What You Need:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, c hopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 lb. beef stew meat, cubed
1 tbsp flour
8 C of beef broth
2 (14 oz.) cans of chili beans
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place the oil in a soup kettle and place the kettle over low heat.
Stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes or until just beginning to soften.
Add the green and chili peppers and stirring often cook 5 minutes.
Stir in the meat and cook for 10 minutes or until the meat has browned on all sides.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the mixture and stir to blend in.
Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the broth.
Bring the mixture to a brisk boil then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer the soup for 90 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.
Stir in the chili beans, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes longer.
Remove the soup from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Store the soup in freezer containers for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw the soup completely.
Place the thawed soup in a saucepan over low heat.
Heat the soup, stirring often, until completely heated through.

Makes 8 servings

When freezing soup in freezer bags remember to leave a little room for expansion. Liquids will expand when frozen and you don’t want the bag to burst leaving your soup all over the bottom of your freezer. The chili pepper is optional if your not food of extra spicy soup or can be adjusted to 2 if you really like your soup hot and spicy.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 2 hours
Total Time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes

What You Need:

4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. lean beef, cut into 1/2 in pieces
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 C of red wine
2 (28 oz.) cans tomatoes, chopped
4 bay leaves
1/8 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place the oil in a saucepan and place over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and cook for minutes or until soft.
Stir in the beef and stirring often cook 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
Add in the garlic and stirring constantly cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Transfer to freezer containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator and heat on low in a saucepan until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

This makes a great topper for rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 41 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 1 minute

What You Need:

2 tsp allspice
1 handful of fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 (2 in.) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
1 tbsp flour
5 C of chicken broth
4 bell peppers, seeds removes and chopped
5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

How to Make It:

Place the allspice, thyme, tamarind paste, ginger, salt and pepper into the food processor.
Process until it turns into a paste.
Add a little oil to the paste and process until the oil is blended in well.
Pour the mixture into a zip lock bag.
Add the chicken, close the bag and press the mixture over the chicken well.
Marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
Place the remaining oil into an oven proof cast iron Dutch oven.
Add the chicken and cook for medium heat 10 minutes or until the chicken is browned on all sides.
Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and add just a little bit of the broth.
Stir to moisten the flour and remove any of the brown bits from the pan bottom.
Add the remaining broth and stir until the flour has dissolved.
Stir in the peppers and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens a little.
Let the mixture cool completely before storing in freezer containers.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve allow the stew to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat the stew in a pan over low heat for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

This may also be reheated in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 1 hour 42 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 52 minutes

What You Need:

2 lbs. of potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp of butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
3 (14 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen peas

How to Make It:

Boil the potatoes in water for 15 minutes or until very soft.
Drain the potatoes, and then add the butter, salt and pepper and mash.
Place the oil into a heavy duty saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir in the onions and carrots and cook 5 minutes or until soft.
Crumble the ground beef into the mixture and cook 10 minutes or until browned through.
Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes with their juice and bring the mixture to a boil.
Stir in the peas, lower the heat and cook 20 minutes.
To freeze, let cool then divide the meat mixture between 2 foil casserole dishes.
Top each dish with a layer of the potatoes.
Freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat, place the frozen casserole into a preheated 350 degree oven.
Bake 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

Storing this casserole in a foil casserole dish means easy removal, easy baking and very little cleanup.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 51 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 06 minutes

What You Need:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 lbs. beef stew meat
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 C dry white wine
6 C of vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 (14 oz.) cans of chickpeas, drained well
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 350 and preheat.
Pour the oil into a large skillet.
Season the beef with the salt and pepper and place into the skillet.
Cook the beef over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until browned.
Carefully pour the wine into the skillet and stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Transfer the meat mixture to a large oven proof pan.
Stir in the broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and chickpeas.
Cover the dish and bake for 1 hour.
Stir in the orange sections and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
Allow the stew to cool completely before storing in freezer containers.
This stew will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Allow the stew to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat, place in a saucepan and heat over low heat for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

