Christy's Once a Month Cooking
SEE WHAT'S IN THE FREEZER BEGINNER'S TIPS Sample Month Menu NEW! OAMC CLASSES CATEGORIES CHICKEN CROCK POT HAMBURGER /BEEF PORK VEGETARIAN MIXES, BREADS and DESSERTS TIP OF THE MONTH: On the fridge, list the recipes you have in your freezer, and check them off as you use them. This helps you know where you are at with your planned meals, and also gives your family a "menu" to choose from. Here's what mine looks like: LIST	Well, I have been asked how I find the time with three kids, a job, part-time home business and church callings to keep up with my websites and other activities.  I thought about it, and figured that one time-saving thing I do is cook all of my main courses for a month at one time.  This not only saves me time in the long run, but also saves me money, because I am doing all my shopping at once.  Anyway, I thought I would share some of the recipes that we have tried, and liked, as a family for all you that might want to skip cooking one night a week, or for the whole month!  If you would like information on a class for OAMC, please e-mail me!
LINKS
Beth's OAMC Chefmom.com Busy Cooks OAMC - Beef Freezer Recipes - Recipezaar Once A Month Cooking with Real Food for Real People Frugal Moms - OAMC Nicke's Kitchen OrganizedHome.com - OAMC PF Countryplace Recipes - Batch Cooking  Recipe-Freezer Page	Please note: When a sauce recipe calls for pasta, usually what I do is NOT add the pasta to the bagged dinner. Pasta will continue to absorb the liquid during freezing. Plus, you save room in your freezer by freezing the sauce separately and cooking your pasta the night you need it. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me!
RECIPES
3 Cheese Potato Soup Apricot Or Peach Glazed Chicken Bacon Cheeseburger Rice Baked Chicken Breasts Barbecue Chicken Barbecue Meatballs Barbecue Meatloaves Barbecue Spareribs Beef and Broccoli Calzone Biscuit Mix Calzones Cashew Chicken Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole  Cheesy Chicken And Rice Bake Cheesy Mostaccioli Cheesy Sausage Bake Chicken And Rice Bake Chicken and Rice Wraps Chicken Broccoli Chicken Curry Chicken Enchiladas Chicken Orient Express Chicken Parmesan Chicken Primavera Chicken Spectacular Chicken Taco Bake Chicken Tetrazzini Chicken Wraps Chinese Chicken Morsels Christy’s Hamburger Stroganoff Cookie Dough Cream Cheese Chicken Crispy Chicken Bites Crock Pot Chili Crock Pot Lasagne Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie Easy Pleasing Meatloaf Fettucine Romano Freezer Bagel Pizzas Garlic Pizza Crust  Grandma’s Spaghetti And Meatballs	Hawaiian Chicken Kid-Friendly Chicken Bites Lemonade Chicken Light Alfredo Sauce Maple Glazed Chicken Marinara Sauce  Minestrone Modified Chicken Lickin' Mom's Christmas Coffee Cake Peanut Butter Chicken Pizza Kits Pork Barbecue Sandy's Alfredo Sauce Shredded Beef Tacos Simple Salsbury Steak Sister Behning's Stew Sloppy Joes Spiced & Fragrant Chicken Split Pea Soup Swedish Meatballs Sweet And Sour Chicken Tamale Corn Casserole Tater Tot Casserole Teriyaki Chicken Teriyaki Chicken Wings Three Bean Mexican Chili Tomato Chicken Gumbo

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CHICKEN

BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
2 - 3 whole chicken breasts, halved (boneless, skinless)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 can (10 1/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. orange or apple juice
1 tsp. leaf tarragon or rosemary
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry; place in crockpot.  In saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and heat until smooth and hot.  Pour over chicken breasts.  Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.

Christy's Note:  When I prepared this, the chicken came out so tender, it was falling apart.  So, I shredded it, and served it over rice.  We also found that shredded, it makes a GREAT sandwich filler!

Cool, bag, lay flat to freeze.

To serve:  Thaw chicken and reheat.  Serve as half-breasts with sides, or shredded on rice, or shredded on sandwich rolls.

2 c. cooked cubed chicken
6 oz. Cream cheese
4 Tbsp. Butter
½ tsp. Pepper
1 – 4 oz. Can mushrooms or olives (optional)
1 tsp. Accent
Green onion
3 cans crescent rolls
egg white
Italian Seasoned bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 pint sour cream

Combine first 7 ingredients.  Unroll crescent rolls, and separate.  Spoon mixture onto each roll and roll up.  Roll wraps in egg white or melted butter.  Roll again in bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375° for 15 – 17 minutes.

