Easy and Cheap freezer casseroles?

[Susan in TN]

As it seems most of you are doing, we're trying to cut our food budget, and I like to put casseroles in the freezer to help my meal planning.

Can you give me some recipes?

 

A couple guidelines - we generally don't like beans (pinto, kidney, black, etc.) but are OK with refried. OK fine. We'll try it.

 

Dh is allergic to peppers (green, red, chili, etc.) If it's not the essential main ingredient, I'll just leave it out.

[RanchGirl]

I'm posting 3 chicken recipes that freeze well. I usually take a chicken or two and cook them in the crock pot, remove the meat and then use the carcass to make broth. These recipes are also good with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Both the enchiladas and the pot pie start with a white sauce base so they are easy to start together, then split up to add the remaining ingredients.

 

 

 

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas (makes a great lunch, also a good way to use up leftover chicken)

 

 

• 1/2 lb. shredded or diced cooked chicken
  
• 3/4 c. barbecue sauce (bottled or homemade)
  
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces
  
• 2 c. monterrey jack cheese, shreadded
  
• 8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
  

 

1. Combine chicken, barbecue sauce, bacon and monterrey jack cheese in ziplock bag. Freeze along with tortillas.

2. To serve, thaw in fridge overnight. Spread filling between tortillas and cook in frying pan or tortilla cooker.

Edited February 1, 2011 by RanchGirl

[RanchGirl]

 

Ranchgirl’s Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

 

 

 

Makes two batches, each serves 6

 

· ½ stick butter

· ½ cup chopped onion

· ¼ cup all purpose flour

· 2 ½ cups chicken broth

· 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided

· ½ can Herded enchilada sauce

· 2 ½ cups cooked chicken

· 1 teaspoon cilantro

· ¾ teaspoon salt

· 1 cup sour cream

· 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

· 16 eight inch flour tortillas

 

Sautee onion in butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Add broth, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, enchilada sauce, cilantro, salt, sour cream and chicken. Divide into 2 ziplock bags and freeze.

 

Freeze in separate bags for each batch: eight 8†flour tortillas, ½ cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup Monterey jack cheese.

 

To cook: thaw overnight. Assemble enchiladas in 9x13 pan, reserving some sauce to pour over top. Sprinkle shredded cheeses on top. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

[RanchGirl]

 

 

Ranchgirl’s Chicken Pot Pie

 

 

 

 

· 2 pie crusts

· 1/3 cup butter

· 1/3 cup chopped onion

· 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

· ½ teaspoon salt

· ¼ teaspoon pepper

· 14 oz. chicken broth

· ½ cup milk

· 2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

· 1 cup carrots, sliced

· ½ cup celery, chopped finely

· 1 cup peas

 

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 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.

 

Remove from heat. Stir in chicken and vegetables. ** Line pie pan with bottom crust and spoon in chicken mixture. Top with second crust, seal and flute edges. Cut several slits in top crust. Cover edges with foil.

 

Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

** At this point, you can freeze the filling in a ziplock bag instead of using it right away. I usually make a triple batch of filling, serve one for dinner that night and freeze the extras for later use. To use from frozen, thaw in fridge 24 hours and then assemble with pie crusts.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2011 by RanchGirl