Meal One: Split-pea and Ham Soup, in the Crockpot
Meal Two: fridge clean-out quiche
Meal Three: Chicken Enchiladas
Meal Four/Five: Homemade meat sauce, spaghetti and manicotti
Meal Six: Asian Meatballs, stir-fried broccoli and snap peas over rice
Recipes
Split-pea and Ham Soup
16oz dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 c diced ham
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c chopped onion
2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 c fresh parsley, or 2 t dried parsley
1/2 t fresh pepper
1 1/2 qts hot water
Layer ing in a slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover an dcook on HIGH 4-5 hours, or low 8-10 hours, until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. mash peas to thicken more, if desired. Serve garnished with croutons. Freezes well.
This is so easy and delicious...the best split peas soup I have ever had..well the only, but it was seriously good.
Quiche
4 eggs
3/4 c cream
nutmeg, dash
salt/pepper
3/4 c chopped veggie (whatever you have asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers)
1/2 c chopped lunch meat (bacon, deli ham, turkey, chicken, whatever)
1/2 c shredded cheese (again whatever you have, I think swiss is usually best, but try it)
1/2 small onion, or 1 whole shallot diced
pie crust (I have store bought ones in my freezer)
Combine eggs (beaten), cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in dish. In small saucepan saute shallot over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until softened. You can add the veggie if you want for another two minutes or so, your choice. Layer bottom of pie crust evenly with meat, veggie, shallot and cheese. Then pour egg mixture over the top and jiggle to evenly disperse. Bake in oven at 375 for about 45 minutes.
My quiche will be deli turkey, swiss, asparagus and onion...maybe some mushrooms, depends on what is left in the fridge.
Chicken Enchiladas:
2 c shredded chicken
1 c drained black beans
1 can green chilies
1 c sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sliced olives
1/2 c cheddar cheese the another cup for sprinkling top of enchiladas
choice of corn or flower tortillas
1-2 c enchilada sauce
mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Spoon 1/4 c enchilada sauce into bottom of baking dish. Fill tortillas with mixture and layer in baking dish. If doing two layers, top first layer with sauce and half of remaining cheese. Then top second layer with remaining sauce and cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.
Sometimes I don't have shredded chicken so I will sub beef or pork, again this is freezer clean out so use what you have, don't be afraid to sub, it usually works out. Also I don't always have the cream of chicken soup, so I leave it out if I don't have it, no big thing.
Homemade Meat Sauce:
2-3 lb meat (I like to use ground turkey sausage, but use what you like, burger works just fine)
1/2 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic
3 cans tomato sauce, plus three cans of water
2 cans tomato paste, plus four cans of water
3 bay leaves
two palms full of italian seasoning (or one oregano, one parsley)
salt and pepper
olive oil
In large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add meat and onions, when about half done add chopped garlic. Add tomato sauce and paste along with additional cans of water, bay leaves, salt, pepper and seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer about 2 hours, stirring every half hour. Note...Do Not scrap sauce rim (you know the stuff that sears to the side of the pan when it is simmering), just stir the middle.
This makes about 4-5 dishes (so yes it fills back up the freezer, but gets the meat in a new spot, you know)
Spaghetti: Seriously, Cook noodles and top with your amazing homemade sauce.
Manicotti:
manicotti noodles
premade meat sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 1/2 c mozzarella
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 T fresh chopped parsley
1 egg beaten
Cook manicotti noodles only half the time recommended on the package. Then remove from water and set on foiled pan.
In seperate bowl mix together cottage cheese, 1 c mozarella cheese, parsley and egg. Gently fill noodles with cheese mixture.
Lightly spray casserole dish and lightly cover bottom of pan with meat sauce. Top with filled noodles. Top filled noodles with a layer of meat sauce, then sprinkle with remaining mozarella and parmesan cheese.
Place in oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until cheese is nice and bubbly.
Note: My friend Amber doesn't cook her noodles at all, she just makes it the night before and sets in the fridge overnight. I haven't tried it but I think I will. That way all I have to do when I get home is pop it in the oven, closer to the 30 minutes.
Asian Meatballs
mix together 1 lb ground turkey, 2-3 cups shredded cabbage...optional (recipe says to place cabbage in colander with 1/4 t salt, let set 20 minutes then squeeze cabbage to drain any excess liquid), 4 t soy sauce, 1 1/2 t ginger, 1 garlic clove minced, and 2 egg whites beaten. Once mixed let set in refrigerator about 15 minutes to set. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on foil lined sheet pan, sprayed with pam. Drizzle meatballs with your favorite teriyaki sauce, I use yoshidas original, and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Broccoli and Snap Peas, stir-fried over med high heat with a little soy sauce and water poured in to keep from burning.
Shopping List
hambone or ham
ground meat (4 lb, 2-3 for meat sauce and 1 for meatballs)
chicken for shredding
onions
carrots
celery
shallot
cabbbage/cole slaw mix
broccoli
snap peas
garlic
ginger
parsley
mozzarella cheese
cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese
sour cream
eggs
cottage cheese
1/2 and 1/2
black beans
green chilis
olives
cream of chicken soup
enchilada sauce
tomato sauce
tomato paste
tortillas
spaghetti noodles
manicotti noodles
rice
16oz green split peas
frozen pie crusts
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