Sauce:  Combine Cream of Chicken soup with sour cream.  Place in separate bag.

To Freeze:  Place baked chicken wraps on cookie sheet and cool.  You can freeze them on the cookie sheet and then place in a 1-gallon freezer bag, or place directly in freezer bag after cooling.  If you freeze them before bagging them, the crumbs will stay on the wraps better.

To serve:  Reheat wraps.  Thaw and heat the sauce in a separate pan, and serve over the top of the wraps.

1 frying chicken -- cut up (or use 3 pounds of boneless skinless breasts)
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
salt & pepper -- to taste
2 tablespoons dry Italian salad dressing (1 pkg.)
1  can condensed chicken soup
8  ounces cream cheese -- cut in 1" cubes
1 tablespoon onion – minced (optional)

Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a crockpot and sprinkle dry mix over all. Cover and cook on low for 6 – 7 hours. About 45 minutes before done, mix soup, cream cheese, and onion in a small saucepan. Cook until smooth. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook another 45 minutes.

To freeze:  Cool and place in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.  Lay flat to freeze.

To Serve:  Reheat and serve over rice, pasta or potatoes.

2 cups chicken
1 cup onion
1 cup green pepper (chopped big or small)
2 cans cr of chicken soup
1 can (15 oz.) pineapple tidbits
2 tsp. soy sauce
fresh cut tomatoes (optional)

Saute onion and green pepper till mostly soft. Cook chicken and dice. Mix together with the soup, pineapple and soy sauce. Freeze. Let thaw, warm in saucepan over medium heat. Serve with rice and tomatoes.

½    cup catsup
4   teaspoons soy sauce
½   teaspoon salt
2   tablespoons worcestershire sauce
3   tablespoons sugar
1 ½    teaspoons sesame oil
¼    teaspoon cayenne pepper
½    cup chicken broth
2   tablespoons cornstarch
½   teaspoon sugar
¼    teaspoon salt
3   whole chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or 1 package chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
¼    cup cooking oil
2   tablespoons fresh gingerroot, minced
1   tablespoon minced garlic
1   onion, chopped
1    can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1     can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced
1 ½    cups cashews
2   cups cooked white rice

1   Combine Catsup, soy sauce, salt,Worcestershire Sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, and chicken broth and set aside.
2   In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
3   Toss the chicken with cornstarch mixture.
4   Heat a wok or frying pan to a high heat and add cooking oil.
5   When oil is hot add chicken.
6   Add gingeroot, garlic and onion.
7   Stir fry mixture until chicken is cooked through and opaque.
8   Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
9   Add catsup/soysauce mixture to chicken and vegetables and cook until it comes to a boil.
10   Cool, bag and freeze.
11    Save cashews for serving.
12    Thaw bag in fridge overnight.  Reheat over medium heat until just boiling.  Add cashews.  Serve over rice.

In skillet or saucepan, combine chicken, water, salsa and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Add rice, simmer on low for 5 minutes.  Spoon mixture into center of tortillas and wrap.  You can add cheese to mixture before wrapping, if desired.

To FREEZE:  Simply wrap each folded tortilla in tin foil and place in 1 gallon freezer bag.  I like to have 8 to a bag (for our swaps).

To SERVE:  Reheat and eat!  Another “instant” meal!  This makes a LOT!  We found it to be very filling, and kind to our diets! :)

Kid-Friendly Chicken Bites
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 garlic clove, pressed
½ c. mayonnaise
¼ tsp. salt
Frozen bread dough, thawed, but not risen

TO FREEZE:  Combine chicken with other ingredients (except bread dough) in a bowl.  Roll out bread dough to a 9”x13” rectangle.  Cut into smaller squares.  Spoon filling onto one side of each square, leaving a border of dough on three sides.  Fold over bare side of dough into a triangle and pinch ends together.  Fold points of triangle into center to make a roundish shape. Freeze on cookie sheet.  Place frozen individual bites into 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat.

TO COOK:  Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place bites on greased cookie sheet.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.  Allow to rise, but not double.  Cook 15 - 20 minutes in a 350° oven until golden.

OPTION #2 - Bake the bites then freeze.  I like this option best because I can have an "instant" dinner or snack. -CW

CHICKEN BROCCOLI
(Serves 4 people; 4 times)

1 cup margarine
1 cup flour
8 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups cooked chicken, cut up
2 lbs. broccoli, cut up and lightly steamed
2 lbs. cheddar cheese, grated

Make white sauce: melt margarine in a large heavy pan. Add flour, stirring constantly. When it reaches the boiling point, add milk, mixing constantly with a wire whisk. Heat until almost boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Place cooked chicken into four 8x8-inch baking pans; sprinkle each pan with grated cheese; cover pans with foil; label and freeze. You can also store this in zip-top freezer bags, saving the grated cheese to sprinkle on top at serving time.

