Favorite Ingredients Friday - Freezer Edition!

I have got to start doing more freezer cooking. In fact, I think I want a freezer for my birthday. Dinners during the school year were tough to pull off each night. I don't see next year being any easier. I do have to admit they're a breeze right now. Since Jim got his new grill, he's cooked dinner every single night.

I'm going through a bunch of old magazines and pulling out the recipes I really want to try and discarding the rest. It's time to do some major purging. This is a recipe I recently added to my files. I love the idea of making a base component and freezing it, then using it later to make different meals. I'll include the main recipe and the two they had to follow up. These came from Taste of Home magazine.

Recipe #1

Basic Beef Starter

5 pounds ground beef
4 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 teaspoon salt

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Cool.

Place about 2-3/4 cups each in four freezer containers. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Yield: 4 portions (11-1/2 cups).

Recipe #2

Beef-Stuffed Peppers

1 portion Basic Beef Starter, thawed
1-1/4 cups cooked rice
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 medium green pepper
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a bowl, combine the beef starter, rice, tomato sauce, basil and pepper. Cut tops off green peppers and remove seeds. Spoon 1 cup of beef mixture into each pepper.

Place in a 10-in. round microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely; cook on high for 7-9 minutes or until peppers are tender, rotating a half turn once. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe #3

Start-Ahead Stroganoff

1 portion Basic Beef Starter, thawed
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
Hot cooked noodles

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the beef starter and mushrooms. Add the bouillon and Worcestershire sauce. Combine flour and water until smooth; stir into the beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve over noodles. Yield: 4 servings.

Be sure to visit the Favorite Ingredients Friday home to find more great recipes!

Past FIF recipes:
Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits
Tomato Chicken
Greatest Hits: Enchiladas de Pollo and Old-fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
Almost Cabbage Rolls
Guacamole
German Chocolate Pie
Carne Asada & Sour Cream Tortilla Casserole
Dorito Salad
Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Apple Cake
Mocha
Vegetable Beef Soup
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Raspberry Pie & White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie
Breakfast Granola
Shrimp Creole
Lazy Man's Lasagna & Apple Cake
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jim's Favorite Jelly Cookie
Eye of Round Roast
Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich
Marcia's Taco Soup
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Cajun Baked Catfish
Jim's Snickers Pancake
Crawfish Monica
Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo
Crockpot Red Beans
Better Than Almost Anything Cake
Fruity Sangria
Outrageous Brownies
Enchiladas de Pollo
Lescó
Catalina Chicken
Croissant French Toast
Corned Beef
Sloppy Joe, Mac 'n Cheese Casserole
Shredded Chicken
Baked Bean & Burger Casserole
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Crab Rangoon
Sausage con Queso and Ro-tel Cheese Dip
Blueberry Multigrain Coffeecake
Banana Bread
Bananas Foster
Old-Time Beef Stew
White Chocolate Snack Mix
Gorilla Bread
Ginger Shrimp
Roast Chicken
Tex-Mex Chicken Taco Soup
Shrimp Mold
Pasta Puttanesca
Pork Milanese
Pumpkin Dip
Oven-fried Chicken
Best Bundt Cake Ever
Hot Dog Casserole
Chicken & Rice
Peanut Butter Fudge
Omelets in a Bag
Shrimp Boil
Apple Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