How to Freeze Grated Cheese

Lately, I've been trying really hard to stick to a strict grocery budget--after all, when you purchase and eat food, what do you have to show for it?  I'd rather not waste money on food that might get thrown out.

However, it can be tough to purchase items for a two-week period and realize someone just made a snack with the cheese you needed for Thursday night's dinner, (especially when they could have eaten what you prepared for snacks!)  So I try to pre-prepare for my family's meals as much as possible.  

I have started using a permanent marker to label everything that goes into the pantry and fridge for a specific purpose.  That doesn't mean everything is labeled--just what absolutely cannot be used up before I need it.

I remembered that I can go ahead and shred my cheese and spread it out on plastic wrap on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer.  It only takes a few minutes to harden enough to place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer.  Shredding is a good job for one of the kids to do, but you might want to freeze it yourself to ensure it gets properly stored.

Zesty Tomato Soup is a fabulous last minute meal.  Just keep some frozen Monterrey Jack Cheese on hand and cans of tomato soup and some oyster crackers in the pantry.  It's seasoned with chili powder.  It really takes tomato soup up a notch!  I would serve this to last minute company or when having the girls over for lunch. 

Bean Chimichangas (Baked)

This is a great vegetarian (and food storage) meal.  They are so fast and easy to make.  Plus they're very healthy because you bake the chimichangas instead of frying them.  They are seriously good!  Here are the ingredients you'll need:

Bean Chimichangas (Baked)

16-ounce can refried beans

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup medium salsa

1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

one-half of a (5-ounce) package yellow rice mix, cooked

5, 10-inch flour tortillas (Our Best Bites has a great tortilla making tutorial!)

shredded lettuce 

salsa

guacamole

sour cream

Stir together refried beans, cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning mix.  Stir in rice.  Place 1/3 cup mixture just below center of each tortilla.  Fold opposite sides of tortillas over filling, forming rectangles; secure with picks.  

Place on a baking sheet and coat both sides of chimichangas with cooking spray.  Bake at 425 degrees 8 minutes.  

Arrange on lettuce.  Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, if desired. Chimichangas can be frozen in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags fro up to 3 months.  Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

Freezer Slice and Bake Cookies

Making Christmas Cookies in South Florida, 1999

Forget the Pilsbury Cookie Dough!  Make homemade cookie dough rolls that you keep in the fridge or freezer.  This way you know exactly what's in the cookies you bake for your family and you always have a snack or refreshments on hand.  I've given rolls of cookie dough (including the directions) as gifts for visiting or home teaching.  You never know when you'll be called upon to provide cookies and I'm really surprised when folks don't expect home baked cookies--but they are always impressed!  I clipped these recipes from an old Southern Living Magazine and bake them often.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1-1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

4-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. chopped pecans

1 (6-oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels

Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.  Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating just until blended.  Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate morsels.  Shape dough into 3 long rolls, 2 inches in diameter.  Wrap each in waxed paper, and freeze overnight.  Unwrap rolls, and cut into 1/4-inch slices; place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14  minutes or until lightly browned.  Yield: about 7 dozen.

I really like cookies made with shortening.  The texture is beautifully crisp.  Sometimes if a recipe calls for butter I might use half butter and half Crisco.  I never use margarine because it doesn't bake well.

Lemon Pecan Dainties

1/2 c. shortening

1 egg, beaten

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. grated lemon rind

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 c. chopped pecans

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add egg, lemon juice, and grated lemon rind; beat well.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in pecans.  Shape dough into a long roll, 2 inches in diameter; wrap in waxed paper, and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.  Unwrap roll, and cut into 1/4-inch slices; place on lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.  Yield: about 3 dozen.

This cookie is chock-full of healthy goodness.

Oatmeal Nut Crispies

1 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 t. lemon extract

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 t. ground cinnamon

3 c. quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add lemon extract, beating well.  Combine flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture, beating well. Stir in oats and pecans.  Shape dough into 2 long rolls, 2 inches in diameter; wrap each in waxed paper, and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.  Unwrap rolls, and cut into 1/4-inch slices; place 2 to 3 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.  Yield:  about 7 dozen.

