Sunday, June 22, 2014

Freezer to Crock Pot: Week 2

Little late on this post, but we only achieved three meals this week and had some as leftovers. Two were a great success, and the other a TERRIBLE fail... So bad we went out and got something to eat. It was really disappointing! 

Here were our meals this week!

Meal 1: Roast, Carrots, & Potatoes
 *This was probably the easiest meal when it came to prepping*

Ingredients:
Roast
Carrots (cut in to peices) or you can use baby carrots
Potatoes (cut in to fourths) *I used red potatoes and did about 6*
One packet of onion soup mix
Water *it depends, see below*

Prepping:
  • Place roast in separate freezer bag
  • Place carrots and potatoes in another bag together.
  • Label both bags with date and meal and place in freezer.
Cooking Instructions:
  • I thawed the roast the night before in the fridge, but not the potatoes/carrots.
  • I added two cups of water and the onion soup mix to the crock pot and mixed it around. 
  • Then, I added the roast, carrots, and potatoes.
  • I noticed there was not enough water so I added another 1 to 1-1/2 cups. I was afraid the potatoes would dry out.
  • I will say for next time I will probably use two onion soup packets and about 3-1/2 cups of water and mix it in a SEPARATE bowl. Then add the roast, potatoes, and carrots and pour the mixture over the top. Either way, it tasted fine this time.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours. You can cook on high for 4 hours but it will not be as tender.
  • We eat our roast with ranch, and it was DELICIOUS!

Meal Two: Potato Soup 
Spoiler Alert: THIS WAS TERRIBLE!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery (optional, we always leave it out)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
2 cups milk  
Shredded cheese, as much or little as you would like. (probably about 1 cup)

Prepping Instructions:
  • I made the mistake and should have read the whole recipe, but I didn't. It said they didn't think that potatoes freeze well, so you could cook the soup and then freeze it OR just freeze "EVERYTHING" but the potatoes. Silly me, because then I noticed in the cooking instructions that you add the milk and cheese an hour before it is complete.
  • So, with all of that being said, I recommend making this soup and then freezing it. That would make it SO much easier! I don't know how it will taste, but I am sure it will be a lot better.  

Cooking Instructions:
  • Combine everything BUT MILK AND CHEESE, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. 
  • An hour before it is complete, add milk and cheese. 
  • Freeze soup in bags for easy stove-top heat up later on!
 Meal Three: Marinara Chicken & Vegetables
Ingredients 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
4 cloves garlic 
1 can of diced tomatoes & green chiles 
4 ribs celery, chopped 
2 small zucchini, chopped (about 2 cups) 
 1 green pepper, chopped 
2.5 cups of spaghetti sauce 
1 t. basil 
bowtie noodles (or another version of your favorite)
Parmesan cheese and/or cheddar cheese for day of meal

Prepping Instructions: 
  • Chop all vegetables
  • Put all ingredients, EXCEPT the  bowtie noodles in a freezer bag. Date and label with name of meal.

Cooking Instructions:

  • Thaw freezer bag overnight in the refrigerator. 
  • Add contents of bag to crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
  • Once meal is done you can cook noodles, or when there is about 30 minutes left on the timer for the crock pot. 
  • Shred the chicken with a fork, pour over noodles and mix together.
  • Top with Parmesan cheese and/or cheddar cheese, Enjoy!
Review:

We loved this meal! Josh compared it's taste to chicken parmesan and really loved it. We topped with both cheddar and parmesan cheese and it was really good! 

I am not sure what meals we will be trying next week, some may be repeats but we shall see! It has been super easy to grab these out of the freezer with little to no prep the day of cooking and have a yummy meal waiting for us when we get home from work!

Love,
Ashlyn 

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