-from-pf-changs.html

April Exchange

April 6
8:15 pm
New Ministry Center - 5326 France Ave S
(We can pull up into the driveway, but we can't stay there for long. Otherwise park across the street)

1. Amanda
2. Andrea - Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
3. Anna - Mongolian Beef (adapted from PF Chang's Mongolian Beef)
4. Chelsey - Curried Chicken and Potatoes (if "curry" sounds scarry, think of it as cinnamon stew)
5. Jen Scott - turkey sloppy joes and baked beans
6. Jen Spickelmier - Sticky Chicken with side of bread
7. Kelly
8. Kristi - Raspberry glazed chicken breasts (bake or grill)
9. Renee - Breakfast burrito's

Crockpot Thai Curry

Crockpot Thai Curry

1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
1 T brown sugar
1 T soy sauce
1 T Thai red chili paste
1 t fish sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t ginger
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 large eggplant
1 sweet potato
chicken thighs (I used 5 frozen boneless, skinless)

The Directions.
I would defrost in the fridge for 24 hrs ahead so that the sauce is pourable and you can de-bone and skin the chicken thighs if you prefer them that way. Or, you can throw the thighs in frozen solid (and debone and skin them when they're cooked) and defrost the sauce in the microwave.
Pour the sauce in your crock.
Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, flipping them over a few times so they get nice and saucy.
Throw chopped veggies on top.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.

This is done when the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables have reached desired tenderness.I cooked ours on high for 5 hours. The vegetables were soft, but not squishy, and the chicken was cooked, but still had shape.

Serve over rice (brown rice provided. You know how to cook rice, right? Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, so plan accordingly!)

Amanda

Greek Chicken Pasta (Bowties - unlabeled)

Ladies - I'm a repeat offender, and forgot to label my food again this month. I promise, I'll do better in the future.

Identification: 2 1 quart zip loc bags - 1 of bow tie pasta, 1 of sauce

Prep: Thaw sauce. Boil noodles to al dente, drain, combine with sauce, warm through.

Recipe:
1 pound uncooked pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into bite-size pieces
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 lemons, wedged, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and cooked pasta. Stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with lemon wedges.

the case of the missing cheese

Hey Gals - I agree that it would be great to label everything next time, and I am guilt of sending chips and a baggie of cheese unlabeled with my tortilla soup. Also - I wrote on the soup bag that it goes with chips and cheese - but also sour cream adds a great flavor. So - note that.
Jennifer Scott

Chicken and black bean wraps

Instructions: Thaw. Heat in skillet or microwave. Fill corn tortiallas (whole wheat tortillas included) with mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Sour cream and additional salsa are optional (and not provided). The mixture also makes great nachos if you prefer.

Ingredients: chicken breasts, salsa, corn, black beans and converted rice.

Recipe: chop breasts and saute ove medium heat in a skillet sprayed with olive oil. Add salsa, as much as you prefer. Once chicken is cooked through, add corn, black beans and cooked rice. Heat through and serve.

Mozzarella Meatballs (Renee)
Hamburger
mozarella string cheese
bread crumbs
milk
eggs
minced onion
garlic
salt/pepper

Sauce:
ketchup
red wine vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
brown sugar
garlic
onion
dry mustard
pepper

Thaw completely in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350. Pour meatballs/sauce in ungreased baking dish and Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until meatballs are heated through.
Serve over noodles (provided).

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham (Anna)

Made on March 5

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb thinly sliced potatoes
1 heaping cup diced ham
1 heaping cup cheese sauce (cheddar cheese, milk, half and half, flour, butter, onion, salt, pepper)

Directions
Take out of fridge a good day ahead (24 hours)
Butter large casserole dish (any size is okay, but the larger the better so you can get the good crunchiness on the top.
Preheat oven to 350
Empty contents of bag (you may need to stir around a bit) into casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes covered.
Uncover and put cheese/cracker mixture on top and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes - uncovered.

March Date & Menu

March 9
8:15 pm
Ministry Center

1. Amanda - Crockpot Thai Curry
2. Andrea - All Star Mini Burgers by Rachel Ray
3. Anna - Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
4. Chesley - Greek Chicken Pasta
5. Jen Scott - Chicken Tortilla Soup
6. Jen Spickelmier - Beef Chimichangas & chips
7. Kelly - Turkish Pork Chops with Rice
8. Kristi - Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Wraps
9. Laura - Stuffed Red Peppers
10. Renee-Mozzarella Meatballs

Chili Pie--Kristi

Click above for the link to the recipe.

Please note: you will need 1/2c. milk, 2Tbsp vegetable oil and 1 egg white to make this meal.

I made most meals with 1/2 hot italian sausage and 1/2 mild italian sausage. If you requested mild, yours was made with all mild italian sausage.

Thaw in fridge overnight or in microwave.
You will want to heat up the chili a little bit before baking or the cornbread may cook before the chili is totally warmed through. Pop the bag of chili in the microwave on low (or defrost) for a few minutes. Or you can warm in a skillet on the stove.

Place chili in a 11x7 pan or baking dish of similar size (or oven-proof skillet).

Combine dry cornbread mix with 1/2 c. milk, 2 Tbsp oil and 1 egg white and stir until moistened. Stir in shredded cheese.

Cover chili with a thin layer of cornbread mixture. This cornbread recipe rises a lot, so make sure your dish can handle that.

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Top with sour cream, if desired.

Lasagna Casserole

Lasagna Casserole (Laura Ferrara 763-442-1432)

Noodle layer:
cooked whole wheat pasta
parsley
mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
cottage cheese
egg
pepper

Sauce layer:
Sauteed onion and red pepper
ground turkey
spaghetti sauce

Directions: Thaw. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for 40 min. Uncover and bake until bubbly- aprox. 15 min.

Option: Sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese on top of casserole before baking.

directions

I am wondering how to get to the ministry center. Address? THanks, Jennifer Scott

Chicken Chili - Anna (Crock-pot meal)

Directions:
1. Thaw overnight (enough to get the chili out of the bag)
2. Place in crockpot (This must be cooked! It has four raw chicken breasts!)
3. Cook on low approx 8 hours.
4. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice or pull apart into bite sized pieces. Stir into soup.
5. Serve with chips (included), shredded cheese (included), sour cream (not included).

Ingredients
chicken breasts
black beans
kidney beans
chili powder
taco seasoning
crushed tomatoes
salsa
green chilies

Feb exchange

February exchange
Monday, Feb 9
8:15 pm
Ministry Center

Jen Scott is a new addition, so that puts us at 9 meals! Anna and Jen Sp. will be out of town on the 9th, so their meals will be in the freezer already.

1. Andrea - Meatloaf & Potatoes
2. Anna - Chicken Chili
3. Chesley - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwhiches & Chelsey's vrsn of Famous Dave's Wilbur Beans
4. Jen Scott - chicken pot pie
5. Jen Spickelmier - Ham & Potato Bake
6. Kelly - Chili
7. Kristi - Chili Pie (with spicy sausage)
8. Laura - Lasagna Casserole
9. Renee- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

One more question

How do you feel about grilling in the winter?

Question about meal options

Hey Ladies
I am excited to join your group and have done a food coop before. Do you have any sophistication limits with meals? I looked at your list and it looks like you all subscribe to Food and Wine! I myself try to do nutritious yet pretty simple meals. Will that do with this crowd? I could try my regular routine for a couple of cycles and will trust that you will let me know if I'm up to your level. I will take no offense if I need to change what I'm doing. Thanks in advance! Jennifer Scott

Steak and Corn Fajitas

If you want to add more spice/heat to the fajitas, I suggest adding salt, cumin and chili powder. These spices are already mixed in with the corn. Add more at the end of cooking if you like.

