Party Pizzas

 

 

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb Velveeta
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 loaves party rye bread (I used Pepperidge Farm Jewish rye or Dark Pump)

optional -
1 8 oz can mushroom bits and pieces
1 15 oz can black olives

Brown meats and drain.   Add in velveeta (cut into cubes), ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir frequently until cheese is melted and creamy. 
If adding mushrooms and/or black olives:
Drain and dice up into smaller pieces.  For the olives, I slice them and reserve about 60 - 70 slices to put on top of the pizzas, then dice the remaining olives. 
Stir in mushrooms and olives while melting the cheese.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Lay out slices of bread in a single layer on the baking sheets.  Place a rounded teaspoon of the meat mixture on each slice and spread around a little bit to almost cover the bread ( I like to leave a little edge to allow for the mixture spreading as it bakes. ) 
Bake at 350 for 10 - 15

I made two batches and put them in the freezer on the baking sheets.  Once frozen, place in a ziplock bag and you have a quick appetizer for the holiday parties.   From frozen, place on parchment lined baking sheets and back at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Batch without mushrooms and olive - made 52 pizzas (1.5 loaves of bread)
Batch with mushrooms and olves - made 68 pizzas (2 loaves of bread)

Cucumber salad with pickled onion

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

Orange bell pepper, chopped

2 English cucumbers, sliced

2 tsp dill weed 

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. 

Add onions and stir to coat.  Let sit at least 15 minutes or can refrigerate overnight. 

Stir in the orange pepper, cucumber, and dill weed. Stir to mix. 

Pork Medallions on Sautéed Squash

1 1/4 lb pork loin, cut medallions about 1 inch thick

1 tbsp oil

2 small zucchini, sliced

2 small yellow squash, sliced 

1 small red onion, sliced

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper.  Place in hot oil and cook until done, turn halfway through ( the original recipe said 6 minutes on each side but mine were still pink - I think it was more like 10 minutes on each side ) 

Remove pork to a plate and keep warm

Add garlic and onions to the skillet and sauté on medium until onion starts to wilt.  Add zucchini and squash. Sauté 5-6 minutes until crisp tender.  Add spices and salt. Stir to blend. 

Place 1/4 of the squash on plate and top with a couple of the pork medallions. 

Chicken and corn chowder

Chicken and Corn Chowder 

1 1/2 lb boneless Chicken Breast 

1 cup diced onion

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies

5 tbsp taco seasoning

1 tbsp vegetable soup base

1 to 1 1/2 lb diced potatoes

3 cups water 

1 cup heavy cream ( can omit to reduce calories - more like a soup then)

For freezer meal, place everything except the potatoes, water, and cream in a gallon freezer bag.  Place in a second bag - freeze.   To prepare, thaw overnight in the frig. To cook, place bag contents, potatoes and water in slow cooker - 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.  May need a little more time if it is still partially frozen when you put it in the slow cooker.

When cooked, stir in heavy cream if you are using it.  

Serve with sour cream, diced avocado and/or cilantro.

General Tso's Pork Stir Fry

General Tso's Pork Stir Fry (4 servings)

1 lb pork tenderloin
2/3 cup chili sauce (I used Wildtree Sweet and Spicy Thai Chili Sauce)
1 to 1.5 cup diced carrots
1 to 1.5 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
Chicken broth

Place pork tenderloin and chili sauce in a ziplock bag and marinade in the frig for 1 hour or more.  This can also be frozen to have on hand.
Slice pork into bite size pieces.  Reserve chili sauce.
Spray a large skillet with oil and heat to medium high.   Stir fry the port for 2-3 minutes or until browned and cooked through.  Remove pork and set aside.
Add vegetables to the skillet and stir fry 2-3 minutes or until crisp tender.
Return pork to the skillet and add the reserved chili sauce.   Stir to heat through.  Add a little chicken broth if it is too think.

Serve over hot rice.

Five Cheese Stuffed Shells (Freezer meal)

This recipe makes approximately 40 shells.

1 -12 oz box jumbo shells
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan/romano/asiago blend (Kraft)
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (per taste)
1 tsp black pepper

When baking:
24 to 32 oz pasta sauce (depends on how much sauce you like, or make you favorite homemade pasta sauce)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook shells according to package instructions, al dente because they will cook more in the oven later.
I drop one shell at a time in the boiling water,  If two shells are stuck together, the easiest way to separate them is to slide them apart lengthwise.  If you can't separate them, it's okay, you can do so after they cook.

Mix together the cheeses, eggs, Italian seasoning and black pepper.

When shells are done, remove from water and allow to drain on paper towels. Separate the shells, It is okay if some are torn or broken - there are usually more than 40 in a box.   IF they are not torn too badly, they can still be stuffed as they will stick to the cheese filling.

Fill each shell with about 2 Tbsp of filling.

(If you want to freeze some or all of the shells, see below.)

To cook - 40 shells will pretty much fill two 9 x 13 baking dishes.  If you don't need to cook all 40, use a baking dish(es) that will hold the desired number of shells in a single layer.  Spoon a small amount of past sauce into the bottom of the dish(es), just enough to make a thin layer.   Arrange the shells on top of the sauce.  Spoon sauce on top of the shells.  Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

To freeze - you can freeze in a baking dish ready to cook (nice if you are giving this to someone else) or you can freeze the shells individually (nice if you just want to pull out a few shells at a time)

To freeze in a baking dish, follow the directions "to cook" above but instead of baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then wrap in foil.  If the baking dish is small enough, place inside a large freezer bag for added protection.   To bake  - remove foil and plastic wrap, cover again with foil and bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  The size of the dish may be a factor in how long it needs to bake.  Make sure the filling in the center shells is hot and creamy.

To freeze individually - place stuffed shells in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Place in freezer for several hours until frozen, then place in freezer bags for storage.  To cook, follow direction about "to cook" but bake 45-60 minutes.  Make sure the filling in the center shells is hot and creamy.

Serve with additional pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese blend.

Italian Meatball Soup

1 package Great Value frozen Italian Meatballs
2 packages Great Value frozen mixed vegetables
4 stalks celery diced
1/2 cup diced onions
7 cups vegetable broth
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp Hearty Italian Seasoning Blend, Wildtree
1 Tbsp Garlic Galore Seasoning, Wildtree
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb package small pasta, cooked according to package
Parmesan cheese

Place everything except the pasta in a large crockpot.   Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir in the cooked pasta (I didn’t have room in my crockpot to stir in the pasta so I put some pasta in the serving bowls then ladle soup on top.)

Serve topped with parmesan cheese.
Add some fresh bread and you have a meal!

(I don't care for pasta cooked in the soup in a crock pot  but you could do that if the front Co pot will hold it. )