Freezer Cooking: Let's not forget the puppies!

This is my last post on freezer cooking...for now. And let us not forget we have two other bodies in our home. Odin and Freya. And for all of their smelling and not being able to eat, shouldn't they get a treat too? And could I possibly spoil them more than they already are? Yes.

And so, dear friends, my last freezer cooking day was dedicated to my puppies. I found this great recipe on www.allrecipes.com for dog treats and boy, do they love 'em!


THE "ODIN AND FREYA LOVE THESE SO MUCH" DOG TREAT:

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter (I prefer bone shaped), and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.  

 

 

Nat's notes: Now, before I post my step-by-step picture guide, I did make a few exceptions in this recipe. I had cornmeal on hand, however there is debate that cornmeal is not that great for puppies. So, I happened to have flax seed meal in my pantry and I substituted that in equal parts. Also, instead of using sugar, I used honey in equal parts.  I must also note I made a double batch, as I had everything I needed already on hand. Best to use it before it goes bad! Okay, on to the good part!

 

 Everything I needed, I had on hand. I decided to make these because we had all that left over cheddar from making burritos and such, so best to use it up instead of letting it sit there.

Add boiling water and butter to oats. Let them sit for 10 minutes.

Start adding your other ingredients! But, not your flour.

Mix those first.

Next, add your flour. This turns out to be a lot of flour and gets too thick for your spoon to handle. So be ready to get your hands dirty!

Lightly flour your counter and start kneading the dough. I ended up having to separate the dough into two parts, because I did a double batch and it was hard to get it to join.

Next, I rolled it out with my rolling pin.

I cut them out with a dog bone cookie cutter. I happened to have this on hand, because I bought a doggie cookie dough pack last year. Any cookie cutter will do.

Next, lay them out and let them bake. I only made one batch this time around and gave some away as a gift! And what did I do with the remaining cookie dough? You guessed it!

I put it in two bags and stuck it in the freezer! Now, when I run out, I can just make a fresh bag of dog treats!

 

 See? I promise I didn't have any more room for recipes! But, I will keep you updated on how it goes and post new recipes as soon as I try them! Bon Appetit!

Freezer Cooking: Cookie Dough

At this next point in my freezer cooking experience, I was running out of room in my freezer. I still have ingredients on hand to make breakfast ham and cheese pockets, but I'm going to have to wait until we eat some of our goods. I might make those next week. Well, with all of these casseroles and pizza pockets and burritos and banana bread, I want to make something sweet, just in case we wanted a dessert. The eggs I had on hand were also about to pass their "best by" date, so I wanted to use those up as soon as possible.

Needless to say, we ended up with two batches of cookie dough. Simple and I had some chocolate chips on hand. You might remember I mentioned in my first post I bake a lot. So, I pretty much had everything I needed for this on hand and was able to use up goods I had in my pantry. My pantry before I started was brimming with unused pasta, flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, etc. Now, I actually have a bit more room. It feels really great to utilize instead of waste.

Now, for the cookie dough recipe, any standard will do. I used two different variations, but you'll usually end up with your standard cookie dough. I'll post a recipe underneath, but your basic recipe on the back of the bag will work just fine.


NESTLE'S COOKIE DOUGH:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) 
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
I'll post pictures below, but mixing is very standard.

 Ingredients.

Butter first.

Next, your sugars.

Eggs and such.

Start adding the flour.

I did a batch of chocolate chip and a batch of mint. MMM!

Lastly, if you've never stored frozen cookie dough before, it's very easy. This is how I like to do it. List the date you made it, what kind it is, what temperature to cook it and for how long. Remember, those with gas stoves need to adjust their temperature and time a bit.

The second part is to push the cookie dough to the bottom of the bag as much as possible. I picked up this technique when mixing butter with herbs and refreezing it. I used the butter to stuff under the skin of my turkey for Thanksgiving and this should work relatively the same way. You push to the bottom, forming a tube with your hand. You can see some of my cookie dough smeared. Now, you have a nice tube of cookies in the freezer for when you're ready to bake them! Just slice them into "coins", pop them on your baking sheet and stick them in the oven! The other really wonderful thing? Each batch made 3 bags of cookies!

Nat's notes: I have found from personal experience, the fluffier cookies come from cold dough and the flat, moist ones come from a warmer dough. So, if I were baking these, I'd probably thaw them in the fridge first, but if I wanted a softer cookie, I might sit them out on the counter to become a bit closer to room temperature. There is egg in there, so don't let it sit out for TOO long :)

Freezer Cooking: Pizza Casserole

We obviously like pizza in this household and by obviously, I mean Chandler loves pizza. I could live without it, but I tried to make some things I knew he would like. I came across a recipe I had found awhile back on www.cullyskitchen.com and decided to try it out as a freezer recipe. Instead of baking it right away, however, I cooked some ingredients and then just layered it, like you would find a pizza in the frozen food section of your local grocery. Warning: This recipe is rather meat and cheese heavy. Almost a little too much for me, but he will like it.

Anyway, with this recipe, I really did do a step-by-step picture progression. I hope it helps!