Chicken Enchiladas

Prep instructions for enchiladas:

Thaw completely
Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 min

Recipe

6-8 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded
8 oz french onion chip dip
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mild Rotel tomatoes
8 oz cheddar cheese
flour tortillas

Combine all ingredients except tortillas. Spread some mixture on bottom of baking dish to avoid sticking. Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll enchiladas. Spoon more mixture over top of enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Enjoy!

Smoky Calzones

You have the recipe. here's a few suggestions:

Thaw the dough completely in the fridge on a plate covered with saran wrap (instead of leaving it in the bag).
I forgot to bring the cornmeal to dust the baking sheet with. I'll bring some Sunday and you can get it from me if you need. I'll be in the nursery first hour.
be sure to transfer the dough to the sheet BEFORE loading the ingredients! I learned that the hard way!
I didn't include olive oil. I think the spray olive oil works the best.
I combined the oregano and parm. cheese, so sprinle that mixture on the dough before you add the toppings and on the top of the calzone before you bake it.
Matt says it doesn't reheat very well the next day. You may want to eat it all the day you make it.
This meal does take a little more prep than the meals I usually make. The biggest effort is rolling out the dough, which takes about 10-15 minutes., maybe a little longer since you want to bring the dough to room temp before you bake it.
But the calzone is really good! and really big!

Swimming Rama (page 48 of Fix, Freeze, Feast)

To cook:
1. completely thaw in fridge
2. cook rice
- I supplied a sticky Thai rice.
- PLEASE make sure I gave you two cups instead of one cup of rice, before adding water.
- put two cups rice and four cups water in sauce pan, boil, add pinch of salt and some butter, stir, let sit on low for 15 - 20 minutes while warming Swimming Rama
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, bring the chicken and sauce to a simmer and cook until heated through. Do not boil. Add red curry paste to taste. Add slowly, as this has quite a kick!
4. Add peas, if desired (the recipe did not call for this, but I thought it needed a bit of color).
5. Place spinach leaves on the bottom of each individual dish/bowl, make rice mound* (see below), and put Swimming Rama over spinach and rice.
6. It is always good to have fresh squeezed lime over any thai dish.

*How to make a rice mound....
it is really fun, and attractive, to firmly pack rice into a tea cup, and invert rice onto the plate/bowl and then pour sauce over the rice mound.

http://www.brasas.ca/files/u1/RiceWhite_4941-4_0.jpg

January meals

1. Anna - Swimming Rama (page 48 of Fix, Freeze, Feast). It is a Thai chicken dish.
2. Andrea - Chicken Fajita Casserole
3. Chesley - Chicken Enchiladas and SouthWestern Veggies (Sorry - made them before I realized how much tex mex we already had this month!)
4. Jen S - Greek Pork Pitas (crock pot)
5. Kelly - Cheesy Chilada Bake (pg. 78 of Fix, Freeze, Feast)
6. Kristi - Smoky Calzone
7. Laura - Steak and Corn Fajitas

Renee is taking the month off, so we're down to 7 if noone else wants to join in.

January Exchange

January 12, 2009

8:15 pm

Ministry Center

Plan on 9 meals for now, we'll finalize it after Christmas.

Cafe Latte's Chicken Salsa Chili--Kristi

Thaw chili and cheese.
Keep cilantro and lime juice cubes frozen until use.
Heat chili on stove or in microwave. Add cilantro/lime juice cubes and stir until heated through.
Top with tortilla chips and cheese.
May also top with red onion and sour cream (not provided)

Recipe: http://www.cafelatte.com/chicken_salsa_chili.pdf

Beef & Barley Soup

Place in crock pot
Add bag of barley
Add 4 C water

Cook for 8 - 10 hr on low or 4-5 hr on high.

Note: I put this in the fridge the night before and it was still pretty frozen when I put it in the crock pot. I'd suggest thawing about 24 hrs.

Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes:

Thaw 24-48hrs prior to cooking.

Place meatloaf in a loaf pan, or on a broiler pan. (I switched to using a broiler pan for meatloaf so all the fat drains off. I cover the pan with foil to make clean up easier. I use a knife to make holes in the foil where there are holes in the broiler pan)

Top meatloaf with sauce.Bake at 350 for 60-70 min, or until the center in no longer pink.
Let rest 10 min before serving.

Potatoes
Microwave, warm in oven or on stovetop.
You may need to add more milk/butter or salt/pepper to you liking.

Enjoy!

Chicken thighs in mango salsa with Quinoa - Anna

Instructions
1. defrost overnight
2. place chicken and salsa in covered baking dish
3. preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes
4. last 10 – 15 minutes of baking, make Quinoa
- place 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to simmer, cook until water is absorbed

Ingredients
1 ¼ lb chicken thighs (I know dark meat isn't as healthy, but I worked really hard to get all the fat off of these!)
1 ½ cup mango salsa
1 cup quinoa

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

1-1.5 lb boneless chicken breasts
6 slices American cheese
1 6 oz box stuffing mix (I use Pepperidge Farm)
½ cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
¾ cup milk

Additions/Variations:
Fresh chopped parsley
Chopped onion
Chopped celery
Sliced water chestnuts
Substitute cream of celery for the cream of chicken soup, or go 50/50

In a 9x13 baking dish lay out chicken breasts and cover with the American cheese. Melt the butter and combine with the stuffing mix and any additions of your choice. Layer mixture over chicken and cheese. Combine soup and milk, and layer over the top.

Cover with foil and bake 45-50 minutes. Uncover and bake and additional 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Dec exchange & menu

Thursday, Dec 4
8:15 pm
Ministry Center

December menu - we're down to 8 meals this month

1. Anna - Chicken thighs in mango salsa with quinoa
2. Andrea - Tex-Mex Chicken Fingers
3. Chesley - Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
4. Jen S - Beef Barley Soup - crockpot
5. Kelly - Manicotti
6. Kristi - Cafe Latte's Chicken Salsa Chili
7. Laura - Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
8. Renee -

Apple Cranberry Pork Loin

Apple Cranberry Pork Loin

Completely thaw in fridge.
Preheat oven to 350*
Place roast in center of ungreased baking dish, distributing apples and onions around the meat.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour or until 160*.

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry (Anna)

Hi!
We ate this last night (I hadn't tested it before assembling last week) and I just wanted to let you know that it is really salty! I should have used low-sodium soy sauce. I guess what I would recommend is to thaw the chicken just enough to break the pieces up, but not let it sit in the marinde for a long time. That should take away from the chicken soaking up too much of the sauce. And then, if you have some type of stir-fry sauce in your fridge you could add that instead of using the marinade for a sauce. You may even want to consider rinsing off the chicken before stir-frying.

A note about stir-frying..
it is important to get the pan as hot as you can and cook as quicky as you can. Think Khans Mongolian BBQ. :-)

Thanks for eating my food, ladies!
Anna

Cheese Steaks - Kelly

Cheese Steaks
*May thaw or cook straight from freezer
1. Put beef & broth in slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours, until beef is tender. Remove beef from broth & set aside until cool enough to shred. Reserve broth.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry until soft (about 3 min) then remove pan from heat. Slice open rolls and divide beef and veggies evenly among the rolls. Place a slice of cheese inside each sandwich; close & wrap in tin foil. Heat in oven for 10 minutes. Serve with broth for dipping.

Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake

Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake

1 box bowtie pasta
1 lb chicken, cubed and sauteed (with onion or garlic if you like)
16 oz your favorite salsa
16 oz sour cream (I use sour lean)
small can sliced black olives
2 cups shredded cheddar

sautee chicken and prepare pasta
combine the salsa, sour cream, olives and chicken and mix. Add prepared pasta and stir to coat. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish and top with cheese. Bake 30 min at 350 until warm.

