Ideas for Easy Freezer Cooking

I love the idea of freezer cooking but you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen cooking? Easy freezer cooking is for you. Well, like a lot of other things, the the thought of one day in the kitchen cooking for a month is absolutely overwhelming to me.

Here is how I cook ahead with easy freezer cooking:

1. Whenever I cook a meal that is freezable I make at least two and sometimes three meals so I can cook one that night and freeze the others. Tonight it is lasagna. Of course having a small freezer our garage makes this possible. Now that there are only 4 of us in the house I can easily make two meals and pop one for later in the freezer.

Sees Copycat Bordeaux Candy Recipe

 

Sees Copycat Bordeaux Candy Recipe

• 1 cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

• 1/4 cup Whipping Cream

• 1/2 tsp Instant Coffee Powder

• 1 pinch Salt

• 2 cups Powdered Sugar ; sifted

• 12 oz Chocolate or White Chocolate

Sprinkles or Jimmies for Garnish

Instructions:

1. Over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

2. Stir in whipping cream, coffee, and salt and bring back to a boil. Stir constantly for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

3. Let cool for 10 minutes.

4. Add in powdered sugar and mix well.

5. Chill until mixture can hold shape of a ball. Roll into 1.5 to 2 inch balls. Chill again to firm.

6. For the dip, melt chocolate in the microwave in 1 minute increments or over a double boiler. Add the crisco to the melted chocolate and mix well. (I usually temper chocolate instead or use Ghirardelli melting chocolate) Melting Chips like Wiltons are the best. You can find them here: Wilton Candy Melts

7. Using a toothpick and fork dip candy balls to coat in chocolate and put on wax paper or parchment paper to dry. Add sprinkles on top before chocolate sets.

Summer Supper Salad

In summer, when the temps are high summer salad ideas are where it is at. Often a big salad full of crunch and some protein are all you need to not heat up the kitchen and make a delicious summer supper salad.

In summer we often have big crunchy salads for dinner. I served it along with cheesey bread. Simply sour dough with melted shredded sharp cheddar toasted in the broiler. Tomatoes and cucumbers were from the garden. Yum! This recipe came from a friend and I knew I had to add it to our summer dinner recipes.

In summer we often have big crunchy salads for dinner. I served it along with cheesey bread. Simply sour dough with melted shredded sharp cheddar toasted in the broiler. Tomatoes and cucumbers were from the garden. Yum!

Summer Supper Salad
Chopped lettuce
Cooked diced chicken breasts
Whole wheat noodles boiled al dente
Toasted pine nuts
Cucumbers
Feta cheese crumbled (or a cheese you like)
Diced tomatoes
Crumbled turkey bacon
Dressing of your choice
Toss together and enjoy!

Another favorite summer supper salad is a chef's salad of whatever I have in the pantry and fridge to add a lot of flavor and yumminess.

And my recipe page is back up on the blog. Lot's more dinner ideas there and recipes for breakfast lunch and dinner and more.

Most Frugal Soup - Garbage Soup Recipe

The Most Frugal Soup Recipe Ever!

Garbage soup is probably one of the most frugal soup recipes you can make. Garbage soup is basically a recipe made from all of our food scraps that would get thrown away.

Do you just hate throwing away food? So Do I. My solution to this is to save up soup type ingredients to make a pot of soup. In our freezer is a big tub that I put all the leftover vegetables and meat that I would have to toss from not being eaten. I am always looking for what to make with leftover cooked vegetables.

What Leftovers Can You Save For Your Soup:

1. Always error on the side of caution. I save meat only a few days and it has to be frozen and freezing vegetables for future soup is easy and can be saved after a little longer from the refrigerator. 
2. Think about what you save and if you would like it and the flavor of it in your soup. I once saved baked beans and tried that and yuck! Let me just say they can't just go in a veggie soup.
3. If you have some carrots or onions that are not cooked but getting ready to be tossed go ahead and chop and add to your freezer future soup container. Same goes for celery.
4. Rice is great to add to soup but I try if I can to add that at the last minute so it does not get too mushy. If it is already mixed in the soup bucket, no worries just add it.
5. Potatoes are tricky. Leftover potatoes can become mushy so I don't usually save them for soup. I might scramble up with some eggs and use them up like that. Now if you have leftover mashed potatoes I have the best potato cheese soup recipe to make from leftover mashed potatoes so check that out here...frugal potato soup
6. If the meat I have saved is mostly chicken, I use a chicken broth, if it is mostly beef then beef broth and vegetable broth is great with both.

