Ok, everyone. Another crowd-pleasing freezer meal post. This would be Part III in the compelling "Sister Spoon Freezer Meal Series" so make sure you check out Fast and Easy Freezer Meals and also Four Fantastic Freezer Meals, which shares my method and tips for freezer meal prep and cooking.
Our meals today are:
Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala
French Onion Pork Chops
Favorite Pork Chops
Greek Chicken
The Recipes
Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala - Freezer Meal
(adapted from a recipe at theroastedroot.net)
Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients -- it's mostly spices.
This is a wonderful recipe that tastes oh-so delicious and is super easy
to get on the table with the use of a slow cooker. Just whip up some
rice (I like to add tumeric, curry, fresh ginger, dried cranberries and
sauteed onion to mine) and garnish with fresh cilantro. Bam, awesome
meal, and you didn't even break a sweat.
Why is this text so small? It will not get bigger, no matter what I try. Fooey.
2-3 lb. Chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (or less, I like 1/2 a can)
2 T tomato paste
2 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 T paprika
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 cardamom
1 t salt
Dump the above ingredients to a freezer zip-top bag. Squish out the air and seal. Label and seal.
To cook: Thaw and dump contents in slow cooker. Cook 4 hours on low (more if still frozen). While the chicken is cooking, mix:
3/4 c cream
2 T cornstarch
1 c plain yogurt
(I like to put these in a screwtop jar and shake until thoroughly combined). Add to slow cooker the last hour of cooking. Cook until chicken is tender and the sauce is thickened. Serve over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Favorite Pork Chops - Freezer Meal
(Adapted from a recipe in Taste of Home Magazine)
These tender pork chops have both a lip-smacking marinade and also a sauce with a nice kick. I freeze the chops in the marinade and then stir up the sauce as it bakes.
Marinade:
1 1/2 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c brown sugar
1 T molasses
4-6 pork chops
Dump the above ingredients into a freezer zip-top bag. Squish the air out and seal. Label and freeze.
To Cook:
Thaw. Drain marinade. Put chops in a baking dish. Cover, bake 350F 20-30 minutes. While baking, combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the chops and cook, uncovered, until the chops are done (20-40 minutes more, depending on the size of your pork chops).
Sauce:
3/4 c ketchup
2/3 c chili sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T water
2 t prepared mustard
French Onion Pork Chops - Freezer Meal
This glorious thing is a French Onion pork chop. Crispy, savory, rich and meaty. One of my all-time favorites.
4-6 pork chops
4 T butter
1 T beef base (or beef bullion if you don't have beef base)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 c fresh parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated
Dump all ingredients into a freezer bag. Squish the air out, seal, label, freeze.
To cook:
Thaw.
Can be cooked on high for 4 hours in the slow cooker
OR
baked in the oven - 375F for 20-40 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your pork chops.
Greek Chicken - Freezer Meal
(Adapted from a recipe at budgetbytes.com)
This tender chicken is baked in a yogurt and herb mixture that makes it juicy and delicious.
4-8 chicken pieces (pictured above is a breast, but thighs and legs are wonderful)
1 c plain yogurt
zest of one lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried oregano
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Dump all ingredients into a freezer bag. Squish the air out, seal, label and freeze.
To cook:
Thaw.
Cook on grill or bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes, depending on your chicken pieces. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.