Italian Pizza Rolls

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1/3 cup finely chopped gn. peppers
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup tomotoe sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 cup shedded, part skim mozzarella cheese
8-9 egg roll wrappers

To prepare: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove rolls directly from freezer and place on a non stick baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes, turn the rolls over and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes or until crispy and browned. Serve with dipping pizza sauce.

November Menu

1. Anna - Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
2. Andrea - Apple-Cranberry Pork Loin
3. Chelsey - Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake
4. Erika - Beef Enchilada Casserole
5. Jennifer - Sweet and Sour Stew (Crockpot meal)
6. Jen S - Baked Spaghetti & Meatballs
7. Kelly -
8. Kristi - BBQ Chicken Pizza
9. Renee- Italian Pizza Rolls

November exchange

November 10
8:15
MC

Please make 9 meals this month, as Chelsey B is joining us for a one-month trial run!

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken - Erika

1) Thaw chicken and cut into strips or bite-size pieces for a stir fry.
2) Marinate chicken in the sauce for 10-15 minutes.
3) Grill chicken strips or cook bite-size pieces in saucepan (w/ 1 T of vegetable oil) for 5-7 minutes.
4) Microwave rice packet for 2 minutes. Serve with peas (cook as directed).
5) Can add the rice, cooked peas (or other cooked vegetables) and some leftover marinade to the saucepan with the bite-size chicken pieces for a stir fry.

Ravioli Lasagna - Anna

Ravioli Lasagna

1 pkg (20 oz) Refrigerated Family Size Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli, prepared according to pkg directions.
1 container (15 oz) Ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 container/jar of marinara sauce (23.5 oz) any kind you like
½ pound Italian sausage
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (1/4 cup in cheese mixture and ¼ cup sprinkled on top)

Combine ricotta, ¼ cup parmesan, eggs and milk.
Combine sausage and marinara sauce
Layer ravioli, ricotta, sauce ravioli, ricotta, sauce, parmesan.

To bake from frozen: Place in refrigerator one full day ahead (24 – 48 hours to defrost all the way!) Preheat to 375 and bake for 1 hour or until heated through.

Fix Freeze Feast book

Hey! I was just at my sister's house and she showed me this great book that her meal exchange group just bought...all 10 bought the same book. I just bought it on Amazon for $10 - list price is $14. It is called Fix Freeze Feast and one of the authors actually started a make-ahead chain on the west coast. It is sapposed to be used for large group meal exchanges so each recipe makes three meals. Anyway, I'll bring it to our next exchange so you all can look through it to see if you want to buy. If you DO plan on buying I'd ethically feel okay with you copying a recipe or two on the copy machine at the MC for the Nov exchange.

Chat later! -Anna

October meal exchange

October 13th at 8:15 pm at the MC

Anna - Ravioli Lasagna
Andrea - Taco Soup
Jen S - Chicken with Tomatoes & Thyme
Kristi - Butternut Squash Soup and fixin's for ham sandwhiches
Jennifer- Double Turkey Dumpling "Stoup" (with a side of bread)
Erika - Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Fingers with Brown Rice and Peas
Renee- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Kelly - White Chicken Chili

Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops

Thaw. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. Check, if not done you may need another 5-10 minutes. Spoon juices and apples over each chop and serve.

A side of bread is included. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.

Carnitas Burritos - Anna

Ingredients made on Sept 13, rolled and frozen on Sept 14

Carnitas Burritos
NOTE: I found a few copy cat Chipotle Burrito recipes. I didn’t put exact amounts with the ingredients for the pork shoulder and the salsa since I made such large quantities of both and the proportions got skewed. Also, by the end of rolling so many burritos my rolling got a lot better so please forgive me if you got burrito not rolled so well that I may have done at the beginning. I would have LOVED to have found 13” tortillas…but no luck. Along with the pork, rice and salsa, there is also cheese.

Instructions for reheating
Take burrito out of the oven the evening before you plan on eating. Let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Preheat oven to 350
Put burritos – still wrapped in foil – in the oven for 20ish minutes.
Unwrap and eat.
*You may want to wrap the foil around the end that is not being eaten because, again, I’m not a proficient burrito roller.

CHIPOLTE'S PORK SHOULDER
· pork shoulder roast (I used half pork shoulder & half pork loin, which is a leaner meat
· tablespoons olive oil
· medium tomatoes (I used canned tomatoes)
· onion, thinly sliced
· cumin powder
· fresh oregano
· whole cloves
· bay leaves
· dried chipotle chilies (didn’t used. Used chipotle seasoning instead)
· Salt/pepper to taste
Salt and pepper the pork shoulder; allow the meat come to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add olive oil to a large ovenproof pan. Sear the pork over medium-high heat until very brown on all sides. Remove pork from the pan; let rest on a platter for 10 to 15 minutes.
Leaving an even coating, drain excess oil from the pan. Add onions; sweat over low heat until translucent. Return pork to the pan; add remaining ingredients. Cover pan, place in the oven and cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 150 degrees F. Let pork rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

CHIPOLTE'S BASMATI RICE
· 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
· 2 tsp. fresh cilantro (didn’t use)
· 2/3 cup white basmati rice
· 1 cup water
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 Lime
In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Corn & Black Bean Salsa
· Corn (I used frozen sweet corn)
· Black beans
· Tomatoes
· red onion
· red bell pepper (didn’t use)
· minced jalapeno pepper (didn’t use)
· pureed canned chipotle chilies (didn’t use)
· lime juice
· olive oil
· fresh cilantro

Burgers and potato wedges--Kristi

Burgers--thaw, at least most of the way. Grill or broil as desired.

Potato wedges--bake from frozen at 450 for 30 minutes, turning half way. Serve with sour cream (or ketchup).

Recipe:
cut potatoes into wedges. coat with olive oil, spices (I used Montreal Seasoning Mix and fresh rosemary), and a little sugar (so they brown up)
bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
Cool on paper bags or paper towels.
Freeze on cookie sheets in a single layer, then transfer to freezer bag.

The burgers we got from a company Matt works with. They are awesome burgers. They are at least 1/3 of a pound each, so you may want to split them. Maybe there will be a few warm days in September that make you feel like pulling out the grill one last time.

September Menu

1. Anna - pork (carnitas) burritos
2. Andrea - hot ham and cheese sandwiches
3. Jen S - beef chimichangas
4. Kristi - Burgers and potato wedges
5. Jennifer- Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops
6. Erika - Macaroni and White Cheddar Cheese.
7. Renee-Chicken Bundles
8. Kelly - meatloaf

September Meal Exchange

Hi, Ladies! Sept is coming up! Time to start thinking about chili, stews, soup, etc...

Date: September 15
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: Ministry Center

Please let me know if you aren't going to be involved this year, or if you are, or if you know of someone who wants to join us.

Thanks!
Anna

August 7 - Mom's evening out at Anna's house

Hi ladies! I hope you are enjoying your summer.

You are invited to my home Thurs evening, Aug 7th around 7:30 pm for sangria and tapas. It will be a great evening for us to reconnect, talk about the upcoming year, exchange recipe ideas and just chill out for an hour or so.

If there are others interested in joining the group this would be a great time to have them join us to learn more.

I'll be in touch closer to Aug 7th to see if you can make it. THANKS! - Anna 612-251-8617

Freezer French Toast - Trisha

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup light cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cornflake cereal crumbs
8 (1" thick) slices french bread
Preparation:Mix eggs, half and half, sugar and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Dip the french bread in this egg mixture, leaving the bread in the bowl for a few minutes so it absorbs more egg mixtgure. Dip bread in the cornflake crumbs to coat. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until firm.
When ready to bake, first preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place frozen french toast pieces on a greased cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. Turn the toast once during baking. Serve with maple syrup, jam, and powdered sugar. 8 slices

June Menu

1. Andrea -
2. Erika - Italian Meatball Subs
3. Kristi - Artichoke Pesto Chicken Pasta
4. Renee - Herbed Chicken Kabobs
5. Anna - Turkey/Hamburger patties and buns with side of pasta salad mix.
6. Jennifer - Inside Out Turkey Burgers (with bacon and cheese)
7. Trisha - French Toast

When: Monday, June 2nd
Time: 8 pm

Coffee after???

