Chop Chop Veggie Salad Recipe

This is super yummy, easy, and healthy. Perfect for those summer BBQs!

Chop Chop Veggie Salad

• 2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 c sliced green olives
• 1-2 handfuls shredded cheddar
• Your favorite ranch dressing

Combine everything in a large bowl, store in fridge until ready to serve.

I prepped it at lunch time, and by dinner time it tasted even better since all the flavors had a chance to blend together some.

Wordless Wednesday: Disappointment at the Range

Creamy Mac-N-Cheese for a Crowd

This side dish could easily be turned into a main dish if you’d like. Otherwise it’s most definitely enough for a crowd! My 7qt slow cooker was very full! I froze some of the leftovers to see how it holds up to freezing then reheating, so far I haven't tried it yet though.

Slow Cooker Mac-n-Cheese

• 2lbs elbow noodles
• 4c half and half
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2c butter, melted
• 4c shredded cheddar
• 1 container ricotta cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions (leaving them a little firm), drain.  Combine all ingredients and place in slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 -2.5hrs until heated through.

Garlic Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe

It doesn't get much easier than this! It’s by far one of the easiest to prep freezer meals, and has versatility! You can grill it, bake it, and slow cook it, whatever you want!

Garlic Bacon Ranch Chicken

• Enough boneless skinless chicken breasts for your family
• Up to 1 bottle of your favorite ranch dressing
• 3T bottled minced garlic (more or less depending on your garlic preference)
• Real bacon pieces (from the salad dressing isle)

Combine everything in a labeled gallon size freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Lay flat to freeze, upright to store.

Thaw before cooking. For on the grill or to bake it, pull the meat out and discard the dressing and cook as you normally would.  For slow cooker, dump all the chicken and as much of the sauce as you want into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6hrs or high for 4, until done.

You don’t have to freeze this of course, but I do recommend you let the chicken and sauce marinate together for awhile in the fridge.

Serve with pasta, rice, or potatoes as well as a veggie of your choice and salad.

Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

Teriyaki is one of those things I didn't realize had pineapple in it, and once I realized it would have to be “off limits” I admit I was sad – teriyaki jerky is a favorite of mine!  So, this is another alternative that I’ve found works well!

Chicken Teriyaki

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips, cubes, or slices (whatever you like)
• 1c chicken broth
• 1/2c soy sauce
• 1/3c brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

To have as a freezer meal option, put everything in a labeled gallon size freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze, upright to store.  Night before, put it in the fridge to thaw.

To cook this, cook on low 6-8hrs. Serve with rice, veggie of choice, and a salad.

Of course the sauce could be used for any type of meat you want to marinate and give that teriyaki flavor to as well!  Perfect!

Hearty Ham Casserole Recipe

This recipe is moderately freezer friendly.  The only issue with freezing it is the potatoes turn pretty mushy and it’s more like mashed potatoes. It still tastes good though!

Hearty Ham Casserole

• 2c potatoes, cubed
• 2c ham, cubed
• 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/4c finely minced fresh parsley
• 1/4c butter
• 1T chopped onions
• 1/3c all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4c milk
• 1/8t ground black pepper
• 4oz American processed cheese, shredded

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, roughly 15 minutes.  Drain and cool potatoes.

Combine potatoes, ham, corn, and parsley and set aside.  In a saucepan saute onion in butter for 2 minutes, stir in flour until well blended.  Gradually add milk and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour over ham and potatoes mixture. Stir to mix well.

If you plan on freezing this to make for another day, cool it off before putting into a prepped (with foil and plastic) 11×7 baking dish. Do not top with cheese yet!

If making it now pour the mixture into a greased 11×7 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 – 10 minutes longer until the cheese is melted.

If you froze this, grease your pan you used for freezing then completely un-wrap the meal and put into the pan. Let it thaw then follow the same cooking directions as above. If it’s cold it will take longer to cook, so allow for more time for that.  Mine was frozen, then thawed but still cold so it took about 40 minutes to get all the way hot.

Such a yummy comfort food!  Serve with a salad.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe

I love so much about this recipe! As I've written before, 2 of us are allergic to pineapple. But I LOVE sweet and sour sauce. Most have pineapple in them though so I wasn't able to eat it anymore.  But now I found something that works in its place, and tastes close enough to the “real thing” that I no longer feel like I am missing out.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• 1 medium sized bag of home-style meatballs (or make your own, the bags have about 66 small meatballs in them)
• 1 small jar grape jelly
• 1 small bottle chili sauce

Mix it all up in a labeled gallon freezer bag, lay flat to freeze. Place upright to store.
Cook on low for 3 hours if completely thawed, about 4 hrs if frozen still. Serve on toothpicks for an appetizer or over rice for a meal.

Now how does this make me feel like I’m not missing out?  I can mix up just the sauce and have it for other items too that I want sweet and sour sauce for!  I can enjoy things like egg rolls and crab ragoons! Those are 2 of my most favorite things to dunk in sweet and sour sauce.  Now I can again!
I say it’s “close enough” to the real thing, and most will probably disagree. But when you've been missing out on something “small” like this for years, the little things like finding a suitable replacement is huge!