To serve: Thaw. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or pour from freezer bag and heat in heavy pan on stove top.

Serve over cooked rice, spaghetti, or fettuccine noodles.

Chinese Chicken Morsels
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup regular, uncooked rice

Cut chicken breasts (kitchen scissors work best) into 1-inch cubes. Mix lemon juice, soy sauce, mustard, oil and pepper. Put marinade and chicken cubes in a 1-gallon bag and freeze.

To serve, thaw chicken and remove from marinade. Warm marinade in a small saucepan. Place chicken cubes about an inch apart on broiler pan treated with nonstick spray. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 7 minutes, brushing with marinade once. Turn chicken cubes and broil another 4 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions. Bring remaining marinade to a boil and serve over rice.

Teriyaki Chicken
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. veg. or sesame oil
1 sm. minced garlic clove
3/4 t. ground ginger.

Stir ingredients together and pour into a gallon sized ziploc bag with 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts. On serving day, thaw and pour into a baking dish. Bake in preheated at 350 for 35 min. Serve over rice. To stretch this out, I add a bag of frozen, stir fry style veggies in before baking.

Chicken Curry
10 servings
8 c. cooked brown rice
1/2 c. olive oil
2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
6 c. cooked chicken, chopped
2 T. flour
2 T. curry powder
1½ t. salt
1 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 c. tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed

Cook onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add chicken . Sauté briefly. In separate bowl mix flour, curry powder and salt. Slowly stir in water and lemon juice to make paste. Add tomato sauce and garlic and pour mixture over chicken mixture. Mix. To freeze, freeze in ziploc plastic bag. Freeze rice in separate ziploc bag. To serve, thaw. Place rice in casserole dish. Place chicken mixture over top of rice. Heat through on 350°, about 30 min.

Peanut Butter Chicken
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
12 oz. Apricot jam
¼ c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. orange juice
1/3 c. apple juice
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Curry powder
½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Cardamom
½ tsp. Ground cumin

To FREEZE:  Combine all ingredients except chicken in a bowl and mix until smooth.  Add chicken and mix.  Pour into 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze.

To SERVE:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour thawed chicken mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish, and bake, uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes.  Serve over hot rice.

Chicken and Rice Bake
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup water
¾ cup uncooked regular white rice
¼ tsp. Paprika
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook:  Thaw in refrigerator.  Place all ingredients in a 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Cover.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.

Christy’s notes:  I also like this one made with cream of chicken and cream of asparagus soup.  Add cut up asparagus to the latter for a summer treat!

CHEESY Chicken and Rice Bake
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup uncooked regular white rice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook:  Thaw in refrigerator.  Place all ingredients in a 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Cover.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.

Christy’s notes:  This one is a FAVORITE with my picky eaters (namely the kids, 4 and 2).  Try it with a can of cheddar broccoli soup and add broccoli florets for added color and nutrition.

Tomato Chicken Gumbo
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
½  1b. hot sausage links or Polish Sausage, cooked and sliced
1 can (26 oz.) chunky spaghetti sauce
2 cups cooked diced chicken
1 can (11 oz.) canned corn, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 ½  cups cooked white rice

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients except rice into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook:  In 6-quart pot, bring gumbo to a boil. Add cooked rice. Cover; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until heated through. Add additional water or broth for a thinner gumbo. For spicier gumbo serve with hot red pepper sauce.

Chicken Primavera
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
¾  cup milk
¼  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups broccoli flowerets (I use frozen)
2 medium carrots, sliced (I use frozen pre-cut carrots)
2 ½ cups cooked corkscrew or elbow macaroni
2 cans (5 oz. each) Chunk White Chicken, drained

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients except macaroni into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook:  Place thawed dinner in a pot over medium heat, heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 30 min. or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally (it won’t actually take this long, since the veggies have been frozen). Stir in macaroni and chicken and heat through.
Serves 4.

Chicken Orient Express
1 can (about 14 oz.) low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Corn starch
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
½ tsp. Ginger
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ lb. Boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
6 c. cut up vegetables (I use frozen stir-fry veggies)
2 c. cooked rice

In bowl, stir first 4 ingredients; set aside. In large skillet, heat oil over medium- high heat. Stir in garlic. Add chicken; cook, stirring 2 minutes. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil, and let boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Allow to cool. Add vegetables and ladle into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.