Hot Italian Beef Sandwiches - Kristi

Instructions: Thaw. Combine meat, tomato mixture, 1/2 to 1 packet Italian dressing and 1-2 cups water in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred meat and return to juices. Remove meat with slotted spoon to plate, then to hoagie buns. Top with provolone cheese.

Recipe: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/030503/fea_karin.shtml

(I used less meat but kept the other ingredients about the same.)

Mongolian Beef (adapted from P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef) - Anna

Thaw: Take package out of freezer the night before, but leave the vegetables in the freezer until you are ready to cook so the vegetables won't get mushy.

Cook Rice (do this first since brown rice takes 35+ minutes to cook):
1. Measure 3 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add 1 T of butter (optional). Salt to taste.
2. Stir in 1 ½ cup of rice (in bag)
3. Cover the saucepan. DO NOT REMOVE LID. Lower the heat and simmer 35 – 40 minutes or until rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Make Stir-Fry
Prep beef: When there is about 10 minutes left on the rice, take everything out of the large bag, put the beef strips and the corn starch in the large bag and shake to coat the meat. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.
Cook vegetables: Heat up ¼ cup water in a walk or large pan. When water is boiling, add vegetables and let cook for about 5 minutes until crisp/tender. Take vegetables out of pan and put in a side dish for a few minutes.
Cook beef: Heat up 1 cup of vegetable or canola oil in the same pan you just cooked the vegetables in. (I know this seems excessive, but it is really good. If you must, you can just put a bit of of olive oil in the pan instead but the beef won’t have the same crispy, tender flavor.) Get the oil really hot, but not smoking. Put the beef in the oil, completely covered, and cook for about two minutes. Beef won’t be cooked all the way through. Transfer the beef with a slotted spoon to a plate with paper towels to let drain. Dispose of the oil.
Put everything together: Return pan to heat, put the meat in the pan and cook for 1 more minute, add the vegetables and the sauce and, if you would like, the peanuts. Stir to coat.
Serve: The flavor of the sauce is really strong, so you may want to just serve the stir fry with a slotted spoon and add soy sauce to taste if you don’t like the sweetness of the stir fry sauce.

Ingredients
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup dark brown sugar
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
2 lbs flank steak
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 lb bag of mixed vegetables.

Parmesan Herb Chicken Breasts- Jennifer

Thaw completely. Bake at 350 uncovered for 40-45 minutes. I included a side of whole wheat bread to go with it. (Baked potato or rice or cous cous and a veg. or salad is also good with it.)

Breakfast Burritos - Trisha

Recipe from busycooks.about.com

You can vary the additions to this recipe. Add onions or frozen hash brown potatoes, omit the salsa, try using different types of cheese or flavored tortillas. The possibilities are endless!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
12 eggs
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. pork sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 cups Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
24 flour tortillas
Preparation:In large skillet, melt butter. Beat eggs in large bowl and add to skillet. Cook eggs in butter, stirring frequently, until scrambled and set. Add cooked sausage and salsa to egg mixture and mix gently.
Warm tortillas as directed on package. Place about 1/2 cup egg and sausage mixture onto each tortilla and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up each tortilla to make burritos, folding in the ends and rolling up. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and freeze until solid. Then wrap individually and package in zip-lock freezer bags.
When you're ready to eat, unwrap the burritos, wrap loosely in microwave safe paper towel and heat in the microwave on high power for 1-3 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.
You can also thaw burritos in the refrigerator overnight, then wrap each in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until hot. The thawed burritos can also be deep fried for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crisp. 24 burritos

May Menu

1. Andrea - Enchilada Casserole
2. Erika - Enchilada Casserole
3. Kristi - Hot Italian Beef Sandwiches
4. Renee - Chicken Spectacular
5. Anna - PF Chang's Mongolian Beef (cool thing about the RecipeCzar website, is you can put the # of servings in and the site will calculate amounts for you!)
6. Jennifer - Parmesan Herb Chicken Breasts (Bread to go with it)
7. Trisha - Breakfast Burritos

May Exchange

Date: Sunday, May 4 (since the Time Management Seminar is on Monday)
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: Ministry Center

*8 meals, unless we hear that someone is joining or leaving. Note this is only 3 weeks since our last exchange due to Mother's Day.

Taco Ritos - Renee

1 1/2 lb. hamburger browned and drained and set aside
2TBSP chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
1 tsp cumin
3 cans cm of chicken soup (low fat kind)
2 cans water
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
Tortillas
Combine soup, water and spices. simmer 1/2 hr.
Add 1 cup of sauce to meat
Fill tortillas with meat. Roll and place in 9x13 pan. Cover with sauce and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake 15 minutes at 350.

Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, guacomole or anything else you like.

BBQ Chicken Boboli - Kathy

3 Meat Spaghetti - Jennifer

Turkey-Stuffing Meatloaf - Erika

Chicken Parmesan Wraps - Andrea

Coconut Chicken Curry - Anna (Crock-pot meal)

Directions:
1. Thaw chicken/sauce mixture overnight. This doesn’t need to be defrosted all the way, just enough to transfer to crock-pot.
2. Put chicken and sauce mixture in a crock pot on low for 8ish hours or on high for 4 – 5 hours.
3. You can add the vegetables any time near the end (up to two hours if still frozen or the last 15 minutes if you microwave them first). I kept the vegetables bag separate so they don’t get too soggy, but you certainly can put the vegetables in at the beginning if you’d like to.
4. Serve on top of rice if you have or noodles if you don't have (not included).
5. Naan from Trader Joes is included.

Note:
When using a crock pot, try not to lift the lid too frequently (or at all) since it breaks the seal and takes 15 minutes to get the temperature back to where it should be. When you add the vegetables, stir at this time and taste the sauce and decide if you want it spicier. I made this on the less spicy side, but you can always add curry powder or curry paste or even crushed red pepper if you like your curry spicier.

IF IT IS TOO SPICY FOR YOU, or if you don’t like curry, plain yogurt or even sour cream will help cut the flavor. Add this right at the very end.

Ingredients
1 heaping cup mushrooms
3 cups diced chicken (a mix of thigh and breast meat)
1 small onion

sauce
2 t red curry paste
2 t curry powder
1 t sesame oil
1 t honey
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cream of chicken soup

Vegetables
1 cup frozen cauliflower
1 cup green beans
1 cup peas

Plain yogurt (Not included)

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Wraps--Kristi

Instructions: Thaw. Heat in skillet or microwave. Fill corn tortiallas (white corn and yellow corn tortillas included) with mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Sour cream and additional salsa are optional (and not provided). The mixture also makes great nachos if you prefer.

Ingredients: chicken breasts, salsa, corn, black beans and converted rice.

Recipe: chop breasts and saute ove medium heat in a skillet sprayed with olive oil. Add salsa, as much as you prefer. Once chicken is cooked through, add corn, black beans and cooked rice. Heat through and serve.

Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken - Trisha

1 package taco seasoning mix
8 oz apricot preserves
12 oz salsa
1 1/2 lbs chicken (4-6 pieces)

Thaw in frig overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty contents of bag into large baking dish and bake until juices run clear (45-60 minutes). Side of hearty whole wheat bread included with meal swap.

April Menu

1. Andrea -
2. Erika - Turkey-Stuffing Meatloaf
3. Kristi - Chichen, Corn and Black Bean Wraps
4. Renee - Taco Rito's (like Chili cheese burrito's)
5. Anna - Coconut chicken curry
6. Jennifer - 3 Meat Spaghetti
7. Kathy - BBQ Chicken Boboli
8. Trisha - Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken

April Meal Exchange

Date: Sunday, April 13 (since the Time Management Seminar is on Monday)
Time: 8:15 pm
lace: Ministry Center

8 meals, unless we hear that someone is joining or leaving.

