Posted in - 2016 Swap Recipes, - Pork, - Poultry, - Red Meat, Meal Swap Recipes

Meal Swap: April 2016 Menu

April 2016 Menu and Recipes

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Ashley – Chicken Broccoli Foil Packets
Nicole – Coconut Basil Chicken
Anna – Baked Pork Chops
Katie/Brittney – Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts
Kellie – General Tso Meatballs
Leah – Spaghetti and Italian Sausage
Liz – Mini Italian Burgers
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Foil Packets

1 package Stuffing mix; chicken flavor
1 1/4 cups Water
6 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)
6 cups Broccoli Florets
1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices Cooked bacon; crumbled (I used the already cooked bacon from Sam’s Club)
6 tbsp Ranch dressing, divided

Prep Day: Spray 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil with oil. Combine stuffing mix and water. Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing mixture onto the center of each foil sheet. Top stuffing with a 6oz. chicken breast half. Top chicken with 1 c. broccoli. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese and 1 slice of bacon, crumbled. Drizzle with 1 T. ranch dressing. Bring up foil sides and fold to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

To freeze, I first froze each packet separately and then the next day put them all in a gallon size ziploc bag.

Serve Day: Thaw packets in fridge. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place packets on a cookie sheet and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove packets and let stand 5 mins. Cut sits in foil for steam before opening. As a heads up, each packet that I made has a separate bottom and top piece of foil.
Coconut Basil Chicken

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
14 oz. lite canned coconut milk
1-2 cups basil
1 tbsp. ginger, chopped (or more to taste)
3 garlic cloves
2 limes
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Prep Day: Add the coconut milk, basil, ginger, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon to a blender. Blend until combined. Put in bag.

Serve Day: Thaw. Add the chicken and sauce to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over top. Cook for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
Baked Pork Chops

6 pork chops
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup white wine

Prep Day: Package up pantry items. Package up pork chops and freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw pork chops. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9×13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 box of refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
⅓ cup butter or margarine
⅓ cup chopped onion
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ¾ cups chicken broth
½ cup milk
2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Prep Day: Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
Let cool for 10 minutes, wrap tightly in foil and then a freezer safe ziploc bag. Freeze until serving day.

Serving Day: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove pie from freezer. Bake for 60-75 minutes, covering edges of crust with strips of foil near the end of cooking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts

1 C buttermilk
1T. Dijon Mustard
1T. Honey
1T. Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ t. Dried thyme
½ t. Dried marjoram
½ t. Salt
6 boneless skinless split chicken breasts

Prep Day: Mix together buttermilk with mustard, honey, and seasonings. Place chicken breasts in freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts.

Serve Day: Thaw chicken, discarding marinade. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear.


General Tso Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey
2 T minced ginger (fresh is a must!)
2 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg

Sauce:
1 tsp hot sesame oil
3 T mirin
3 T soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup water

Slurry: 1 T cold water mixed with 1 T cornstarch

Prep Day: Combine all ingredients for the meatballs and mix well. Form into balls and place in lightly oiled baking dish.Bake about 30 minutes at 350 (checking internal temp). Combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan except for the slurry and bring to a simmer. Add slurry to simmering mixture while stirring. Reduce heat and allow to thicken.

To Freeze: Follow directions above. Allow both meatballs and sauce to cool. In containers, add meatballs and pour over sauce. Label and freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw, reheat in a small sauce pan over low heat. Optional: Serve over rice.


Spaghetti & Italian sausage

1 lb. Italian sausage (mild, medium or spicy)
1 onion chopped
1 Tbs garlic minced
1 bell pepper chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
mushrooms sliced

Spaghetti noodles
parmesan if you desire

Prep Day: Chop, mince and slice veggie as described on ingredient list. Fry up sausage. Place spices, sauce and paste in gallon freezer bag. Seal and squish to mix. Then add sausage, and veggies to the bag. Seal and shake to mix. Freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw. Make spaghetti noodles according to package. Heat sauce on medium heat till hot and serve over noodles.

Mini Italian Burgers

1½ – 1¾ pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
⅓ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 mini buns, sliced in half
4 slices Provolone or mozzarella cheese, cut in half

Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, mayonnaise, ketchup

Prep Day: Place the ground beef, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, tomato paste, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Using clean hands, combine the ingredients until they are all well-incorporated into the beef, taking care not to compress the ingredients. Shape the meat into 8 small patties of equal size and thickness.

Then, place uncooked burgers in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container in single layers with parchment paper between layers. Put the buns in another gallon-sized freezer bag. Wrap cheese slices tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place in the bag with the buns. Freeze the burgers, cheese slices, and buns together in the freezer until ready to cook.