Preparing The Soup:

1. Crock pot or stove top is fine. I usually add broth to the pan first and add my ingredients, adding more broth if needed. This is really a cheap crockpot soup recipe.
2. Thawing the ingredients isn't necessary but I try to take the container out that morning as I save cook time (saves money) and I can separate out any ingredients I need to.
3. Add a can of diced tomatoes if you like a tomato base for your soups.
4. If you want to really jazz up the soup then you can add some shredded cheese on top or a small bag of frozen meatballs.
5. You can of course add some boiled noodles as a filler if your soup is too brothy.

Please visit our Simple Recipes page for more meal ideas.

Cuban Sandwiches

Quick, what to make for dinner that is quick and easy but filling and yummy. Enter the Cuban sandwiches. Grilled cheese and ham and a few extra tangy ingredients deliver the yummiest grilled sandwich ever!

The real recipe does not call for tomatoes but my husband and I wanted them on there and boy what a taste. So good!!

How To Make Cuban Sandwiches

Sliced sour dough bread or any other sturdy bread
sliced ham
cheddar cheese
mustard
sliced pickles
butter

1. Butter the bread first on the outside and assemble the sandwiches while your pan is heating up.
2. Add mustard to the inside of your bread slices.
3. Layer, cheese, ham and pickle slices. (We added fresh garden tomatoes too).
4. Grill on both sides until cheese is melted.

DIY Panini Press

 You could just make these grilled Cuban sandwiches but if you want them pressed and don't have a panini maker like me, then you can use two pans. You are supposed to fill a tea kettle to set on the top pan for pressing but I don't have one right now so I filled a pan with some water which was a little wonky but worked. Just toast on one side and then flip for a couple more minutes.
Sometimes I use my iron skillet and just press real firmly with the backside of a spatula to act as my own panini press.
Some cool creamy potato salad would be the perfect side to this hot tangy sandwich. You can find the recipe to my mom's famous potato salad on our recipe page.

Calzone Dough Recipe

A family favorite dinner is Calzones! My kids and husband loves my easy calzone dough recipe and requests it often. You can stuff these yummy dough pockets with everything from pizza toppings to shredded roast beef, vegetable or even just cheese.

The only thing you have to remember is to give yourself a couple hours ahead of time to mix the dough and then let it rise before rolling out. Plus, making your own homemade pizza is not full of preservatives or additives. You can actually read all the ingredients.

Calzone Dough Recipe:

Two hours before baking, mix dough and set aside in a warm place to rise. If you kitchen is really cold you can let it rise covered, in the oven turned OFF.

• 2 tbl. yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tbl. olive oil (you can use canola or veg. oil too)
• 2 tsp salt (I use 1 1/2 to cut the sodium a bit)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 5 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in you mixing bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook. Let this sit for five minutes then add everything else but the flour and stir well. Now add the flour one cup at a time mixing in well. I let my dough hook knead the dough for a couple minutes then I place the ball of dough in a well greased large bowl and flip once so the top of the dough is oiled as well. Cover with plastic wrap and set to rise. This makes two very large calzones or four smaller ones. This dough is great for making pizza crust as well as you can see below.

Please feel free to visit our recipe page with over a 100 family friendly recipes. I am a pretty frugal cook so if you are looking for frugal meals that are mostly made from scratch this is a great list to get some ideas from cakes, salads, appetizers and main dishes and more.

Our Favorite Ground Beef, Ground Turkey and Chicken Recipes

Ground meats are a frugal way to cook and stretch the ever increasing grocery prices. Save money and follow some of these yummy family friendly ground beef, turkey and chicken recipes. Our Favorite Ground Beef, Ground Turkey and Chicken Recipes will save you money but more importantly your family will be happy when you serve up these scrumptious family friendly recipes.

