Freezer Meals Part Four

My sister and I made a total of 44 meals, 52 individual pre-baked pizza crusts, and 107 hotdog wraps in one day.  That should last us for two-three months.  We wanted to make Macaroni and Cheese (I still plan to do this), Potatoes Au Gratin, and Ham and Cheese Pockets, but ran out of time.  We usually plan alot and then when our day gets too long, we start cutting things out. 

Following is the recipes of the things we made.  We usually take each recipe times three or four unless it is a large recipe like Potatoes, Ham, and Cheese Casserole.

Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
5 lb. potatoes
16 oz. sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated cheese (optional)
Cook and mash potatoes.  Add rest of ingredients. Put in gallon bags to freeze.  Three times the recipe makes 4 bags of 8 cups each.

Potatoes, Ham, and Cheese Casserole  
18 lbs. cooked and diced potatoes
8 lbs. diced ham
4 cups chopped onion
1 gallon milk
1 1/2 cups flour
3-10oz cans mushroom soup
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup butter
3 lbs. cubed Velveeta cheese
Make a paste with flour and butter.  Heat milk to boiling and add flour paste.  Add seasonings and cook til thick.  Add mushroom soup, and stir well.  Then add cheese, potatoes, and ham.  Mix.  Bake 225 degrees for 3 hours.  Makes 55-1cup servings.  Freeze in gallons bags or plastic containers.  One recipe makes 7 containers of 8 cups plus 1 of 6 cups.                           -taken from the Cooking For Crowds cookbook

Grandma's Chili
2lb Northern beans (canned)
1lb brown sugar
29 oz tomato sauce
1/2lb bacon, cut in chunks
Put all together in baking pan.  Do not cover.  Bake 375 degrees for 2 hours.
Add:
3lbs browned hamburger
1 large can Manwich
1 quart canned tomatoes (may use juice)
1lb kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste.
Heat and serve.  Put in gallon bags or plastic containers to freeze.  Three times the recipe makes 6 bags of 10 cups each.

Rice Lasagna
2 cups instant rice
2 eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1lb hamburger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (30oz) jar spaghetti sauce
Cook rice.  Add eggs, and 1/4 cups parmesan cheese.  Mix thoroughly and set aside.  Combine cheeses, reserving 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.   Mix well.  Brown meat, add garlic powder, spaghetti sauce until heated.  Spoon half of rice in bottom of 3 qt. dish.  Cover with half of cheese mixture.  Top with half of meat sauce.  Repeat layers.  Top with 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.  Bake 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Serves 6-8.  Four times the recipe does a scant 4-9x13 containers.  Make 6 times the recipe to make four full 9x13 containers to freeze.
                                  -found on the back of a rice box

Pizza Dough
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in water; add sugar, salt, and oil.  Add flour and mix well.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 5 minutes  (frugalpal tip: for a thicker crust, let rise about 1/2 hour).  We made 2 double batches.

For individual crusts:
Divide each double batch of dough into 12 balls. Pat each ball into a 4-6 inch circle on a cookie sheet.  Bake until lightly browned.  Does not have to be completely baked.  Let cool and freeze in gallon bags.

To make individual pizzas:
Put on cookie sheet.  Add toppings.  Put in oven long enough to melt cheese.  Or you may warm them in the microwave a little until cheese melts.

Hot Dog Wraps
Dough:
2 tablespoons yeast
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted shortening
1 egg
6 1/2-7 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add sugar, and 1/2 cup flour.  Beat 2 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup melted shortening and egg.  Add flour and knead until smooth.  Let rise until double.

For wraps:
Make double batch of dough
3 lbs. hot dogs
16 slices American cheese

Divide dough into 3 balls.  Roll each ball into a 16 inch circle.  Cut with pizza cutter into 16 pie shaped slices.  Put 1/3 slice of cheese of largest end of pie slice.  Then put 1/2 hotdog on each slice and roll like a crescent roll.

If dough is too sticky, spray your hands with vegetable spray.  Also spray your pans for easier cleanup.  Bake until golden brown about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

One double batch should make 96 wraps.  These wraps are nice for children's lunches or an after school snack.  Just warm them in the microwave.

frugalpal note:  For some reason, we did not get enough wraps out of our dough.  I usually have trouble getting 16 slices for each ball.  Must be another dim moment.

                                                               All in a day's work!

This concludes our series on Freezer Meals.  What did you think?  Do you do Freezer Cooking?  Is this something that you would like to do?