3 MEAT PIZZA CASSEROLE:

Ingredients

1 lb bow tie pasta
1 lb mild pork sausage
1 large onion, medium size chopped
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I used Bertolli’s Mushroom and Garlic)
1 lb cubed cooked ham
1/2-1 lb of sliced pepperoni
3 (8 ounce) bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions
1. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dent é.
2. Cook sausage, garlic powder and oregano with onions until the juices run clear.
3. In a lightly greased 9x13x3 inch pan, pour a small amount of sauce to lightly coat bottom.
4. Layer ingredients in the order listed below.
5. 1st layer-1/3 of the pasta, 1/3 remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, sausage and onions.
6. 2nd layer-1/2 of the remaining pasta, 1/2 remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, ham.
7. 3rd layer-all remaining pasta, all remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, all the pepperoni(completely covering the entire top with pepperoni).
8. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
9. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
3. In a lightly greased 9x13x3 inch pan, pour a small amount of sauce to lightly coat bottom.

 Prep time!

 While the pasta is cooking, it's time to cook your sausage. Here we have a sausage roll, as well as left over sausage links I had, onions and garlic.

Let's mix it up! Delicious! Note: I started with my cast iron skillet and ended up switching to my wok to have more room.

While that was cooking up in my cast iron skillet, I diced up pieces of ham.

Here starts the layering process. You might have to adjust if you plan to use to pans. It originally calls for one.

Here I drained my pasta. There's bow tie pasta, but I had some quinoa in my cabinet as well, so I added that to the mix.

Pasta.

More sauce.

Mozzarella and Parmesan.

All of the sausage.

More pasta.

Ham layered. There was leftovers, so the dogs were happy.

I got tired of the rest of the layering pictures, but you get the idea.

Cover and Label!

Sorry for the excessive pictures, everyone! Let me know if you have any questions!

Freezer Cooking: Pizza Pockets

Part Five: The Pizza Pocket.

I have to give a bit of a disclaimer up front. These were not as delicious as I would have liked them to be. However, I tend to have a stronger palate. What can I say? My mother started me off young with black beans and rice instead of baby food. So, if you're reading any recipes and I say I actually like them, keep in mind I do enjoy things rich in flavor and preferably with a lot of spice. If you're like Chandler, on the other hand (and by that, I mean completely white bread, no crust...ya know what I'm saying?)...if you like things a bit bland or like your spices on the mild side, this might be for you.

That being said, I'm posting this because:

1. Well, I made it, by golly! And it's in the freezer. And isn't that why I'm posting? So, you can learn from my mistakes...em, triumphs?

2. I'll just add some spices next time...a bit of oregano, pepper, etc.


Also, I must note this was my first go at making homemade dough. Also, again, I got the recipe at www.moneysavingmom.com. So here we are...


PIZZA POCKETS:

Dough:

• 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 Tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
• 5 cups flour

Filling:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
• 2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but I think cheddar or a mixture of cheese would work well, too.)
• Other optional filling ingredients: diced black olives, pepperoni, diced green pepper, and/or diced mushrooms

To make dough: Mix yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Mix well and dump onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes.
To make filling (I browned this while mixing up the dough): Brown ground beef with onion (and green pepper, if desired). Drain. Add pasta sauce and mix together. Add other optional filling ingredients, if desired.
To make Pizza Pockets: Divide dough into 15-20 pieces. Roll pieces into balls. Flatten balls into circles with rolling pin. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling onto dough circle and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and seal tightly.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes until browned.
To freeze: Cool completely and store in an airtight ziptop freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.
To serve: Remove desired number of pizza pockets from the freezer and warm them individually in the microwave for about two minutes or until heated throw. Or, warm on a cookie sheet in a 350-degrees oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

First step: Prep

I first made the dough. This is a reasonable progression, as you need pockets to fill.

Next, I broke them up into pieces. My dough made about 18 pieces.

I then rolled the bits into balls and rolled them flat with a rolling pin.

The following step was mixing the filler.

Here is where I should have added some spices. Next time.

Add your filler and toppings...

Fold and pinch sides together...

Result: Pizza Pocket!

Nat's Notes: If you're cooking with a gas stove, it's always tricky trying to figure out how long to cook something. As you can see above, I didn't adjust my cook time or temperature, so they turned out a bit dark. With a gas stove, I'd often recommend adjusting your temperature to about 25 degrees less and you may still have to adjust cook time. I always go for the lowest time given. Example: If it says bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, I'll often bake at 325 for 35 minutes, but may check the meal around 30 minutes.

Freezer Cooking: Chicken Casserole

This next part was a big step in the freezer cooking process and one I'm still skeptical on.  I won't believe it'll turn out tasty until I recook it and see. This was my first attempt at making a casserole. (For freezer cooking. Not ever.) Again, as I've stated before, I was looking to utilize chicken I already had before it went bad. So, I decided on a casserole called...

CHICKEN & CHEESE NOODLE BAKE:

(I got this recipe off of www.tasteofhome.com)

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti, broken
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the onions and red peppers in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, soups, sour cream, celery salt and pepper.
• Drain spaghetti; add to sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).  

First, start with all of your ingredients at hand.

  Luckily, my dad bought me a Dutch Oven last year as a gift. It really is important to have enough room to cook in your pot, pan, etc.

Next step, add flour to start to thicken it up.

And then milk to make a thick base.

Lastly, mix in the spaghetti (I had a mix of left over whole wheat and bleached, so I used it all up). Layer with your cheese mix, cover and store.


I didn't take a last picture, but after covering the casserole, make sure to list a date, temperature and cook time. Also, label what it is or you might end up baking the wrong casserole for dinner, if you make more than one kind. I portioned my casseroles, so we don't eat too much. Although, looking at these, they STILL seem like too much casserole. I'll send it to work with Chandler.


Stay tuned!