Monthly freezer cooking - doing up the favorites!

Having done freezer cooking and prep for my family many times now, we definitely have our favorites. So this month, we decided to do some of our favorites! These recipes are tried and true, and family approved!

Four Cheese Baked Pasta
adapted from The Casserole Queens Cookbook

16 oz box ziti or other tube shaped pasta
14 1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
12 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup (4oz) crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Cook and drain pasta. Stir in tomatoes and juices. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by about half (about 4 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and add cream, stirring and cooking until slightly thickened (about 5 miunutes.) Remove from heat, and stir in cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the the pasta mixture in the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and tin foil. Freeze.

To prepare: Thaw in fridge overnight. Preheat oven to 425. Remove plastic wrap, and replace foil. Bake, covered, for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly. Stir before serving to make sure all the pasta is covered.

note: This is a very rich pasta dish. I prefer to make two  8x8 pans, and serve as a side, rather than a main dish.

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Spaghetti Pie
adapted from several recipes, including one from Allrecipes.com
 

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

1 lb. dried spaghetti

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. Italian sausage

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

garlic powder to taste

1/2 c chopped green bell pepper

1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce

3/4 c sour cream

1/2 c chopped onions

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cupsshredded Cheddar cheese

 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

 

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage. Drain. Return meat to skillet and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, bell pepper and pasta sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

 

In a small bowl combine sour cream, onions and cream cheese and set aside.

 

Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture over it, add the meat sauce mixture and sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese.

 

Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze.

 

To prepare: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap, and replace foil.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

note: Because I only have 3 mouths to feed, I can easily divide this into two 8x8 pans.

Step-by-step View

Directions

These two are two of our absolute favorites from my freezer cooking escapades. I hope that you enjoy. There are a lot of recipes out there, and we've tried many, but these are two that our families ask for over and over! Enjoy!