This delicious twist on homemade stew is a great make ahead freezer dinner. Serve it in a bowl with warm crusty bread and don’t forget to add the dessert.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 1 hour 42 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 52 minutes

What You Need:

2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 (14 oz.) can of pineapple rings, drained
10 tbsp butter, room temperature
2/3 C of sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C of self rising flour
3 tbsp of milk

How to Make It:

Allow the oven to preheat to 350 degrees.
Spray the bottom of a shallow 1 qt. baking dish with a non stick cooking spray.
Drizzle the syrup over the bottom of the dish.
Place the pineapple rings over the syrup being careful they don’t overlap.
In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour after each egg.
Stir in the remaining flour.
Add the milk a tbsp at time, mixing after each addition and only adding enough of the milk to form dough that drops easily off the spatula when raised out of the mixture.
Pour the mixture over the top of the pineapple and smooth out.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
Let cool before wrapping and freezing.
To serve, let thaw completely.
Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Nothing says yummy more than a pineapple cake. This one is easy to throw together and quick to reheat. It’s a great dessert to have on hand after a long and stressful day.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 25 minutes
Total Time: approximately 35 minutes

What You Need:

4 thick slices of bread
2 tbsp of butter at room temperature
4 tbsp orange marmalade
1 egg
1 1/4 C of milk
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp ginger

How to Make It:

Lightly butter a 1 qt. casserole dish.
Spread each slice of bread with butter and then with the marmalade.
Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles and arrange them in the baking dish.
Place the egg in a bowl and lightly beat.
Add the milk and beat until well combined.
Beat in the sugar and ginger.
Pour the mixture over the bread and let stand for 30 minutes.
Set the oven to 350 degrees and preheat.
Bake the pudding for 35 minutes or until set.
Cool completely before freezing.
To reheat, thaw completely and place in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Heat for 30 minutes or until heated through

Makes 6 servings

This dessert is so simple to make and tastes heavenly. You might want to make 2 so you’ll always have one on hand.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 35 minutes
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes

What You Need:

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 turkey breast fillets
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 onions, sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced
2 C of chicken broth

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted.
Add the turkey and sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper.
Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place the browned turkey fillets in a casserole dish.
Scatter the vegetables around and over the turkey fillets.
Pour the broth over the top.
Cover the dish and bake 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
Remove and let the turkey and vegetables cool to room temperature.
Place in freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat, transfer to a large pan and heat over medium heat until piping hot.

Makes 8 servings

Serve this delicious dish garnished with a little fresh parsley and lemon zest. Be sure to add a little of the sauce to each container before placing it in the freezer to keep the turkey from drying out.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 50 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 10 minutes

What You Need:

3 tbsp of butter
3 tbsp of oil
2 onions, diced
10 garlic cloves, minced
6 bacon strips, cut into pieces
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 lb. button mushrooms
4 C of red wine
4 C of chicken stock
2 1/2 lb. boneless chicken pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place the butter into a large pan over medium heat.
Stir the oil into the melted butter.
Add the onions and cook 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.
Stir in the garlic and bacon pieces and cook 5 minutes.
Add the thyme and mushrooms and cook 2 minutes longer.
Pour the wine into the pan and adjust the heat to medium high.
When the wine begins to bubble, cook for 5 minutes.
Add the stock and bring the liquid back to a rapid boil.
Carefully add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper.
Lower the heat to medium and simmer 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Cool and store in the freezer containers for up to 3months.
To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Place in a casserole dish and heat in a preheated 350 degree oven 25 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

Most foods can be stored in plastic freezer bags. Be sure the bags are labeled freezer bags, as they are strong, leak proof and resistant to moisture. Also be sure to label your foods before storing them. This way you know exactly what you have and how long it has been stored.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 42 minutes
Total Time: approximately 57 minutes