Meal Swap: Wednesday Group’s Oct. 2012 Menu and Recipes

Oct. 2012 Menu:

***All our recipes serve are to serve six adults***

Your Choice –

Kristine: Amazing Chicken

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package Onion Soup Mix
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional but I added it)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup minced onion (Original recipe says to use 1/4 c., but felt like it was to much)
1/2 cup apricot jam

Prep Day Directions: Label bags. Place chicken into each bag. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix well and pour into each bag of chicken. Remove excess air, seal bags and freeze.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw. Oven: Bake 350 for 20 minutes. Or Slow cooker: high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. (check earlier for doneness). Or Grill: medium – high until meat is white throughout.

Serving Suggestions: “This recipe makes a succulent sauce that is amazing over rice!” Green beans provided for side.

Kellie: Mini Broccoli Calzones

Serving Size: 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Flour, for rolling dough
2 packages (1 pound each) balls fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded (6 ounces) part-skim mozzarella cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Prepared tomato sauce (optional)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped

Prep Day Directions: In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion; cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broccoli, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside to cool.

Form calzones: Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, stretch each piece out, first to a 3-by-4-inch oval, then stretch again, this time to a 6-by-8-inch oval. (Let dough rest a few minutes if too elastic to work with.)

Stir cheeses into cooled broccoli mixture; season generously with salt and pepper. Assemble calzones: Spread a rounded 1/2 cup broccoli mixture over half of each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border; fold over to form a half-moon. Press edges to seal. With a paring knife, cut 2 slits in the top of each calzone.

Using a wide metal spatula with a thin blade, transfer calzones to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment or waxed paper; reshape if needed. Stick in freezer until firm. Then, transfer into resealable platic bags.

Serve Day Directions: Preheat oven 400 degrees. Take Calzones out of bag and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I bet a non-stick spray would work too). Bake from frozen until calzones are golden. About 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with a small dish of tomato sauce.

North American/European –

Erin: Turkey Chili

1-1/4 cups bell pepper, diced
1 cup sliced onion (I used 1/2 cup chopped red onion)
1/2 cup carrots
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 cup chili powder
1-1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, drained
8 oz. tomato sauce
shredded cheese

Prep Day Directions: Cook pepper, onion, carrots and turkey in small amount of oil. Stir in chili powder and next 8 ingredients (through tomato sauce). Place in labeled freezer bags. Freeze. Place shredded cheese in freezer bags.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw chili and cheese. Bring chili to simmer, cover and simmer 1 hour. Serve with cheese.

Italian/Mediterranean –

Bridget: Italian Sausage Wellington

Serves 12

1 pound ground italian sausage
1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mushroom, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chive and onion cream cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 egg white – you provide

Prep Day: Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink; drain. Add bell pepper, mushroom, onion, garlic, and salt to the skillet and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a large bowl, mix together sausage mixture, cream cheese, and cheese. Cool and place mixture into ziplock and freeze along with 2 crescent rolls

Serving Day: Thaw and bring meet mixture as close to room temp as possible. Place 1 package of crescent rolls flattened on a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with sausage mixture. Place remaining crescent rolls on top of mixture and pinch seams to seal. Brush top with egg white. Bake in preheated oven 325 until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Andi: Cheesy Chicken Penne

adapted this recipe by from Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Prep Day: Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Serve Day: Thaw Béchamel sauce in fridge overnight. Make noodles according to package. Pour sauce in dutch oven and slowly bring to a simmer- sauce should be a thick sauce consistency(if too thick you can add a little milk). Add noodles to the Bechamel and stir- pour into a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Asian/Indian –

Kirsten: Orange Chicken

modified recipe from ‘The Virtuous Wife’ blog

3 lb. cubed chicken breasts
8 tbsp orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp salt
1/2 c flour (you provide)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp ketchup
8 tbsp brown sugar
Dash of red pepper flakes

Prep Day Directions: Cube the chicken breasts and put into large ziplock bag. Mix OJ concentrate, salt, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Pour into a separate small ziplock and place inside of bag with chicken. Freeze.

Serve Day Directions: Take bag of sauce out of large bag and thaw both bags overnight in fridge. Put flour in a clean ziplock bag and shake a handful of chicken at a time in the bag to coat all sides of the cubes. Put chicken in a slow cooker then pour sauce over the top. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Lisa: Korean Spicy Marinated Pork

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) (Found at United Noodle)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick rings
1 (2 pound) pork loin, cut into 6-8 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup canola oil (you provide)

Prep Day Directions: Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, ginger, black pepper and sugar. Place pork slices and onion in a plastic gallon freezer bag. Pour marinade into Pork and onion bag and mix to coat. Lable Bag and Freeze flat.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw in Fridge. Heat 1/4 cup canola oil (you provide) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the pork slices and onions in batches, and cook until no longer pink in the center, and lightly browned on the outside, about 5 minutes per batch.

Serve with Rice and a salad….or maybe some kimchi

Southwestern/Latin American –

Nicole: Mexican Casserole

1 lb ground beef, cooked, drained
.5 oz taco seasoning mix (You try with 1oz. Pkg., I thought it might be too salty)
11 oz can Mexicorn whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar-Jack
1 can crescents

Prep Day Directions: cook and drain beef with taco seasoning. Add beef and can of corn undrained to plastic bag with 1 cup cheese. Add 1/2 cheese to separate bag. Put both bags into a gallon bag and freeze.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw beef and cheese bags completely. Spoon beef bag into un-greased 12×8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. May want to heat in microwave for a few minutes till hot. Separate or cut dough into 2 long rectangles (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Place on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure the middle is hot, may take longer as original recipe has the beef hot already.

Ashley: Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef (browned with minced onion and drained)
1 1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can tomato sauce
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans water

You provide: crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese

Prep Day Directions: Add taco seasoning to browned meat. Mix all ingredients in large pot. Freeze in gallon size ziplock bags.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw. Place in large pot. Simmer until warm. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

If you would like comment on your family’s opinion on each recipe please do it below in comments. You are also welcome to comment on any changes, corrections, or additions you have made to the recipes. The feedback will be greatly helpful and appreciated from all who try these recipes. Thanks for your cooperation!