Freezer Meals

Since I work during the week, I've been trying to make my life easier by doing as much cooking beforehand. I love a home cooked meal and I love to cook, but I don't love feeling all stressed out because I have to come home from work, cook, do bedtime, clean up, etc. I spent this afternoon making a few meals for the upcoming weeks. I get tired of freezer meals easily too, so I try to marinate chicken in ziploc bags to bake during the week, so we aren't eating casseroles or pre-cooked meals every night. Here are a few of the recipes I whipped up today:

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells- these are one of my favorite meals. Sometimes I add roasted red peppers, onion, or whatever veggie I have on hand.

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.


Oven-Baked Frito Pie
source:  What's For Dinner?

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz) chili beans
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 envelope low sodium taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2% fat kind)
3 1/2 cups corn chips (Frito's)
1 1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Directions:
Cook ground beef until meat is browned; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix and 1/4 c. of cheese. Sprinkle 1 cup corn chips in bottom of 8x8 baking dish or 9x13 dish. Cover with chili. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Spread sour cream over chili. Top with remaining corn chips and cheese. Bake 4-5 minutes longer.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

**I made the chili today and we are having this tomorrow, so I will assemble it tomorrow! 


Some other tips I have for freezer meals are to drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper on chicken breasts, bake for 40 minutes at 350 and then shred and freeze. I use the shredded chicken to add to pasta with veggies for a quick pasta salad, or to top salads, or for chicken salad served open faced on toasted bread.


I hope this helps some of y'all who like to meal plan or make freezer meals! Hopefully next week, I will share some more recipes that I use.