Chicken Tetrazzini - Kathy

Ground Beef Enchiladas - Jennifer

Sloppy Joes - Kristi

Beef Au Jus Sandwiches - Andrea

Lasagna - Renee

One package lasagna noodles, cooked
2 pounds ground beef/turkey
chopped onion
salt/pepper to taste
2 15 oz cans tomatoe sauce
American cheese
mozarella cheese
parmesan cheese
Stir tomato sauce into browned beef and onions. Using a 9x13 pan, layer the mixture, topped with cheeses, repeating until pan is full. Bake 350 1hr. let stand 15 min. before cutting.
GARLIC TOAST GOES WITH LASAGNA

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Fingers (with brown rice) - Erika

Ingredients:
Reduced sodium soy sauce
Honey
Molasses
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Black pepper
Toasted Sesame seeds
Chicken breasts

Instructions:
1. Thaw chicken in fridge overnight.
2. Place thawed chicken in ziploc bag containing the marinade.
3. Close bag and shake to coat the chicken with marinade.
4. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
5. Coat a stove-top grill or griddle with cooking spray and preheat on medium-high heat.
6. Place chicken on hot pan and cook 5-7 minutes, turning once during cooking.
7. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.
8. Serve with brown rice (sugar snap peas are great with this!)
(The rice package says to microwave for 1 minute but I have found it to take closer to 2 minutes to soften the rice.)

Beef Brisket - Anna

Made on March 9
In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be fun to have a brisket (but not corn beef brisket, which some people really dislike).

Please click on this link to see the original recipe on epicurious. Also, it is a 2 lb brisket not 5 - 6 lbs. After reading the reviews, I made some modifications to the sauce recipe so, after letting this cook all day in the crockpot I'd suggest tasting the sauce and adding more vinegar if you'd like it zingy, or mustard if you like it mustardy, or brown sugar if you'd like it sweeter, etc....

Here are the steps for cooking...
1. Thaw the night before (since it is cooking for so long it doesn't need to be completely thawed)
2. Place in crockpot in the morning. (The original recipe says to place the vegetables on the bottom but people who reviewed the recipe says that it makes the vegetables too mushy and soak up too much of the sauce. Your call. You can put the vegetables on top of the meat or on the bottom or some on top and some on bottom).
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
4. Remove the meat to a cutting board
5. Place vegetables in a serving dish and cover to keep warm
6. Make a sludge of cold water and cornstarch (not included) to add to the sauce. Add the cornstarch to the crockpot and turn on high to thicken the sauce up. Also, at this time, add whatever ingredients to the sauce (vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, etc) to your preference.
5. Slice the meat thinly against the grain while the sauce is thickening.

Light Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach - Trisha

Light Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach - Trisha
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups gratedextra-sharp cheddar cheese
(8 oz.)1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1(10ounce)package frozen spinach, thawed
8 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Directions
1Heat oven to 400F.
2Spray 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3In small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the milk and flour until smooth.
4In heavy medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming.
5Add flour mixture; cook 2-3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens, whisking constantly.
6Remove from heat; stir in cheddar cheese until melted.
7Stir in cottage cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
8Cook spinach according to package directions; drain.
9Rinse under cold running water; squeeze out excess moisture.
10Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling lightly salted water 4-5 minutes or until not quite tender, stirring often.
11(Macaroni will continue to cook while baking.) Drain; rinse with cold water.
12Drain again.
13In large bowl, stir together cheese sauce and macaroni.
14Spread half of the macaroni mixture in baking dish; spoon spinach over top.
15Spread remaining macaroni mixture over spinach layer; sprinkle with wheat germ.
16(Dish can be made to this point and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.) Bake 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
17TIP*If you can't find wheat germ, substitute an equal amount of Parmesan cheese, cracker crumbs or bread crumbs.

March Menu

1. Andrea - Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
2. Erika - Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Fingers with Brown Rice
3. Kristi - Sloppy Joes
4. Renee - Lasagna
5. Anna - Beef Brisket (crock-pot meal)
6. Jennifer - Ground Beef Enchiladas
7. Kathy - Chicken Tetrazzini
8. Trisha - Light Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach

March Meal Exchange

Date: March 10
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: Ministry Center

8 meals, unless we hear that someone is joining or leaving.

Beef Stroganoff - Trisha

Turkey Meatloaf & Yummy Potato Casserole. - Kathy

Thaw completely before cooking.

Chicken Brushetta Bake - Renee

(Renee - please correct if needed. I took this from your directions a year ago).
thaw all items
preheat oven to 400
place tomatoes mixture with stuffing mix and 1/2 cup water
place chicken in 13 x 9 baking dish
sprinkle with cheese
top with stuffing mixture
bake about 30 minutes

Andrea - Taco Soup

Lasagna - Erika

Lasagna

Ingredients:
Ground beef
Pasta
Ricotta cheese
Garlic
Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese
Tomato sauce
Salt and pepper

Cooking instructions:
Thaw overnight in fridge
Cover with foil (remove plastic cover!)
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until heated through.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Spicy, Creamy Pasta – Anna

Directions
1. Thaw sauce mix.
2. When water is boiling for noodles, put sauce in large skillet to heat through.
3. I did add crushed red pepper already, but if you like your food a bit spicier then you could add some more crushed red pepper at this point.
4. When noodles are boiling, add parmesan cheese and ¼ to ½ cup half and half, depending on how many calories you’d like to consume. (HALF & HALF IS NOT INCLUDED). The cheese and half and half will thicken up the tomato sauce.
5. Simmer the sauce on medium while noodles are boiling.
6. Drain noodles and add desired amount of noodles to the skillet so the sauce coats the noodles. (depending on your preference, you may not want to add all the noodles).
7. There should be enough parmesan for you to sprinkle on top.

Ingredients
Diced tomatoes
Tomato sauce
Roasted red peppers
Mushrooms
Olives
Garlic
Onion
Crushed red pepper
Chicken
Chirozo sausage – I left these large, so you can pick them out if you don’t like sausage products.

Ham Balls-Jennifer

Thaw meat balls and sauce. Pour sauce over meat balls. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 1hr. I included french bread to serve along side the meat balls. Warm bread in oven during last 5 min of baking. You could also do a potato if you want to and a veggie or salad.

Jambalaya--Kristi

Thaw. Reheat in covered skillet. You may need to add a little water if the rice is dry. Don't overcook or the rice will be mushy. (I didn't cook the rice fully, so it shouldn't be too mushy after thawing and reheating). Here's the link to the recipe. I substituted turkey sausage, chicken breasts and converted long grain rice. I omitted the shrimp, though that may be a fun add in if you want and your husband isn't allergic!

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1010474

February Menu

1. Andrea - Taco Soup
2. Erika - Lasagna
3. Kristi - Jambalaya
4. Renee - Chicken Brushetta Bake
5. Anna - Spicy Pasta (w/ chicken, chirozo sausage, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, & olives)
6. Jennifer - Grandma Martin's Famous Ham Balls
7. Kathy - Turkey Meatloaf & Yummy Potato Casserole.
8. Trisha - Beef Stroganof

Next Meal Exchange

February 11th - 8:15
Ministry Center
Coffee after?

I'm sure that all the Italian/pasta meals will be wonderful this month, but we should try a little harder to mix thing up a bit. As soon as you know what you are going to make, update the site or email me so I can do that. That will help everyone else in planning. Let's try to max on 2 pasta/italian, 2 mexican, etc...

I believe we are going to be doing nine meals this month?