Ground Meat Recipes:

1. One Pot Slow Cooker Supper

2. Crockpot Turkey Meatballs

3. Freezer Breakfast Burritos
4. Easy Notsagna
5. Greek Chicken Burgers
6. Homemade Meatballs
7. Cheeseburger Quesadillas
8. Taco Salad
9. Mexican Meatball Soup

And here is a great tip on lowering the fat content in your ground beef and pork: Tip to lower fat in ground beef.
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How To Doctor Up Canned Baked Beans

We love baked beans but like to jazz them up and here is how to doctor up canned baked beans. 

A combination of sweet and tangy additions take canned baked beans to super yummy!

A few additions of what to add to canned baked beans and you will never go back to plain baked beans from the can.

Doctored Up Canned Baked Beans

I like Bush's Baked Beans. They are my favorite. You can modify the additional ingredients to your taste for sweeter or more savory.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients

• 28 ounce Baked Beans
• Generous Squirt Yellow Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Molasses
• Couple Shakes Dried Minced Onions

Cooking Directions

1. Pour beans in saucepan. Add other ingredients. Heat and simmer slow for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Check out our recipe page for my oven baked recipe for awesome baked beans and many more recipes.

Cheeseburger Quesadillas - Frugal Cooking

Who doesn't love a simple week night easy meal idea? I like to buy my ground beef and cook up in big batches for easy meals and cheeseburger quesadillas are great for those quick dinners.

Lately we eat a lot of soups, various quesadillas and mixed bowl meals on weeknights. Remember to check out entire recipe page for tons of meal and frugal cooking ideas.

Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Recipe by Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients

• Flour tortillas
• Ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sliced pickles
• Butter
• Toppings of choice

Cooking Directions

1. Cook your ground beef and season with taco seasoning. Assemble all of your ingredients and a large flat bottom pan or griddle pan. Heat your pan and spread a little bit of butter on the pan on half the tortilla. Lay tortilla flat and spread a layer of cheese, the meat and finally a layer of sliced pickles. Fold over the tortilla and brown on both sides. Serve with thousand island dressing or ketchup or even salsa. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup - Frugal Cooking With Sunny Simple Life

It is soup weather and I have been making a variety of healthy homemade soup recipes. This is my favorite frugal recipe this year and I have made creamy tomato tortellini soup a few times already since the new year.

The hearty soup makes for a filling dinner and I have even frozen it. Freezing dairy based soups can separate a bit but I found it was still super delicious. Let's do some frugal cooking with Sunny Simple Life.

Watch our video of the simmering creamy tomato tortellini soup...

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Recipe by Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life

This is a hearty frugal soup recipe.

Yield: Family size
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 cup diced zuchinni
• 1/2 cup green beans (frozen, fresh or canned)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
• Dash Garlic Powder
• To taste Salt and Pepper
• One box Vegetable Broth
• 1 can Condensed Tomato Soup
• 1 1/2 can Water
• 1/2 cup Half and Half
• Garnish Fresh parsley (optional)
• One small package Cheese tortellini or kind of your choice

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot, saute onion, celery and carrots. Add the vegetable broth and simmer for a few minutes. Add condensed soup and water, stirring well to mix. Dump in rest of vegetables and seasonings. Simmer until veggies are tender about 10 minutes. Add tortellini and simmer until tender about 8-10 minutes but don't overcook. Add half and half, stir to mix and bring to boil. Ready to serve, garnish with fresh herbs if you like. Enjoy.

Top 5 Posts Of 2017

Happy New Year and a look at the top 5 posts of 2017. Camping and cooking were a popular topic. As always a BIG thank you to all of you who visit regularly. From our family to yours, Happy New Year!


1. Easy RV Step Replacement

2. How We Keep Our RV Trailer Organized

3. American Flag Cake Recipe

4. How To Get Rid Of Pantry Moths

5. Vanilla Shortage and Price Hike

Freezer Lasagna - Cooking For The Holidays

Welcome to my holiday freezer cooking series. Let's see how we can save time and what to make ahead and freeze for the busy Christmas season.  Today is Freezer Lasagna - Cooking For The Holidays.

