Upside-down Fettuccine bake

½ lb Italian sausage

¼ C chopped onion

8 oz fettuccine

1 14½-oz can diced tomatoes

1 t dried oregano

½ C shredded mozzarella cheese

½ C grate Parmesan cheese

3 slightly beaten eggs

2 T melted butter

2 T parsley flakes

½ t chopped garlic

Brown sausage. Add onion during last few minutes.  Drain fat.  Meanwhile cook the fettuccine   Add tomatoes and their liquid to sausage mixture.  Add oregano and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 20 min, stirring occasionally.  Stir in mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheese.

Mix the eggs, the rest of the Parmesan cheese, butter, parsley, and garlic together in medium bowl.  Toss the noodles with the egg mixture.  Spread the noodles in 10-in round pan.  Pour the sausage mixture on top.  Cover with foil, label and freeze.

To serve, thaw and bake, uncovered, in preheated 350˚ oven about 25 min, or until bubbly.  Cut and serve.


To Lighten: Use Turkey Sausage, Use 1/3 C part skim mozzarella, 1/3 C Parmesan Cheese, reduce eggs to 2, and reduce butter to 1 T.

Salsa Verde Pork

3½ lbs pork loin

1 15-oz bottle salsa Verde or homemade green enchilada sauce

2 C chopped onion

3 C broth

2 t ground coriander

2 t cumin

1 t dried oregano

½ C chopped cilantro

6 large flour tortillas

Trim excess fat from pork.  Place all ingredients, except tortillas, in a 1-gallon  freezer bag.  

To Serve: Thaw and place in slow cooker. Cook on low 7-9 hrs.  Shred pork and serve with tortillas.

Orange tarragon Glazed Chicken

½ C chopped onion

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 12-oz frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed slightly

1 T tarragon

1 t salt

 In a skillet sauté onions.  Put all ingredients into labeled 1-gallon freezer bag and freeze.

To serve, thaw and pour into treated 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 375˚ for 50 min.  Or grill the chicken (medium heated grilled) for 20 min, turning once.

Adobe Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 T olive oil

½ t salt

½ t  pepper

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 11-oz bag frozen corn

1 2¼-oz can sliced olives, drained

1 t garlic powder

1 t cumin

1 C sour cream

1 C salsa

2 C shredded Pepper-Jack Cheese

 Cut chicken breast into ½-inch strips. Cook chicken strips in skillet in olive oil, turning frequently.  Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper as they cook.  Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients except the cheese.  Mix in cooked chicken.  Pour the chicken strip mixture into a 1-gallon freezer bag.  Attach cheese in a separate bag. 

To serve, thaw.  Place chicken strip mixture in a deep skillet.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 min.  Sprinkle cheese over chicken to serve.

To lighten, use broth to cook chicken.  Use fat-free sour cream, or strained fat-free plain yogurt.  Reduce the amount of cheese, or use reduced fat cheese.  If reducing cheese you may want to add some reduced fat cream cheese, but not necessary.

Super-Duper Caramel Corn

2 bags of microwave Kettle Corn (about 16 C)

1/2 C butter

1 1/3 C sugar

1/2 C light corn syrup

2 t vanilla

1 C whole almonds

1 C pecan halves
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C white chocolate chips

Pop your popcorn.  Then, in a saucepan mix the butter, sugar, corn syrup, & vanilla.  Cook on medium to medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 228-232 F on your candy thermometer.  In a BIG bowl, mix together the popcorn, candy mixture, & nuts.  Be careful, it’s hot!.  Then, spread it out over a greased cookie sheet to let it harden.  Finally, top it all off with a generous drizzling of milk & white chocolate.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 C chopped onion

1 lb sausage

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree. (I often use diced)

1/2 C water

1 C tomato sauce

2 t chopped garlic

2 bay leaves

1 T sugar

2 t dried basil

1 tn dried oregano

2 T fresh parsley (I usually don't have this so I use 2 teaspoons dried)

1 t salt

Brown onions and meat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer 30 min, partially covered.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

2 t garlic, chopped

½ C butter, melted

¾ C dry bread crumbs

½ C Parmesan cheese, grated

1½ C (6 oz) cheddar cheese, shredded

1 T fresh parsley, chopped

¼ t dried oregano

¼ t pepper

¼ t salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine garlic powder with egg.  In shallow bowl mix bread crumbs, parmesan, Cheddar, parsley, oregano, pepper and salt.  Pound the chicken breasts to flatten them.  Dip each chicken breast in egg to coat, then press into the breadcrumb mixture.  Arrange the coated chicken breast on treated cooking sheet to freeze.   When frozen, transfer to 1– gallon freezer bag.

To serve, place on treated cookie sheet and thaw.  Preheat oven to 375˚.  Bake, covered with foil for 45 min.  Uncover and cook another 15 min, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

To lighten, replace butter and chopped garlic with ½ t garlic powder and 2 large eggs.  Use reduced fat cheeses.