Spaghetti Casserole - Kathy

Jennifer - Sweet and Sour Stew

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - Renee

Pork Chops - Andrea

Baked Ziti - Sally

Stuffed Pork Chops (w/apple stuffing) - Erika

Stuffed Pork Chops (w/apple stuffing)

Ingredients: Garlic
Granny Smith apples
Celery
Poultry Seasoning
Canola Oil
Reduced-sodium chicken broth
Seasoned stuffing cubes
Pork Chops

Instructions: 1. Thaw in fridge
2. Place chops on baking sheet/pan and cover with foil (to retain moisture)
3. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (until cooked through)

Tater-Tot Hot Dish - Anna

Made on January 9, 2008

Ingredients
½ parts browned hamburger and ½ parts browned turkey
Onion
Celery
Mushrooms
Cream of mushroom soup
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Onion soup mix (only in half, I forgot the package in the 2nd batch)
Green beans
Tater-tots

Directions
Day before, take out the casserole portion to thaw but leave the tater tots IN the freezer
Heat oven to 350
Bake casserole for 30 minutes without tater tots
Remove foil and place frozen tater tots on top of casserole
Bake casserole for another 30 minutes with tater tots on top

Serving suggestions
Tossed green salad and French bread.

"Baked" Mostacolli

Thaw for 1 day, put into casserole dish and stir in 4-6 oz of mozzarella cheese. Microwave for 5-10 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired. (I’ve included more cheese than you need for the recipe)

Meals for January

Sally - Baked Ziti
Andrea
Erika - Stuffed Pork Chops
Kristi - "Baked" Mostacolli
Renee-Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Anna - Tater Tot Hot Dish
Jennifer - Sweet and Sour Stew
Kathy - Spagetti Casserole

Next Meal Exchange Scheduled for Jan 14

Our next meal exchange is Mon, Jan 14th at 8:15 pm.

Jennifer is re-joining the group, and Cheryl is taking the month off, hoping to return in Feb. That leaves 7 still for January. Recruit!

Enchilada Casserole -- Erika

1. Thaw.
2. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 min until heated thru.

Egg Bake (for brunch) - Anna

Egg Bake
Made on December 9, 2007

I made egg bake for this month since there are so many morning activities (church, shopping, christmas eve morning, new years eve morning) where you may not want to think about breakfast. I'm a little nervous that there aren't enough eggs so I'll make mine on Weds morning (my parents are staying with me) and let you all know if it is too dry and if you should crack a few more eggs to put on the top. Stay tuned!

Directions
Defrost overnight.
preheat oven to 350
Bake with tinfoil on for 45 minutes
Bake with tinfoil off for 15 minutes

Ingredients
50/50 mix of Italian sausage and turkey sausage
red peppers
white bread
scallions
eggs
milk
sharp cheddar cheese

Sauteed Chicken, Sweet Potatoes & Pears -- Kristi

1. Thaw chicken and vinaigrette.
2. Keep pears and sweet potatoes frozen until use.
3. Spray or oil skillet and heat chicken, covered.
4. Partially thaw potatoes and pears inthe microwave. DO NOT thaw completely or they will get soggy!
5. Remove heated chicken and set aside.
6. Add water to cover skillet bottom.
7. Steam potatoes irst until almost tender (covered). (I have already steamed them somewhat.)
8. Add pears and steam until both are tender but not mushy.
9. Toss with vinaigrette and top chicken breasts.

NOTE: Entree is sweet, so you may want to pair it with something that is not--dinner rolls, green vegetables, etc.

Swedish Meatballs & Gravy -- Renee

1. Thaw meatballs overnight.
2. Prepare gravy per package directions.
3. Heath both together.

Chili -- Andrea

Thaw, heat, serve.

Honey Mustard BBQ Pork Chops -- Cheryl

1. Thaw overnight.
2. Either fry over medium heat and discard the marinade
   OR
   Place in baking dish, cover with marinade, and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

For Sweet Potato Fries, follow the directions on the package.

Greek Pork Pitas (Crockpot Meal) -- Sally

1. Thaw pork in fridge.
2. Empty bags of pork/seasoning and onions into crockpot.
3. Add 1/2 cup water.
4. Cook in covered crockpot until the meat just falls apart (4-5 hours on high, 5-6 on medium, 6-8 on low). -- If it seems to get too dry, add a little water.
5. With two forks (I used large meat forks), shred the pork.
6. Serve in heated, folded pitas.

NOTE: You might want some kind of dressing. We like to use a ranch or blue cheese dressing. A cucumber dill would also be good. A green salad would go nicely as well.

December Meal Exchange--Mon, Dec 10th at 8:15 pm

1. Andrea -- chili
2. Anna -- brunch egg casserole
3. Cheryl -- Honey Mustard BBQ Pork Chops & sweet potato fries
4. Erika -- Enchilada Casserole
5. Kristi -- Sauted Chicken, sweet potatoes and pears
6. Renee -- Swedish Meatballs and gravy
7. Sally -- Greek Pork Pitas
   

Next Meal Exchange Scheduled for Dec 10

Our next meal exchange is Mon, Dec 10th at 8:15 pm.

As of right now, we have 7 people. Jennifer plans to re-join in January and Cheryl will probably resign in January, leaving us at 7. So, recruit!

Chicken & Stuffing - Sally

1. Thaw chicken breasts, cheese, and sauce.
2. Place chicken in bottom of 9x9 pan and cover each with a slice of cheese.
3. Spread soup mix over all.
4. In a saucepan, boil 2 cups water and 5 T butter.
5. Stir in stuffing mix. Cover.
6. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
7. Fluff with fork.
8. Spread stuffing over all.
9. Cook at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serving suggestion: Serve with fresh or frozen veggies like broccoli, carrots, or green beans.

Chicken Parmesan - Erika

1. Thaw chicken breasts in refrigerator overnight.
2. Remove chicken from foil and place on baking sheet.
3. Top each piece with tomato sauce and then sprinkle each piece with cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

NOTE: The coating of each piece of chicken was browned in olive oil. The chicken has NOT been cooked through.

Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Roast with Rosemary and Cipollini Onions - Anna

(or Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast with Rosemary and plain old onions)

1. Defrost well in advance--take it out of the freezer the morning before you plan on making this.
2. Make a frozen pizza for your kids!
3. Heat oven to 350.
4. Baste occasionally with cooking juices.
5. Cook till 140 degrees (about 30-35 minutes).
6. Remove from oven. Transfer pork and onions to a platter. Cover to keep warm.
7. Put packet of sauce plus the drippings from the pork into a pan and bring to a boil.

Accompaniments:

• quarter potatoes (put olive oil and seasoning on potatoes and bake for 40+ minutes)
• slice apples (put in pan with butter and brown sugar)

Beef Enchiladas - Renee Heimer

1. Thaw overnight.
2. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min.
3. Uncover, sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
4. Bake 5-10 min longer or until cheese is melted.

Meat Loaf w/BBQ - Andrea

1. Thaw overnight in fridge.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Transfer loaf to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 40 min.
4. If using BBQ sauce, pour over top after 25 min and return to oven for 15 more minutes.

White Chili (turkey) - Cheryl

1. Thaw
2. Heat

Cafe Latte's Chicken Salsa Chili -- Kristi

1. Thaw chili and cheese.
2. Keep cilantro and lime juice cubes frozen until use.
3. Heat chili on stove or in microwave. Add cilantro/lime juice cubes and stir until heated through.
4. Top with tortilla chips and cheese.
5. May also top with red onion and sour cream (not provided)
   
   Recipe: http://www.cafelatte.com/chicken_salsa_chili.pdf

November Meal Exchange--Mon, Nov 12 @ 8:15 pm

1. Andrea - Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce



2. Anna - Pancetta Wrapped Pork Roast



3. Cheryl - white chili



4. Erika - chicken parmesan



5. Kristi - Cafe Latte's Chicken Salsa Chili



6. Renee - Beef Enchilada's



7. Sally - Chicken and Stuffing
   

Next Meal Exchange Scheduled for Nov 12

Our next meal exchange is Mon, Nov 12th at 8:15 pm.

