Q: How do you freeze stuffed peppers?
A: You’re just freezing the filling for the peppers – which makes a quick dinner really easy!

Photo by k.segars

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
1 lb. ground beef
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Post Freezing Ingredients
4 green bell peppers, halved
large stock pot filled 1/2 way with water.

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In large skillet put in olive oil. Once hot add garlic, stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add ground beef, stir and let cook.
4. Once cooked add rice, corn, diced tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
5. Cook until all is hot.

Freezing Directions
1. Let mixture cool thoroughly.
2. Then put in freezer safe container or bag.
3. Remember, if you’re not going defrost it all at one time, don’t freeze it all together.

4. Good frozen 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove portion from the freezer.
2. Place in the refrigerator for apporximately 24 hours or remove from freezer container and place on microwave safe plate and defrost until thawed.

Cooking Peppers
1. Bring water to boil in stock pot.
2. Remove seeds from halved peppers and place in boiling water.
3. Cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Drain and fill with defrosted mixture.

- The directions seem lengthy but this is really quick and easy. Great for those busy weeknights!

Chile is a great recipe to freeze…

Ingredients

     1 lb. ground beef
     1 lb. ground pork
     1 teaspoon olive oil
     3 large garlic cloves, minced
     1 large onion, diced
     1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies
     1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
     1 8 oz. can of water
     2 bay leaves
     ¼ cup chili powder
     2 teaspoons cumin
     2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
     2 teaspoons masa flour
     kosher salt, to taste
     1 16 oz. can dark red kidney beans

Recipe Directions

1. Pour olive oil into a large cooking pot over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.
2. Add in onions and cook until soft. Then add ground beef and pork, cook thoroughly, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in can of diced tomatoes and can of crushed tomatoes. Fill ½ of the empty can of diced tomatoes with water, stir in.
4. Add bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, masa flour, and salt. Stir until thick.
5. Add kidney beans and cook for 5 minutes more.

Freezing Directions

1. Allow chile to cool.
2. Pour into large freezer zip-lock bags or other freezer safe containers. Divide portions based on how much you’ll defrost at each time.

3. Good frozen 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions

- There are a couple of ways to defrost…
1. Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator for approximately 32 hours.Then reheat in pan on the stove over medium heat.
2. Remove from freezer and take out of zip-lock bag or container. Place in microwave safe container and microwave for the time appropriate for the amount defrosting.

Q: How can you freeze tacos you might ask?

A: You’re just freezing what goes inside your tortilla.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies

Post Freezing Ingredients
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
1 cup lettuce, shredded

Recipe Directions
1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour can of diced tomatoes and chilies on top.
2. Set crock pot on high, let cook for 5-6 hours or until chicken shreds easily.

Freezing Directions
1. Remove chicken from crock pot, let cool.
2. Place chicken into freezer zip-lock bag or freezer safe container.
3. Place in freezer. Good frozen 3-4 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove from freezer.
2. Place in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours or until thawed.
3. Place in pan and heat on stove over medium heat until warm.

-Serve inside flour tortillas with other ingredients listed above.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients
     4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
     3/4 cup all-purpose flour
     2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
     sea salt and pepper, to taste
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     3 tablespoons unsalted butter
     1 10 oz. package baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
     3 large garlic cloves, minced
     ½ cup white wine
     ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
    
Post Freezing Ingredients
     16 oz. Capellini pasta (or angel hair)
    

Recipe Directions
1. In a small bowl combine 6 teaspoons of flour and chicken broth, whisk until smooth.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Put remaining flour in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chicken and cook until the middle is no longer pink, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to plate and set aside.
4. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
5. Add garlic and wine to skillet, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth mixture and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring it continually. Add parsley, butter, and mushrooms. Then add the chicken breasts.

Freezing Directions
- Once the chicken has cooled place in freezer bags or freezer safe containers.
- Remember to freeze only the portions you plan to defrost at one time.

- Freeze for 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove from freezer bag or container.
2. Place on microwave safe dish and defrost on medium.
or
1. Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours.
2. Once defrosted place in skillet and heat thoroughly.

- Prepare pasta as directed on package and serve with chicken on top.

- Rice is a great food to freeze. It makes an easy side dish even easier. Double or tripple the recipe to divide up in the freezer and then defrost smaller portions.

Ingredients
     1 cup basmati rice
     1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes
     1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
     1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan add olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add basmati rice; stir so that oil covers each grain.
3. Combine diced tomatoes and tomato sauce in saucepan. Fill the 8 oz. can that contained the sauce with water and add to mixture.
4. Stir contents and cover with lid. Turn heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes.

Freezing Directions
1. Let rice cool completely.
2. Then place in freezer safe bag or container. Place in freezer.

3. Good frozen 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove from bag or container and defrost in microwave.
2. Or allow to defrost in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours. Then reheat in microwave or on stove top.