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Gradual Make-Ahead Method: Taco Meat

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I’ve finally come up with the perfect taco seasoning recipe to use with my Gradual Make Ahead Method™!   This method allows you to make your weekday meals as usual, preparing part of the meal (usually the meat) in large enough quantity for an additional 3-5 dinners!

I have found this to be a great time saving alternative to once-a-month cooking, which usually requires long days in the kitchen to do all your cooking at once.  This way, I am able to stay ahead on some of my cooking without giving up an entire weekend.

With a stash of taco meat in the freezer, I am able to make an easy meal of tacos, nachos, taco salad, taco pizza, burritos or enchiladas with little effort.  It even goes nicely from the freezer to the crockpot!

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
  • 1  1/2 teaspoons ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Corn Starch
  • 1 teaspoon Beef Bullion Granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

  • Mix together and store in airtight container until ready to use (up to one year).
  • To cook, add 1 lb ground beef and 1/3 cup water per 2 tablespoons taco seasoning.   Simmer uncovered on low for 5-10 minutes.

Gradual Make Ahead Method:

  • To freeze taco meat, allow to cool completely.  Then add meal size portions to freezer bag or container.  Label and date.
  • When ready to serve, remove from freezer and cook in covered skillet on low until heated through.
  • Alternately, you can add 2 tablespoons water to frozen contents and cook on low in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours or until heated through.

Scroll through HERE (past this post) for more Gradual Make-Ahead ideas!

California Chicken Alfredo

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As you may have read yesterday, I’ve been experimenting with a new kind of make-ahead cooking.

I fell off the once-a-month-cooking bandwagon a couple months ago, and haven’t been able to bring myself to return full force.  Since I didn’t want to lose the time-saving benefits of it, I came up with my own version.  Long story short – I now have a ton of grilled chicken in my freezer so I am working my way through the recipe box to find the best ways to use it up.

This one is always a hit at my house and just about the only way I can sneak veggies in without the moans and groans from the peanut gallery.

CALIFORNIA CHICKEN ALFREDO

Ingredients:

  • 1  lb Grilled Chicken Breast, frozen
  • 8-12 oz bag California Blend Vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cauliflower)
  • 2 cups  Bowtie Pasta
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 1 cup  Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • In a skillet, add butter, garlic, frozen chicken and vegetables.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is heated through.
  • Drain pasta and add to skillet, along with heavy cream, parmesan and salt.  Cook and stir until thoroughly blended.

This is even great as leftovers. Good luck with that.

Recipe was adapted from Taste of Home version.

The Gradual Make-Ahead Method: Grilled Chicken

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Confession time.

I have not been keeping up on my once-a-month cooking lately.  To be honest, it can be difficult to find one entire weekend each month to dedicate to it.  Some months I just don’t have the time.  And even when I could make time, the thought of spending two twelve-hour days on my feet in the kitchen makes me want to give up and run to the nearest Hot & Ready pizza joint.

So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  I really don’t want to lose the benefits of once-a-month cooking.  Not only do I save time throughout the month, but it puts the pleasure back in family dinners for me.  I can enjoy the lingering conversation with my family without the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me I should be scrubbing the pots.

Stupid nagging voice.

Plus on those occasions when I just don’t feel like doing dinner, I’m not tempted to order in because I have so many easy choices on hand.  Which saves me money!

Long story short, I’ve come up with my own Gradual Make-Ahead Method™.  I cook dinner each night as usual…except I make enough meat for 3-5 meals instead of one.  I divide the meat into meal-size portions and freeze the extra.

Last night, I took advantage of a huge sale on chicken breast and bought 10 pounds!  We cooked all 10 lbs worth on the grill, sliced it all up and used one 2-lb portion for dinner.  Then we  divided the remaining 8 lbs into 4 freezer bags to be used for future meals!

If you’d like to give this a try, I recommend using only basic seasonings (or none at all) when grilling.  This way, you can pull the chicken out of the freezer and use it in a variety of recipes.

I am happy to report that it resulted in only a small amount of extra work to and clean-up, and the reward is that we have four extra meals worth! Here’s what we had the first night for dinner.  I’ll be sharing more ways you can use grilled chicken from the freezer in the coming weeks!

CHICKEN FAJITAS RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs grilled chicken breast, frozen
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp mesquite seasoning
  • 3 T water
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 – 1 green pepper, sliced
  • tortilla shells
  • fajita toppings of your choice

Directions:

  • Add frozen chicken breast, onion, green pepper and water to skillet.  Mix in seasonings.  Cover and simmer until chicken is heated through.  Remove cover and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Assemble fajitas and enjoy!

Make-Ahead Meals: Pizza!

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Do you love homemade pizza but hate the time, effort and mess required to make it?

Me too.

Early last year, I made up my mind to find a way to make homemade pizza that can be frozen.  I figured hey, if the frozen food aisle is full of them there must be a way for me to make a fresher version at home.

After a bit of searching, I came across THIS recipe for Par Baked Pizza Crust.  And all I can say is Ohhh Mama! With five ingredients and very little effort, I have been able to keep my freezer stocked with the makings for the best pizza pie this side of Italy.  And it is perfect for adding to my Gradual Make-Ahead™ recipe collection

Ingredients:

  • 2 pkg Active Dry Yeast
  • 4 c. Unbleached Flour (bread flour is best)
  • 1/8 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1 1/2 c. Warm Water

Add water, olive oil and yeast to bowl and let sit for a minute or two.

