{recipe of the week} 20 freezer meals for less than $150 prepped in 2 hours

My husband and I are currently living apart.  No, there isn't anything wrong with our marriage.  He was relocated for work for the next 18 months.  My daughter and I went to visit him for the past two weeks.  If your husband is like mine, he would probably be living on soup and frozen pizza when you aren't around to cook for him.  I was determined to leave there knowing he would have some hearty and easy meals to come home to after a 12 hour work day.

I strategically planned out 20 meals my husband could easily put together. 
I purchased all the ingredients for under $150.
I prepped everything and cleaned up the mess during my daughter's two hour nap.
I might give myself wife of the year... or at least the day.

Give yourself wife of the year and try these.  They are already getting high approval ratings from the husband.  Most of them are crockpot with the exception of the stromboli recipe at the end.  Its a simple freeze and bake later recipe.  I divided all the crockpot recipes in half and put them into two gallon size bags since our family is small and we eat less at one time.

Easy peezy lemon squeezy.  Let's get started.



Chicken Cacciatore
adapted from six sisters stuff

1 lb chicken breasts

1 (26 oz) jar of chunky vegetable-style spaghetti sauce

1 zucchini, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag and mix together.

Garnish: chopped black olives, shredded Parm cheese

When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 

Read more at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html#5WJ1seHmAJzPClpQ.99

1 lb. chicken
1 veggie style spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini
1 green pepper (I didn't use one)
1/2 onion
Chop everything.  Place all ingredients in a gallon size freezer bag (I double bag to be double safe).  Thaw in fridge 24 hours before ready to cook.  Cook in crockpot on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Serve with noodles or rice.

Mexican Style Chicken Chili
adapted from snappy gourmet
2 lbs. chicken breast
1 green pepper
2 garlic cloves
4 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans (or your favorite)
2 small jalapenos
1 lime
1/2 tsp. cumin
Chop all ingredients except lime.  Zest and juice the lime. Place all ingredients in a gallon size freezer bag (I double bag to be double safe).  Thaw in fridge 24 hours before ready to cook.  Cook in crockpot on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.  Serve.

Hearty Beef Stew
adapted from six sisters stuff
*this makes A LOT.  You might even want to divide this into 3 or 4 bags.
2 lb. beef stew cubes
8 carrots sliced
8 red potatoes
2 package dry onion soup mix
3 8oz. cans tomato sauce
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 package frozen peas
Chop carrots and potatoes.  Place all ingredients in a gallon size freezer bag (I double bag to be double safe).  Thaw in fridge 24 hours before ready to cook.  Cook in crockpot on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Serve.

Sesame Chicken
adapted from emilylovesfood
6 chicken thighs
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 small can tomato puree
A couple good dashes of sesame seeds
2 c. broccoli florets
Chop onion and garlic cloves.  Place all ingredients except broccoli in a gallon size freezer bag (I double bag to be double safe).  Bring a sauce pan of water to boil.  Place broccoli in boiling water and steam until they are a "tender crisp".  You want them still crispy a little, NOT done.  Cool broccoli and place in quart size freezer bag.  Place quart size freezer bag and gallon size freezer bag together in freezer (I actually stuffed them both into another gallon freezer bag so they'd always be a pair).  Thaw in fridge 24 hours before ready to cook.  Cook everything except broccoli in crockpot on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Heat broccoli in microwave.  Serve the entire dish over rice.

Cilantro Lime Chicken (with corn and black beans)
adapted from six sisters stuff
1 lb. chicken breast
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
1 bag frozen corn
2 minced garlic cloves
1 can drained black beans
1 tsp. cumin
Chop cilantro. Place all ingredients in gallon size freezer bag (I double bag to be double safe).  Thaw in fridge 24 hours before ready to cook.  Cook in crockpot on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Serve with tortillas and salsa.

Freeze, and Bake Stromboli
adapted from joel and kitty
1 package of provoline
1 box of frozen chopped spinach
2 packs of turkey pepperoni
1 big bag of shredded mozzarella
4 balls of pizza dough
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
4 aluminum 8x8 pans
aluminum foil


This makes 4 strombolis.  Thaw out spinach ahead of time. Make dough into rectangles in aluminum pans.  Layer sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and spinach. Wrap it up and pinch seams shut.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Thaw in fridge fully before baking.  Place in warm oven then crank to 375 deg. F and bake until golden.  As shown above I wrote the baking directions directly onto the foil with a black sharpie.

1 lb chicken breasts

1 (26 oz) jar of chunky vegetable-style spaghetti sauce

1 zucchini, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag and mix together.

Garnish: chopped black olives, shredded Parm cheese

When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 

Read more at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html#5WJ1seHmAJzPClpQ.99