Make-Ahead Sloppy Joes

1 lb. pork sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
16 hamburger buns
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
2 Tblsp. mustard
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Cook sausage, beef and onion until meat is cooked through. Drain. Remove centers from the tops and bottoms of each bun. Tear bread into small pieces and add to skillet. Stir in remaining ingredients with meat mixture. Spoon 1/3 c. meat mixture onto bottom of each bun and replace tops. If eating right away, bake on cookie sheet at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through. To freeze for later: wrap each UNBAKED sandwich in heavy duty tin foil and store in freezer. To cook from frozen: Place frozen foil packets on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
3 cans beans: pinto, black and kidney
1 c water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
1-2 cans corn
1-2 cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Brown the beef and onion together. Combine everything in 1 pan. Simmer 30 minutes. Serve with Fritos, cheese and sour cream.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

3 teaspoons chicken soup base

3 cups water

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups cooked diced chicken

2 1/2 ounces (about 4 cups) cooked noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken soup base and water together. Add carrots, celery, and onions, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Then add cooked chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper, and taste to correct seasonings.

To cook noodles: Boil for 18-28 minutes.

Vegetable Enchiladas

2 T. olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
2 t. ground cumin
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can vegetable broth
salt and pepper

3 cups grated pepper jack cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 oz.) frozen corn kernals, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced
corn or flour tortillas

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add 1 t. cumin, flour and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites and remaining 1 t. cumin. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside. Stack tortillas and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute. Or stack and wrap in aluminum foil and heat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top each tortillas with a heaping 1/3 cups of filling, roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down in prepared baking dish.

4. Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce. Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, serve garnished with scallion greens.

To Freeze: Prepare enchiladas through step 3; top with cheese, and cover baking dishes with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place sauce in anairtight container. Freeze enchiladas and sauce for up to 2 months.

To Bake from Frozen: Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight (or microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through.) Preheat oven to 400. Remove foil and plastic wrap from baking dish, and pour sauce over enchiladas; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, remove foil and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Minestrone Soup

1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. tomato juice
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 Tblsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt

Additional Ingredients (for each batch)
1/2 c. water
1 c. uncooked ziti or small tube pasta


Cook celery, onion and garlic in Dutch oven until onion is browned. Stir in rest of ingredients (except the water and pasta). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer 6 cups of soup to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Add water and pasta to remaining soup; bring to a boil. Cover and cook until pasta is tender.

FROM FROZEN:
Thaw in the refrigerator; transfer to a large saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add pasta; cover and cook until pasta is tender.

Sweet & Saucy Meatballs

25 meatballs, cooked and frozen

1 can cranberry sauce

1 jar salsa

Rice

Mix cranberry sauce and salsa with a whisk. Pour sauce in slow cooker. Add frozen meatballs. Cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hours. Soon meatballs and sauce over rice.

From Frozen: Thaw sauce overnight or under warm water for a quick thaw. Pour sauce in slow cooker. Add frozen meatballs. Cook as instructed. Make rice according to package instructions. Spoon meatballs and sauce over rice.

French Dip Sandwiches

Combine roast, 1 packet of onion soup mix and water. Add water until the water level is covering the roast half-way. Watch roast to make sure the water level does not cover the roast below 1/4 of the way.
Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
From frozen: Thaw completely and cook in crock pot.