Serve Day: Thaw in refrigerator overnight (preferred method) or using the cool water method (submerge freezer bag with the burgers in cold water until thawed, replacing water every 30 minutes). Preheat a greased pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the burgers on the grill or in the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes each side, until cooked through. Top each warm burger with a half slice of cheese and serve on buns with preferred toppings.

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Posted in - 2016 Swap Recipes, - Pork, - Poultry, - Red Meat, - Seafood/Fish, Meal Swap Recipes

Meal Swap: March 2016 Menu & Recipes

March 2016 Menu and Recipes

Anna – Mini Cheeseburger Pies
Katie/Brittney – Shrimp Scampi
Merideth – White Chicken Chili
Kellie – Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos
Leah – Chicken Lo Mein
Liz – Honey Sesame Chicken
Ashley – Pizza Taquitos
Nicole – Skinny Italian Beef Sandwiches
Julie – Thai Peanut Chicken with Rice Noodles

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Mini Cheeseburger Pies

Burger Mixture:
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Baking Mixture:
½ cup milk
½ cup Original Bisquick™ mix
2 eggs

Garnishes, if desired
12 mini kosher dill pickles
1 medium tomato, chopped
Ketchup and mustard
Prep Day: Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Cool 5 minutes; stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and cheese.

In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Top with about 1/4 cup burger mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto burger mixture in each muffin cup.

Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and muffin tops are golden brown. Cool for 5minutes. With thin knife, loosen sides of muffins from pan; remove from pan and place top side up on cooling rack. Once cooled wrap for freezing.

Serve Day: Thaw. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 10-12. Cool 10 minutes. Serve hot with garnishes.

Shrimp Scampi

1 pound large (16-20 count) shrimp, shelled* and de-veined, tail-on for presentation if you want
Salt and garlic salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 box of pasta
You Provide:
3-4 garlic cloves, slivered, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Prep Day – Combine seasoning with shrimp in gallon freezer bag. Put wine in separate pint freezer bag. Put butter in separate pint freezer bag. Combine into one bag. Freeze.

Serve Day – Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, foams up and subsides, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute, or until you see the edges of some of the garlic just beginning to brown. As soon as the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp to the pan. Then add the white wine and stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter, oil, and wine. Spread the shrimp out in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to the highest setting and let the wine boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Turn the shrimp over, or toss them so the cooked sides are mostly facing up, and boil the wine for another minute. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and black pepper. Serve alone, with crusty bread, over pasta (provided), or over rice (for gluten-free version).

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can (4 ounces) green chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 box (32 ounces) chicken broth
Kosher salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 lime, juice

Prep Day: In a large pot, sauté the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.
Once the onion is done, add shreds of chicken, Great Northern Beans, corn, green chilies (with juice from can), cumin and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken broth.Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper (to taste) and juice from one whole lime. (You can add 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro if you desire. I personally don’t like cilantro so I serve it as a side.)

Serve Day: Thaw. Heat up till hot. Serve with sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, avocado or tortilla chips.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup original flavor bbq sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
16 taco-sized soft tortillas (corn or flour)
1 -1½ cups shredded mexican-style optional: ranch dressing for dipping pineapple salsa
1 cup diced pineapple
½ red pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Prep Day: In a small bowl whisk together bbq sauce, garlic powder, pineapple juice and liquid smoke until smooth. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot. Pour bbq sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours (if using frozen chicken breasts, you may need to increase the time by an hour or so) OR buy already cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco and mix with the bbq sauce mixture. Bag it. Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Bag it. About 20-30 minutes before serving, shred chicken in the crockpot (I use two forks to shred) and stir the shredded chicken so it soaks up any remaining juices in the pot.

Serve Day: Thaw all bags. *Chicken is already cooked!! Preheat oven to broil and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortillas out on a flat surface. Sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese in line down the middle of each tortilla. Top cheese with about 3-4 tablespoons shredded chicken. Tightly roll up tortillas and place them on prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Spray rolled taquitos heavily with cooking spray. Cook in the oven (on high broil) for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melty and tortillas are crisp (if you’re worried about them burning you can broil them on low for a little longer, 10-15 minutes) Serve warm with pineapple salsa. Enjoy!

Lo Mein

6 ounces Lo Mein Noodles
1 tablespoon Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 fluid ounces Chicken Broth/Stock
¼ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 ½ teaspoons Olive Oil
½ cups diced Onions
¾ cups slice Bell Pepper
¾ cups snow peas
½ cups sliced Mushrooms
1 ⅓ cups cooked & diced Boneless Breasts
3 teaspoons minced Garlic, Cloves
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

Prep Day: Package up veggie, chicken, garlic, sauces and broth for later use. Freeze garlic, veggies and chicken.

Serve Day: Cook noodles according to package directions, and set aside. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil, soy sauce, and stir fry sauce in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add chicken and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add veggies to the chicken sauce mixture. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Cook noodles according to package.Add the cooked noodles to the vegetables and stir well to combine. Serve.