Jen and Jessica are resigning. I'm checking with Jennifer and Andrea to see when they want to re-join the group. ~Cheryl

Beer Cheese Soup w/Veggies and Ham - Cheryl

The ham is for making ham sandwiches. Heat the soup on the stove or in the microwave, whichever you prefer.

Chicken Delicious - Kristi

1. Thaw in fridge overnight.
2. Remove the plastic wrap that is under the foil.
3. Bake at 350--covered--for 30 min.
4. Bake for an additional 30 min uncovered.

Serving suggestion: Searve with hearty bread and green vegetable.

Chicken Tuscon - Jen

1. Buy sour cream.
2. Thaw overnight in fridge.
3. Place small dollops of sour cream on casserole and top with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 350 for 30-40 min until hot and cheese begins to brown.

Kansas City Vegetable Soup - Renee

1. Thaw.
2. Heat on stove or in microwave.

Wild Rice Baron - Jessica

1. Thaw overnight.
2. Spread in casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour--but see step 4.
4. Top with almonds for last 30 min of baking.

Chicken with Pretzels and Couscous - Anna

1. The night before, take out everything except the vegetable mix and put in fridge to thaw.
2. Put vegetable mix back into the freezer.
3. Preheat oven to 425.
4. While oven is preheating, line a cookie sheet with foil, coat with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
5. Take 2 eggs (not included!) and beat them. Put the eggs into the bag with the defrosted chicken strips. You will want to coat the chicken in the eggs.
6. Put the chicken in the pretzel crumb mixture (about half at a time), seal the bag and shake. (You can use the freezer bag that I used to put all the food into.) If you like your food a little spicier, you can put 1/4 -1/2 tsp crushed red pepper in with the pretzels.
7. Put the pretzel coated chicken strips on a cooking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
8. While the chicken is cooking, combine chicken seasoning (the square bouillon cube) and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and put in vegetables. (Original recipe called for frozen sweet peppers and onions. I looked and looked but could not find this combination).
9. After a five or six minutes of the vegetables cooking, stir in couscous. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
10. Toss in peanuts (you can chop them if you want or keep them whole), seasoned rice vinegar, and 1 Tablespoon oil of your choice (not included).
11. Serve the veggie/couscous with the chicken strips and the honey mustard dipping sauce (plain yogurt, yellow mustard, honey).

Turkey Stuffing Meatloaf - Erika

1. Thaw overnight in refrigerator
2. Place wrapped loaf on top of baking sheet
3. Unwrap the foil from the top of the loaf (can be baked on top of the foil)
4. Drizzle/coat top of loaf with olive oil
5. Bake at 375 degrees for approx 45 minutes

October Meal exchange

October Meal Exchange
Monday, Oct 15 at 8:15 pm.
Ministry Center

1 Andrea - bring a meal for her to welcome Torsten
2 Anna - Chicken w/ Pretzels and Couscous
3 Cheryl - ham and beer cheese soup with veggies
4 Erika - Turkey-Stuffing Meatloaf
5 Jen S - Chicken Tuscon
6 Jessica - Wild Rice Baron
7 Kristi - Chicken Delicious and Wild Rice
8 Renee - Kansas City Vegetable Soup

A few notes:

• Andrea isn't cooking this month, but please bring a meal for them as we celebrate Torsten!
• Sally is taking the month off.

September Food Exchange

Monday September 10
Meet at MC
8:15 pm

1 Anna - chicken chili (crockpot meal)
2 Cheryl - Pineapple Ham with Rice
3 Erika
4 Jen S - Beef Chimichangas
5 Jessica- Ravioli Lasagna
6 Kristi - Dr. Pepper Spaghetti
7 Renee - Chicken Bundles
8 Sally - Linguine & Fresh Pesto with Grilled Chicken

Time to begin again

Directions for Chicken Bundles: Thaw overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt about 1/2 tbsp. of butter and brush on Bundles. Sprinkle croutons over top and back 20-25 or until golden brown.

June Menu

1)Andrea S.- fajitas or tacos
2)Anna B.- green chili enchiladas
3)Jen S.- marinated chicken breasts (for grilling)
4)Jessica M.- pizza burgers
5)Renee- Turkey enchiladas
6)Sally- Sloppy Joes

5th Meal Exchange

Monday June 11
Meet at MC
8:15 pm

Herbed Chicken Kabobs- Renee

Thaw overnight
Marinate chicken at least 1 hr
Thread chicken on skewers with peppers
Grill until no longer pink

Baked Spaghetti Pie- Jen S

Thaw overnight
Bake 35-45 min in 350 oven
Let stand 10 min

Pork Egg Rolls- Andrea

Heat oven to 400.
Place rolls on oiled baking dish and brush tops with additional oil
Baked until golden browned- 10 min if thawed, 20-30 if frozen

Baked Pasta- Anna

Thaw completely
Bake in preheated 350 oven
30 min with foil, additional 5 without foil

Oven Fried Chicken- Sally

Thaw.
Heat butter in 9x9 pan in 425 oven
Toss chicken in flour
Place chicken skin side down in pan
Bake 20 min each side

Chicken and Rice- Jessica

Thaw chicken
Mix soup with rice and Add Milk
Spread in 13x9 dish, top with chicken
and sprinkle with onion soup- cover with foil
Bake at 350 1hr, remove foil and bake 15min more

May Menu

1) Andrea S.- Pork egg rolls
2) Anna B. - Baked Pasta
3) Cheryl K.
4) Jen S.- Baked spaghetti pie
5) Jennifer W.
6) Jessica M.- Chicken and Rice
7) Renee H- Herbed chicken kabobs
8) Sally R. - Oven Fried Chicken

4th Meal Exchange

When: May 14
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: MC
*Bring a cooler if you want to meet afterwards.

Chicken and Stuffing- Sally

Thaw chicken, cheese, and sauce
Place chicken in 9x13 top with swiss and sauce
Toss stuffing with 1 2/3c water and spread on top
Bake at 375 for 35min

Spiced Turkey Burgers- Jessica

Thaw burgers
Sprinkle with a touch of salt if desired
Broil 4-5 min per side, or until cooked through
Can also be grilled or pan-fried: grill or pan fry until cooked through

Beef Chimichangas- Jen S

Keep frozen
Leave in foil or remove foil and place in greased 9x13
Sprinkle with cheese
Bake at 350 for 30-40 min

Pizza Casserole- Renee

Thaw overnight
Sprinkle with cheese
Bake at 350 for 25-30min

Pork Chops with Black Bean and Corn Relish-Andrea S

Thaw Pork Chops overnight
Rub chops with seasoning
Grill to internal temp of 170
Place black bean corn relish in foil pkt to warm on grill

Hamburger Stroganoff- Cheryl K

Thaw sauce
Boil water and Cook noodles for 30 sec to 1 min
Microwave sauce until hot OR Warm on stove
Mix sauce and noodles and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie- Jennifer W.

Thaw
Cover edges with foil
Bake 350 for 1 hour
Let stand for 5-10min

Wild Rice and Ham- Anna

Defrost and stir
Heat oven to 350
Bake 30 min covered
Add milk if dry

April Menu

1. Andrea S - Pork Chops with Peach Chutney
2. Anna B - Wild Rice and Ham Casserole
3. Cheryl K - Hamburger Stroganoff
4. Jen S - Beef Chimichangas
5. Jennifer W - Chicken Pot Pie
6. Jessica M- Turkey Burgers
7. Renee H - Pizza Casserole
9. Sally R - Chicken and stuffing dish

3rd Meal Exchange

Date: April 16
Time: 8:15 pm
Place: MC
After party: if you are able next month, bring a cooler to keep your food cold and we can walk up to 50th and France for a little post meal-exchange social time.