To serve:  Thaw sauce, and place in skillet.  Heat to almost boiling. Serve over rice.

Modified Chicken Lickin'
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut up
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½  tsp. Salt
¾  tsp. Ground ginger
½  tsp. Chili powder
1 can (28 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup

To freeze:  Brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter. Add remaining ingredients, stir well. Heat to boiling.  Allow to cool, and ladle into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat to freeze.

To cook: Thaw and reheat on stovetop. Serve over cooked spaghetti or other pasta.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
1- 8 oz. Fat Free French Dressing
1- 8 Oz. can Jelly (whole)cranberry sauce
1 package – Dried Onion Soup Mix
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (you can add more or less – cut into cube pieces)

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook: Mix all ingredients in a 13 x 9 glass pan. Cover with tin foil.  Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Stir and serve over rice or noodles.

Christy’s note:  I like to add a bunch of stir-fry veggies in the bag when I freeze this.  They cook well in the sauce, and add a lot more nutrition to the meal.  (Plus, I don’t have to bother with a side dish this way!)  The kids are also more apt to eat the vegetables when they are in the sweet sauce than on the side.

Chicken Parmesan
1/3 C. dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

To freeze: Combine first four ingredients in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to evenly coat.

Place chicken on a greased cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Bake in preheated
375' F. oven 10 min. Turn chicken over; bake 10-12 min. or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Freeze in 1 gallon bag with separate bags of sauce and shredded cheese.

To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat chicken in 375' F. oven until heated through and crust is crispy. Spoon tomato sauce over chicken. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings

Spiced & Fragrant Chicken
3 1/4 c. tomato sauce
4 whole chicken legs
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/8 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. curry powder
2 garlic cloves – minced
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

To Freeze: Remove the skin from the chicken legs. In a pot, heat the tomato sauce on low heat. Add the chicken legs, stock, curry, cayenne, garlic and pepper. Cover and simmer on low until chicken is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Gently remove the chicken meat from the bones and return to the pot. Add the mushrooms and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and ladle into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat to freeze.

To serve:  Reheat and serve over cooked pasta.

Apricot or Peach Glazed Chicken
½ c. Italian dressing (I've tried it with Catalina dressing too! YUMMY!)
2 tsp. Ground ginger (optional)
2 ½ - 3 lbs. Chicken pieces
¼ c. apricot or peach preserves

To freeze:  Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  Lay flat in freezer.

To cook:  Thaw in refrigerator.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until chicken is done.  This is also a nice grill recipe.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
1 bag of frozen chicken wings
1 cup of soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ginger

Divide chicken wings between 2 or 3 one gallon bags. In a 4 cup measuring cup assemble remaining ingredients and stir. Divide teriyaki sauce between the 2 or 3 bags of chicken wings, and freeze. To prepare chicken wings, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place wings in a large baking pan along with teriyaki sauce. Heat oven to  400° and bake for 30 minutes turning once. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Chicken Tetrazzini
10 oz. dry spaghetti -- (10 to 12)
3 cups grated cheese - Jack or Cheddar
3 Tbsp. margarine
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup -- (10 3/4 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup -- (10 3/4 oz)
1 (10 3/4 oz) soup can milk
3 cups cooked diced chicken
salt & pepper

Cook spaghetti as directed until al dente; drain. Sauté onions in margarine. Mix onions and remaining ingredients with spaghetti in a large bowl. Put mixture in containers and freeze. To prepare for serving, thaw tetrazzini and put in a baking dish. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350* oven until bubbly, about 30-40 minutes. For 2 people makes 5 casseroles.

Chicken Enchiladas
(Freeze the tortillas separately for this easy dinner)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 pint sour cream
pinch garlic powder
1 can diced green chiles
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 dozen flour tortillas
grated Monterey Jack cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl.  Spoon into a 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze.

To prepare:  Thaw sauce and tortillas.  Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into each tortilla.  Roll up and place side by side in a 9 X 13 baking pan.  Pour remaining mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chicken Spectacular
3 c. cooked chicken
1 can cream of celery soup
1 (4 oz.) jar sliced pimentos
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. Uncle Ben's Long Grain Wild Rice (cooked according to package)
1 (16 oz.) can French style green beans, drained
1 c. mayonnaise
1 (8 oz. can) diced water chestnuts
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients.  Bag in 1 gallon freezer bags and freeze.

To prepare:  Thaw overnight.  Pour into a 9 1/2 X 15 inch casserole pan.  Bake uncovered 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serves 16.

Maple Glazed Chicken

Chicken Taco bake