Honey Sesame Chicken

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp sesame or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbsp water
sesame seeds

Prep Day: Lightly season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.

Preparing For the Freezer: Put the seasoned chicken and sauce into a large resealable bag. Freeze.

Prepare after Freezing: Let thaw in fridge for 24 hours. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours. Or you can cook from frozen for about 5-6 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Leave lid off and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cut or shred chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice noodles.
Baked Pizza Taquitos

8 soft tortillas
½ cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
48 slices of pepperoni

Prep Day: Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and place 6 pepperonis down the middle of the tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla up and secure with a toothpick. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Freeze taquitos.

Serve Day: Thaw bag (or cook from frozen, just increase baking time). Place taquitos on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake on top rack at 475 degrees for about 15 minutes (longer if frozen) or until tortillas starts to crisp and brown and the cheese starts to melt out the ends. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with more pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

Skinny Italian beef sandwich

1.5 lb. boneless beef bottom round or rump roast
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing (not creamy)
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (you provide)
6 whole wheat burger buns, toasted, if desired
½ cup shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend (3 oz)
3/4 roasted red peppers
1/3 cup dried basil leaves

Prep Day: Trim any visible fat from beef. Cut beef into 4 pieces. Slice up onions. Bag up onions, beef, and dressing for freezing. Freeze. Label buns and cheese and freeze. Package up basil, roasted red peppers, and vinegar for the label for later use.

Serve Day: Place beef and onion mixture in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours (or on High heat setting 5 to 6 hours) until beef is tender. With slotted spoon, remove beef and onion from cooker; place on cutting board. Cool slightly. Shred beef, using 2 forks. Reserve 1 cup liquid in cooker. (If desired, reserve remaining liquid to serve with sandwiches for dipping. To serve, heat liquid in small saucepan over low heat until hot.) Return shredded beef and onion to liquid in cooker. Add vinegar; stir well. Cover; cook on High heat setting 10 to 15 minutes or until heated. When ready to eat, spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture in each bun; top with cheese, roasted peppers and basil.

Thai Peanut Chicken with Rice Noodles

2 lbs Chicken Thighs
1/3 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Hoisin Sauce
1/2 C Coconut Milk
2 T Chopped Cilantro
2 tsp Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Garlic Chili Sauce
Rice Noodles

Prep Day: Mix all ingredients together except noodles. Freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw. Toss chicken mixture in slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Boil water and cook rice noodles to desired doneness. Drain and serve with Thai Peanut Chicken on top.

Menu and Recipes

Anna – Mini Cheeseburger Pies
Katie/Brittney – Shrimp Scampi
Merideth – White Chicken Chili
Kellie – Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos
Leah – Chicken Lo Mein
Liz – Honey Sesame Chicken
Ashley – Pizza Taquitos
Nicole – Skinny Italian Beef Sandwiches
Julie – Thai Peanut Chicken with Rice Noodles

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

Burger Mixture:
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Baking Mixture:
½ cup milk
½ cup Original Bisquick™ mix
2 eggs

Garnishes, if desired
12 mini kosher dill pickles
1 medium tomato, chopped
Ketchup and mustard
Prep Day: Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Cool 5 minutes; stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and cheese.

In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Top with about 1/4 cup burger mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto burger mixture in each muffin cup.

Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and muffin tops are golden brown. Cool for 5minutes. With thin knife, loosen sides of muffins from pan; remove from pan and place top side up on cooling rack. Once cooled wrap for freezing.

Serve Day: Thaw. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 10-12. Cool 10 minutes. Serve hot with garnishes.

Shrimp Scampi

1 pound large (16-20 count) shrimp, shelled* and de-veined, tail-on for presentation if you want
Salt and garlic salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 box of pasta
You Provide:
3-4 garlic cloves, slivered, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Prep Day – Combine seasoning with shrimp in gallon freezer bag. Put wine in separate pint freezer bag. Put butter in separate pint freezer bag. Combine into one bag. Freeze.

Serve Day – Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, foams up and subsides, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute, or until you see the edges of some of the garlic just beginning to brown. As soon as the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp to the pan. Then add the white wine and stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter, oil, and wine. Spread the shrimp out in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to the highest setting and let the wine boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Turn the shrimp over, or toss them so the cooked sides are mostly facing up, and boil the wine for another minute. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and black pepper. Serve alone, with crusty bread, over pasta (provided), or over rice (for gluten-free version).

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can (4 ounces) green chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 box (32 ounces) chicken broth
Kosher salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 lime, juice

Prep Day: In a large pot, sauté the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.
Once the onion is done, add shreds of chicken, Great Northern Beans, corn, green chilies (with juice from can), cumin and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken broth.Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper (to taste) and juice from one whole lime. (You can add 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro if you desire. I personally don’t like cilantro so I serve it as a side.)