Beef Lombardi - Cheryl K

thaw
set oven to 350 degrees
bake for 35 minutes covered
remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes

Turkey Lasagna Roll-up - Jessica

Thaw sauce overnight
warm up and stir in saucepan on microwave
heat oven to 350
place frozen rolls in a baking dish
top with sauce and cover with tin foil
bake and foil for 45-60 minutes
remove foil, top with cheese and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Ground Beef Enchiadas - Jennifer W

thaw enchiladas, sauce, and cheese.
pour sauce over enchiladas.
top with cheese
Bake 350 uncovered for 20-30 minutes

Chicken Bundles - Renee

Baked Ravioli with Meat Sauce - Jen S.

Thaw meat sauce overnight
Keep ravioli frozen

Spoon 1/3 of meat sauce into square baking dish
Arrange frozen ravioli atop the meat sauce
Sprinkle with ½ of mozz. cheese
Top with remaining meat sauce

Bake covered in 350 oven for 40-45 min, or until pasta is tender
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozz cheese
Bake about 5 min more, or until cheese melts

Beef Au Jus Sandwiches - Andrea S

thaw meat 24-48 hours
put in crockpot

Greek Pork Pitas - Sally R.

Thaw pork in fridge 24 hours ahead of time.
Put in crockpot.

Chicken Broccoli Fettucini Alfredo - Anna

Websites for Recipe Ideas

Here are a couple of websites that can be used to come up with recipe ideas.

This woman went to a "cook ahead" type shop and then deconstructed them. Some good ideas!
http://organizedhome.com/ftopicp-181800.html

Lots of recipes. The site says that they freeze well.
http://www.recipelink.com/rcpmenus.html

Articles on Freezer Cooking

The Organized Home website has some great articles on freezer cooking:

Sneak Up On Freezer Cooking
http://organizedhome.com/content-84.html

Freezer Cooking FAQs
http://organizedhome.com/content-86.html

March Menu

1. Andrea S - Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
2. Anna B - low-fat Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccini Alfredo
3. Cheryl K
4. Jen S - Baked Ravioli with Meat Sauce
5. Jennifer W - Ground beef enchiladas
6. Jessica M- Turkey Lasagna Roll-ups
7. Renee H - Chicken Bundles
9. Sally R - Greek Pork Pitas (a slow cooker meal)

2nd Meal Exchange

Date: Monday, March 12th
Time: 8:30
Place: M.C.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake - Renee

thaw all items
preheat oven to 400
place tomatoes mixture with stuffing mix and 1/2 cup water
place chicken in 13 x 9 baking dish
sprinkle with cheese
top with stuffing mixture
bake about 30 minutes

Baked Ziti - Sally

thaw and spread in a greased pan.
bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes

Beef Chimichangas - Jen

Do not thaw.
bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes

Chicken Breasts in Wine with Mushrooms - Cheryl

Thaw night before in fridge
preheat oven to 375
cook for 10 minutes

Meat and Cheese Calzone - Anna

Thaw night before in fridge
preheat oven to 375
Cook for 15 - 20 minutes

Turkey Taco Soup - Jennifer

Thaw overnight in fridge
Cook in pan on stove top until warm and heated through

Shepherd's Pie - Jessica

Thaw in fridge the day you plan to have this meal
preheat oven to 425
cook for 15 - 20 minutes

Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes - Andrea

Thaw overnight in refrigerator
Heat oven to 400
bake for 40 minutes

First Exchange Scheduled - Feb 12th

Where: Ministry Center (I got John's permission and put it on the calendar). It is a convenient location, everyone knows where it is, and no one has to feel pressure to pick up their house!
When: February 12th
Time: 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Details: There is plenty of space in the freezer here so, if needed, Andrea could drop off and pick up food from the freezer.
Please remember to bring a box of some sort. Maybe a laundry basket would work?
Just a thought: to make this seem less like another "event" pretend like you are just making a quick run to the store - - except way more fun and way less stressful.

Other Guidelines (non food related)

(This has been taken from the group that my sister is involved with. This will be edited as we learn what works for us).

As a group we agree to:

Prepare 9 meals (4 servings each meal) by the given meeting date. If you are unable to complete your meals by the given date, you will contact the secretary at least two weeks before the next planned meeting.

Be at the schedule exchange before or by the given start time so that everyone can get in and out of the exchange as quickly as possible.

Be savvy shoppers, hoping to keep within the $50-$90 range for the 9 meals. Feel free to add any complimentary item to enhance your meal. (ie: noodles, bread, rice, etc.)

Bring to each meeting: a large cooler or box to transport meals, 9 prepared and labeled meals (with instructions), calendars to set up next meal exchange, and any comments or instructions on meals.

Use freezer quality bags i.e. Ziplock (the Glad bags with the zipper top has seemed to cause problems), or a product like FoodSaver, which sucks all the air out of plastic bags and then seals them.

Label with the following information: name of the dish, your name, date, and include cooking directions. You can write these on the outside of the bag, use labels or print out on the computer and then insert in the bag in clear view and without chance of getting soaked.

Please try and fit all your bags together - if unable then label and number the bags. Please check and double check that ALL bags are sealed tight - clean off any bags if necessary.

Send cooking time and any pertinent meal information to the secretary prior to the meal exchange so the information can be posted on the weblog.

While the goal is to reduce stress, please put some thought and effort into the meal to be exchanged. If you have a favorite "no-fail" dish but haven't prepared it from a frozen state, take the time to make the recipe, freeze it, thaw it and cook it prior to making this meal for everyone else. In other words, make sure the meal freezes well.

Updates

A few questions/thoughts/concerns have come up (in red). I'll do my best to put my 2 cents in here, and maybe others want to add to the comments section?? - Anna

1. I think 9 is plenty big... I'm used to cooking in bulk but more than 9 meals seems like too much. Maybe we could try it at this for awhile and then see about adding some.
- We'll keep it at 9 for the first couple of months to see how things go. So, maybe the web address will be "12busymoms.blogspot.com" in name only and not in practice. :-)

2. Any guidelines on how long to wait before doing the same recipe again?
- If you are like me, I make the same "go-to" recipes at least once a month. I would say that it would be okay to make the same recipe each month, but that might get a little boring. How about every other month? Maybe get some cues from others in the group too. If a certain recipe gets lots of rave reviews and requests then maybe you would want to make it more frequently.

3. Point of clarification: Should I cook the chicken so that it just needs to be microwaved? Or should I not cook it but only provide directions for baking?
- I would say whatever method makes the chicken taste the best. If there is minimal difference with taste then I would err on making it easier for prep (microwaved). For my meal, I am browning both sides of porkchops (they'll be pan fried about 8 minutes total) but then they will need to bake between an hour and an hour and a half with the rice mixture.

4. What’s wrong with white onions? I always buy white and never buy yellow.
- I took the “white onions” rule out. Again, this was borrowed from my sisters group. I have no idea why they have that rule. Maybe someone is allergic?

5. I have a FoodSaver, which sucks all the air out of plastic bags and then seals them. Is it okay if I use those instead of Ziplock? If I do, you could keep them in your freezer for a couple years!
Foodsavers are great! I added that to the list of guidelines.

6. I tried to do the survey, but it said it was closed.
I'm not sure what the problem was with the survey I put together. I'll attempt again, but for now please just leave a time in the comments section under the posting "First Exchange - February 12th"

7. I cannot ever do Monday nights b/c of a scheduling conflict. Is it always going to be on Mondays? If so I won't be able to do it. Just let me know
It won't always be on Monday. I arbitrarily chose the 12th just to get something on the calendar. The first time we meet, everyone should bring their calendars so we can plan the next exchange.