Meal Swap: February 2016 Menu and Recipes

Meal Swap: February 2016 Menu and Recipes

  

Katie/Brittany – Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Servings 6

1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese (light works fine in this recipe)

1/3 cup green salsa

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried cilantro

2 Tbsp sliced green onions

2 c shredded cooked chicken

1 c shredded Mexican Blend cheese

About 20 (6 inch) flour tortillas

You provide: salt, cooking spray.

Prep Day: Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so its soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. Place 2-3 Tbsp chicken mixture on the lower third of tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges and roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on baking sheet and place in freezer for about 20 minutes. Place in labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months.

Serve Day: No need to thaw! Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Lay taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle some salt on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

NORTH AMERICAN:

Kellie – Bleu cheese walnut Pork chops

6 boneless pork chops

salt/pepper/seasoning of your choice

Blue Cheese Walnut Butter:

1 stick of butter- unsalted- room temp

1 tablespoon of rosemary

2 teaspoons of parsley

2 oz of Blue Cheese

2 heaping spoonfuls of toasted walnuts crushed

Prep Day: To prepare meat – Rub seasoning on both sides of porkchops. Place meat flat in bag and freeze. To prepare butter – Use butter at room temp, add ingredients to butter, mix well. Place butter mixture in bag and freeze flat.

Serve Day: Thaw meat. Thaw butter to room temp. Bake pork chops at 350 for 20-30 minutes covered with foil. or grill each side for 5-7 min. Pork’s internal temps should be 150-160. After pork is cooked add a spoonful of butter on each chop. Gauge your cooking temperatures and time so not to dry out pork.

Meredith – Man Pleasing Chicken

1.2 lb chicken breast

1 cup dijon mustard

½ cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

rosemary

salt and pepper

Prep: Put everything together in a ziplock bag.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw and bake for 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

SOUTHWESTERN:

Leah – Southwest Macaroni

1 lb elbow macaroni

8 oz sour cream

10 oz Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

15 oz can black beans

15 oz can corn

2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese or Pepperjack!

Prep Day: Mix all together (except cheese), freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw. Cook elbow mac then heat up the rest on the stovetop. Add 1.5 cups of shredded cheese and top with the remaining cheese.

Liz – Black Bean Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey tastes so good in this recipe too!)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 package mild taco seasoning mix

1 – 16 oz can corn (undrained)

1 – 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (you could use kidney beans or pinto beans)

1 – 14 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 – 4 oz can diced green chilies

tortilla chips

Other taco toppings you like (cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc)
Brown meat and onion, drain.

Stir in taco seasoning, corn, black beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chilis. Simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes

Serve with tortilla chips and your favorite toppings.

This makes an easy freezer meal too! After cooking, let soup cool down and then dump into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or other freezer container. When you want to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then simmer on the stove until heated all the way through or microwave until heated all the way through. You could also put it in your crock pot and cook on low for 2-3 hours to re-heat it.

ASIAN:

Ashley – Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

Kosher salt 

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup raw cashews

For the sauce:

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Prep Day: Combine sauce ingredients and chicken in a freezer bag and mix well. Bag cashews separately.

Serve Day: Thaw. Place contents of bag into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours. Stir in cashews and cook on low heat for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately, with rice, garnished with green onions, if desired.

Nicole – Slow-Cooker Easy Beef and Broccoli

1 pound beef boneless top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

½ cup condensed beef broth (from 10 1/2-ounce can)

3 tablespoons teriyaki baste and glaze (from 12-ounce bottle)

1 tablespoon sesame seed

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, if desired

⅔ cup uncooked regular long-grain rice

1 ⅓ cups water

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups Green Giant Select frozen broccoli florets (from 1-pound bag)

Prep Day: Put beef, mushrooms, onion, broth, teriyaki baste and glaze, sesame seed and sesame oil in separate small containers for freezing or pantry for later use. Freeze what needs to be frozen.

Serve Day: Mix beef, mushrooms, onion, broth, teriyaki baste and glaze, sesame seed and sesame oil in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours. About 35 minutes before serving, cook rice in 1 1/3 cups water as directed on package. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons water and the cornstarch in small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture and broccoli into beef mixture. Cover and cook on low heat setting 30 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve over rice.

ITALIAN:

Anna – Pizza Casserole

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

½ pound ground beef or sausage

6 small mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thick

⅓ cup onion, chopped finely

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 package (3.5 oz) pepperoni, cut in half

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Prep Day: Lightly spray a 1½ quart baking dish with cooking spray
Cook macaroni according to the directions on the box.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef, mushrooms and onions until meat is no longer pink.Drain meat if necessary.

Drain macaroni and add back to pot, add beef mixture and remaining ingredients, stir well to combine.

Transfer mixture to baking dish, top with cheeses. Wrap tight and freeze.
Serve Day: Thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.