Serve Day: Thaw. Heat up till hot. Serve with sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, avocado or tortilla chips.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup original flavor bbq sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
16 taco-sized soft tortillas (corn or flour)
1 -1½ cups shredded mexican-style optional: ranch dressing for dipping pineapple salsa
1 cup diced pineapple
½ red pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Prep Day: In a small bowl whisk together bbq sauce, garlic powder, pineapple juice and liquid smoke until smooth. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot. Pour bbq sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours (if using frozen chicken breasts, you may need to increase the time by an hour or so) OR buy already cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco and mix with the bbq sauce mixture. Bag it. Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Bag it. About 20-30 minutes before serving, shred chicken in the crockpot (I use two forks to shred) and stir the shredded chicken so it soaks up any remaining juices in the pot.

Serve Day: Thaw all bags. *Chicken is already cooked!! Preheat oven to broil and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortillas out on a flat surface. Sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese in line down the middle of each tortilla. Top cheese with about 3-4 tablespoons shredded chicken. Tightly roll up tortillas and place them on prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Spray rolled taquitos heavily with cooking spray. Cook in the oven (on high broil) for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melty and tortillas are crisp (if you’re worried about them burning you can broil them on low for a little longer, 10-15 minutes) Serve warm with pineapple salsa. Enjoy!

Lo Mein

6 ounces Lo Mein Noodles
1 tablespoon Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 fluid ounces Chicken Broth/Stock
¼ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 ½ teaspoons Olive Oil
½ cups diced Onions
¾ cups slice Bell Pepper
¾ cups snow peas
½ cups sliced Mushrooms
1 ⅓ cups cooked & diced Boneless Breasts
3 teaspoons minced Garlic, Cloves
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

Prep Day: Package up veggie, chicken, garlic, sauces and broth for later use. Freeze garlic, veggies and chicken.

Serve Day: Cook noodles according to package directions, and set aside. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil, soy sauce, and stir fry sauce in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add chicken and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add veggies to the chicken sauce mixture. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Cook noodles according to package.Add the cooked noodles to the vegetables and stir well to combine. Serve.

Honey Sesame Chicken

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp sesame or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tbsp water
sesame seeds

Prep Day: Lightly season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.

Preparing For the Freezer: Put the seasoned chicken and sauce into a large resealable bag. Freeze.

Prepare after Freezing: Let thaw in fridge for 24 hours. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours. Or you can cook from frozen for about 5-6 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Leave lid off and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Meanwhile, cut or shred chicken into bite-size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice noodles.
Baked Pizza Taquitos

8 soft tortillas
½ cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
48 slices of pepperoni

Prep Day: Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and place 6 pepperonis down the middle of the tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla up and secure with a toothpick. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Freeze taquitos.

Serve Day: Thaw bag (or cook from frozen, just increase baking time). Place taquitos on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake on top rack at 475 degrees for about 15 minutes (longer if frozen) or until tortillas starts to crisp and brown and the cheese starts to melt out the ends. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with more pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

Skinny Italian beef sandwich

1.5 lb. boneless beef bottom round or rump roast
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing (not creamy)
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (you provide)
6 whole wheat burger buns, toasted, if desired
½ cup shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend (3 oz)
3/4 roasted red peppers
1/3 cup dried basil leaves

Prep Day: Trim any visible fat from beef. Cut beef into 4 pieces. Slice up onions. Bag up onions, beef, and dressing for freezing. Freeze. Label buns and cheese and freeze. Package up basil, roasted red peppers, and vinegar for the label for later use.

Serve Day: Place beef and onion mixture in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours (or on High heat setting 5 to 6 hours) until beef is tender. With slotted spoon, remove beef and onion from cooker; place on cutting board. Cool slightly. Shred beef, using 2 forks. Reserve 1 cup liquid in cooker. (If desired, reserve remaining liquid to serve with sandwiches for dipping. To serve, heat liquid in small saucepan over low heat until hot.) Return shredded beef and onion to liquid in cooker. Add vinegar; stir well. Cover; cook on High heat setting 10 to 15 minutes or until heated. When ready to eat, spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture in each bun; top with cheese, roasted peppers and basil.

Thai Peanut Chicken with Rice Noodles

2 lbs Chicken Thighs
1/3 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Hoisin Sauce
1/2 C Coconut Milk
2 T Chopped Cilantro
2 tsp Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Garlic Chili Sauce
Rice Noodles

Prep Day: Mix all ingredients together except noodles. Freeze.

Serve Day: Thaw. Toss chicken mixture in slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Boil water and cook rice noodles to desired doneness. Drain and serve with Thai Peanut Chicken on top.

Posted in - 2016 Swap Recipes, - Pork, - Poultry, - Red Meat, Meal Swap Recipes, Uncategorized

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.