This is my favorite cookie of the bunch!

Double Peanut Butter Cookies

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. shortening

3/4 creamy peanut butter, DIVIDED

1/4 c. light corn syrup

Combine flour, sugar, soda, and salt; cut in shortening and 1/2 cup peanut butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in corn syrup and milk.  Shape dough into a long roll, 2 inches in diameter; wrap in waxed paper, and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.  Unwrap roll, and cut into 1/4-inch slices; place half of slices on ungreased cookie sheets, (I use Reynolds parchment to line my cookie sheets).  Spread each with 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter.  Top with remaining cookie slices, and seal edges with fork.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.  Yield:  about 2 dozen.  Doesn't make a whole lot, but they are big and filling and sooo good!

Freeze a Batch OAMC

To freeze a batch of soup, cool soup and ladle into an airtight freezer container or freezer bags.  Freeze for 3 to 6 months.  Thaw soup in a microwave-safe dish at 50 percent power until mostly thawed then heat on 80 percent power until heated through.  If the freezer container is not microwave-safe, place the sealed container under cold running water until soup begins to thaw and can be transferred to a microwave-safe dish.  If you don't have a microwave, you can thaw in the refrigerator.  Not all soups are recommended for freezing.
Here is the absolute best split pea soup recipe I have tasted.  It comes from my favorite OAMC cookbook: Once-A-Month Cooking, by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.  ISBN 1-56179-041-9
Split Pea Soup 12 oz. dry, green split peas 3 c. water 1/2 lb. cooked, cubed ham 3/4 t. onion powder  1/8 t. dried thyme leaves 1/8 t. freshly ground pepper 1/3 c. chopped celery 3/4 c. peeled and sliced carrots 1 c. finely chopped onion 1 bay leaf  salt to taste Rinse split peas, soak them in cold water overnight; drain.  Put peas with remaining ingredients in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Stirring occasionally, simmer about 2 hours until peas are tender and turn pasty.  Cool and freeze in 6-cup container.   To serve, thaw peas, and simmer until warmed through.  If peas are to thick, add water to make consistency of thick soup.  Yield:  6 servings.
I like to serve this with my favorite Homemade Croutons from another favorite cookbook (I love cookbooks), The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, compiled and edited by Julie Fisher Gunter (1999 Oxmoor House) ISBN 0-8487-1816-X

Homemade Croutons 3-4 T. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. pepper 6 (1-inch) slices French bread, cubed Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake well.  Spread cubes on a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.  Yield: 4 cups.

Gobble Good Turkey Casserole!

An easy missionary recipe!  This is a good food storage recipe as well.  Also good to wrap up in a bag or basket as a gift.  I first received this from my first-grader daughter.  There was rice in a lunch sack dressed up like a turkey with the recipe attached.  It was cute! The idea came from CopyCat magazine, Nov/Dec 1994:

Ham Dinner Slices

(Also a Once-A-Month Cooking Recipe: OAMC)

This is a great beginner recipe for anyone who wants to start a OAMC file.  An easy meal to prepare for the freezer, this entree goes well with baked potatoes and green beans.

Ham Dinner Slices

2, 3/4 inch thick, cooked ham slices (from center ham)*
Prepared mustard*
Brown sugar*
1 cup milk (about)*
4 medium baking potatoes*
Freeze ham slices in 1-gallon bag.  Label bag so you'll remember what meal the ham is for.
To serve, thaw ham slices.  Prepare potatoes and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 1 hour or until done.  Place ham slices in a single layer in the bottom of an 8x8x2-inch baking dish treated with nonstick spray.  Spread mustard on top of each slice; sprinkle brown sugar over mustard.  Pour enough milk over ham slices to come half-way up their sides.  
Bake uncovered 45 minutes.  Yield: 4 servings.  Serve with baked potatoes and cooked green beans. *Food items with an asterisk(*) won't be prepared until you serve the entrée.
Once-a-Month Cooking, by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg, Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Co.