Combine dry ingredients and knead for five minutes.  If you have a KitchenAid mixer, you can use the dough paddle and mix on low for the same amount of time.  Turn dough into a warm, oiled bowl and cover.

Let sit until doubled in size (around 45 minutes).

Divide dough and form six balls.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes or so.  Then form into 10-12″ pizza crusts.
Bake at 500 for 2-4 minutes, or until they are just able to firmly hold their shape.

Sweet carbohydrates…

Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tip: If you plan to store these in gallon-size freezer bags, just be sure you don’t make your crust larger than your bag.

*Ahem*

To serve:

  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • Take crust directly from freezer and add toppings.
  • Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Now, onto the sauce.
The.  Best.  Sauce.  Ever.

Yes, that’s what it shall be called.

Ingredients:

  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans Stewed Tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 c. Chicken Broth
  • 4 T Chopped Fresh Parsley
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 6 T Olive Oil

Directions:
Process all ingredients in a food processor.  No cooking needed!  Freeze in 5-10 individual bags for up to 3 months.  Thaw as needed!

Now you have everything you need to make a homemade pizza in under ten minutes!

Strawberry Freezer Jam Tutorial

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It’s strawberry season in Texas, y’all!  For a native Michigander like myself, it’s a real treat to be able to have fresh fruit in-season in March!  I took advantage of a huge strawberry sale at our local grocery store and got a few dozen jars of Strawberry Freezer Jam put up over the weekend.

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at canning, freezer jam is the place to start.

You will need:
-1 Pint Canning Jars (best price I’ve seen is at Big Lots for $6 per dozen. Call ahead, as they are not always in stock).
-Fruit Pectin – I use Sure Gel (around $2/box or less on sale)
-Sugar
-Strawberries – Best in-season price should be around $1.25-$1.50/lb.

My favorite strawberry freezer jam recipe is found inside every box of Sure Gel or online HERE.

1) Begin by thoroughly cleaning your work surfaces with hot soapy water and/or antibacterial cleaner.
2) Wash your jars (and your hands!) with very hot water.  Boil your lids.
3) Consider covering your main work surface with baking sheets to catch any drips.  You can easily wash these between batches.

4) Remove stems and mash your strawberries.  It’s important to mash well so you don’t end up with a huge berry lump on your toast later.  You can use a food processor if you like, but I prefer the old school method.

There’s no school like the old school.

5) Add 4 c. sugar to 2 c. mashed strawberries.  Yes, you heard me.
Just do it.

At this point your mixture will be a pinkish color.  Let the sugar and berries get acquainted for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The acid in the berries will begin to break down the sugar granules.

6) In a saucepan cook 3/4 c. water and 1 pkg. Sure Gel. Bring it to a boil, then continue cooking on high for one minute, stirring continuously.  You’ll want to be sure your berries have been hanging out in the sugar for at least 6 or 7 minutes before beginning this step.

7) Add Sure Gel to your sugar-berry mixture and stir continuously for 3 minutes.  Most of your sugar granules will be dissolved at the end of this step.

8) Pour hot mixture into prepared jars.  If you have any drips on or around the lip, wipe off with damp hot paper towel.  Then add your sterile lid.

9) Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.  Stores in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freezer for up to one year.

Cost Breakdown Per Pint Jar (16 oz):
$.34 Sugar (based on a price of around $5 per 10lb bag)
$.67 Sure Gel (one box at $2 makes three pint jars)
$.71 Strawberries (based on $1.50/lb price)
Final Cost: $1.72 per 16 oz jar.  Factor in another $.50 for your jars (which you will reuse year after year) and you’re paying $2.22 per jar. 

Yes, it’s cheaper to buy Welch’s jelly on sale with a coupon.  In this instance, I don’t make it myself to save money.  I make it myself because it is insanely good.

Now that you know how easy it is, you can keep an eye out for strawberry sales in the next few months and give this a try!

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Lunchbox Recipe: Candy Coated Pretzels

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Here’s another fun treat for the lunchboxes that takes just a few minutes to make:
Candy Coated Pretzels

Ingredients:
-2 bags Pretzel Rods ($1.29 each)
-Almond Bark 24-oz ($3.99)
-Sprinkles ($2.99)
Makes 30-40 at a cost of $9.56 or $.24-$.32 each

Melt Almond Bark in a double boiler or microwave.  Coat 1/2 of each pretzel by dipping into warm bark.  Cover with sprinkles and set on wax paper until cool.

These store well for up to a week in a plastic storage bag.  Maybe longer, but I wouldn’t know.  They’ve never made it any longer in this house!

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Recipes for Olive Garden at Home

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Visit Extreme Personal Measures for a crockpot version of Pasta E Fagioli soup.
Then head over to Jamie Cooks It Up! for an Olive Garden Salad with Homemade dressing.
 And what Olive Garden knock-off meal would be complete without the famous breadsticks?  Your Homebased Mom has the recipe!
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Favorite Foodie Blog Posts

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Make It and Love It has a round-up of favorite kid-friendly breakfast ideas – many can be made ahead and frozen!
I Am Baker shares a recipe for Homemade Cake Mix.
Real Mom Kitchen makes Layered Penne with Ham, Mushrooms and Peas.
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