3 Of My Easy Go To Soup Recipes Using Leftovers

Frugal cooking is my thing and here are three great soups made from leftovers and the easy recipes to make them.

More frugal cooks in past generations could stretch a meal into many more. Leftover vegetables into a pot of soup the next day was a regular practice. There was no throwing good food in the trash. So turn leftovers into soup for an almost free meal. Here are 3 of my go to soup recipes from leftovers.

Leftover Soup Recipes

Zesty Mexican Soup

This is usually the soup I make with leftover taco meat and Spanish rice. 

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Easiest Ever Potato Cheese Soup

Potato cheese soup from leftover Thanksgiving potatoes is a tradition. This one if my favorite. My all time comfort food soup recipe.

Rice Krispie Treat Monsters

For Halloween these rice krispie treat monsters are perfect. An easy variation on rice krispie treats make these perfect for a Halloween dessert but also any kids party.

The morning of our party I made up the rice krispie treats and then my husband and I later decorated them all up.

Rice Krispie Treat Monsters

1. Make up a batch of rice krispie treats from the original recipe.

2. Pick up some Wilton melts in the colors of your choice. Orange, green and purple are perfect. Also, you will need a pack of the candy eye balls. I got all of mine at Walmart but you can order them too.

3. Once your rice krispie treats are prepared, cool them thoroughly. I pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Slice the treats in little rectangles.

4. Prepare several cookie sheets with wax paper. Get your Halloween sprinkles out.

5. Take your first color of melts and melt according to the package directions.

6. Start dipping and coating the ends with a rubber spatula. Place a pair of candy eyes and sprinkle the tops of the treats. Place on the cookie sheet. When you filled up a cookie sheet, slide it into the refrigerator to cool down and harden about 15 minutes.

7. Once fully set, arrange your spooky rice krispie treats in a fun Halloween container.

If you need a really quick fall treat idea, check our our three ingredient fall treat mix recipe.

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Homemade Beer Batter Onion Rings

Whenever we go camping, we treat ourselves to some awesome homemade comfort food and a favorite is our homemade beer batter onion rings made with Bisquick. I rarely make fried foods but when we are camping and hiking, I feel like we can splurge.

Processing And Freezing Bulk Ground Beef

About every 6-8 months I order 40 pounds of grass fed 93/7 ground beef from a bulk order.

Here are my tips for processing and freezing ground beef.

Broccoli Egg Salad

This is such a lovely, healthy, easy salad with a few whole ingredients. Broccoli egg salad is a favorite in our house and is a entire one bowl meal full of protein and fiber.

Great for low carb lovers and a paleo salad idea.

Banana Coconut Smoothie

When we have overripe bananas, here is a great way to use them in an easy smoothie recipe. Banana coconut smoothie is a great breakfast idea. A tropical smoothie treat.

How To Steam Eggs - Young Homemakers Series

My favorite way to hard boil eggs is also the easy way to steam eggs. I find this method makes it easier to peel fresher eggs which we all know can be tough. In this Young Homemaker Series, hard boiled eggs are a basic kitchen staple. Easy to make and an economical quick snack or meal.

Five On Monday - New Favorite Cookbook & Garden News

Our garden, oh it is bringing us so much joy right now. A cool May has made the flowers really last. 

Find this Cookbook

Our garden, oh it is bringing us so much joy right now. A cool May has made the flowers really last. I find surprises at hubby decorates even outside. He hung this old bee skep out among all the vines on our garage wall.

The patio fountain was cleaned and readied for spring and summer on the brick patio. We love all these vines for the way they soften the side of our garage wall. You can see more of this in Softening a Hard scape.

I am working on a little white garden. In our small backyard we have to do areas in mini garden room form. I already removed those two red begonias as they were bugging me and transplanted them elsewhere in the garden.

I received this new cookbook as a gift and I love it. I have already made two dishes from it. I cook for so many people that this is perfect. I want to keep collecting hard backed cookbooks and not only collect recipes online as I love the time perusing a cookbook looking for ideas.

Found some darling plates on clearance at Home goods. I was down to only a few salad/dessert plates and these were perfect. $3 a piece on clearance and I had a gift card.
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