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. 

When There's Nothing Else to Eat

So I was making a grocery list to determine what I had in the fridge and what I needed from the store.  I noticed that there was about a cup's worth of leftover turkey (or chicken, or ham), a long stalk of celery, a couple of sliced green onions, a couple of handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise in the refrigerator.  Then I checked the pantry and found half-a-box of small elbow macaroni.  I never do this--I'm not creative with food, I normally must have a recipe--but for some reason these ingredients just came together in my mind as a really good salad.

I put off going to the store and cooked the macaroni, chopped the meat and diced the celery.  After rinsing the macaroni in a colander under cold water and quick-drying it on paper towels on the counter, I combined all the ingredients together with enough mayonnaise to moisten.  I didn't season it with salt and pepper, leaving that for family members to do.  Then I tried it.  Maybe I was hungry but it was the best macaroni salad I've ever had!

I'm writing this post just to remind myself how I made it.  Even though it's simple, I'm liable to forget.  This was enough for 4-6 large helpings.  (My daughter, a 115 lb. college cheerleader with a coach who will tell you you're fat, actually went back for a second large helping.  This is not normal for her!)  It just goes to show you how often we throw food out or think we have nothing to eat when the leftover and last bits of something can turn into a fabulous (if simple) dinner.  All the ingredients are "to taste."  Some might like more of one thing and less of another.  Print Recipe

Turkey Macaroni Salad
1 cup small elbow macaroni, prepared (or whatever pasta you have on hand)
1-2 cups turkey, (or chicken, or ham), cooked and chopped
1 stalk of celery, diced 
1-2 sliced green onions
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup mayonnaise (enough to moisten the ingredients)
Prepare macaroni according to directions.  Rinse in cool water and drain thoroughly.  Combine all the ingredients adding more mayo if necessary.