Freezer Friendly Friday

I have wanted to start posting Freezer Friendly Friday ideas for a while, but Fridays usually slide right by before I know it, and Freezer Friendly Saturday doesn't sound quite as nice. So here goes. With any luck, I'll post one each week - or if you have an idea, please post as well.

This recipe was found online, but I am not sure of the source. They have been passed around in emails for a while. So thank you - whoever you are!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
3 Tbl canola oil
1/2 cup onion, chunked
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chunked
1 1/3 cups cold water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Brown chicken in hot oil until cooked through. Add onion and green bell pepper. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. In a saucepan, combine water and cornstarch. Stir in sugar, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling. Cook and stir until thick and glossy. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to coat. Allow to cool completely. Place chicken and sauce in quart sized freezer bags to serve about 4. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw and heat. Serve in bowls over rice. If you microwave the frozen bag for about 3 minutes to soften then dump the sauce into a sauce pan and heat. This meal will be ready by the time the instant rice is! So quick and easy. Great for one of those, "I completely forgot about dinner" nights.

**You can double the batch for dinner tonight and freeze one for later!

Motherload Cookie Bars

I think these are my heaven...

Motherload Cookie Bars

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

•1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

•1/2 cup butter
•1/2 cup white sugar
•6 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
•1 egg
•1/2 tsp. vanilla
•3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
•1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
•1 tsp. baking soda
•1/8 tsp. salt
•3/4 cup chocolate chips
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add egg and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

•1 cup creamy peanut butter
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•1 egg
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

•1 stick softened butter
•1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.granulated sugar
•1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
•1 egg
•1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla
•1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 bag chocolate chips plus more for drizzling
Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips. Spoon the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Let cookies cool completely. Lift out of pan with edges of foil. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired. (optional)

NOTE: You can layer dough and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

YUMMY!! Found it here...

Zuppa Toscana Soup:

Ingredients:
1 package sausage
3-4 Red or Russet Potaotes
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 finely diced onion or onion dry flakes
3-4 tbsp bacon bits *optional
2 Cartons 32 oz chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 bunch of kale

Directions: Slice up your sausage. Place sausage in frying pan with a little pam and fry till browned. Then add the chicken broth, sausage, onion, garlic, bacon bits and sliced potatoes to a crockpot. Slow cook for 4-5 hours. Add the Kale and heavy cream for the last 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy! Makes enough for 6 people.

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

I'm a boxed brownie kind of gal...but I can't wait to try these. I got the recipe from here.

Perfect One Bowl Brownies
submitted by Melanie
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips (although I never measure--I just sprinkle them on top)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl melt butter in microwave, then stir in oil, sugar and cocoa. With a wooden spoon stir in the remainder of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. If your toothpick comes out clean you have cooked them too long! DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Sweet & Tangy Meatballs

These look amazing! I'm going to try them this week...I bought the meatballs today. I'll post the recipe and my "vote" after I make them. :)

Chocolate Frosting

For G's birthday cake, I made two round chocolate cakes from a Betty Crocker cake mix. Then put strawberry ice cream topping in between the two layers and frosted it with a chocolate frosting I found on Allrecipes.com. Can't find it now...so sorry no link. It was SUPER good!!! I will definitely make it again for my cakes.

1/2 c (1 stick) butter/margarine
2/3 c Hershey cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
1 t vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternating add powdered sugar and milk (add more milk if needed for consistency). Stir in vanilla.

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

A good idea for Thanksgiving???

Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies

Um...these look YUMMY! I got them from here...one of my favorite recipe blogs.

Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies!

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 Full size Butterfinger Bars, crushed

1 1/2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use a cookie sheet with a silpat liner.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in crushed butterfinger and chocolate chips. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

3 dozen cookies

Taco Soup

I am hoping to make this soon. It has very little ingredients and looks tasty and easy!! (perfect for me)

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning mix

In a heavy saucepan cook ground beef with onion. Drain off fat. Then add water, tomatoes, un-drained kidney beans, tomato sauce and seasoning. Simmer together for 20 minutes!

Oreo Chunk Brownies

I will love someone FOREVER if they make me these. :) Don't they sound like the BEST thing ever. I'll let you know how they are when I make them (after my diet is over)

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

I found this recipe here. SOOOO easy and good! Next time I'll make the potatoes too.

6 pork chops, 1/2 in. thick (I only did 3)
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz. can of Cream of Chicken Soup

Place ingredients in crockpot, cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 4 hours.