Spend your evenings outdoors this spring, rather than cooped up in the kitchen. Make weeknight dinners a breeze with make-ahead freezer-friendly dinners that you can prep on a rainy day!
Sweet Barbecue Meatballs
Ingredients:
– 3 lb ground beef or turkey
– 2 C quick-cooking oats
– 1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
– 2 onions, finely diced
– 3 tsp. garlic powder
– 2 tsp. chili powder
– Dash cayenne pepper
– 2 C ketchup
– 1/3 C brown sugar
– 1 tsp. smoked salt
Instructions:
Meatballs
– Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
– Combine oats, evaporated milk, half of the onion, and 2 tsp. garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in large mixing bowl.
– Use clean hands to mix in beef evenly.
– Shape into 1-inch balls
– Place balls in shallow baking pans, preferably on racks sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
– Bake 20 minutes, until cooked through.
Sauce
– In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine ketchup, brown sugar, remaining onion, garlic powder, and smoked salt.
– Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
– Reduce to a simmer and continue to stir 3-5 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly.
– Add meatballs to sauce, stirring gently until lightly coated.
Tex Mex Mac-N-Cheese
Ingredients:
– 1 package elbow macaroni, shells, or cellentani pasta
– 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
– 4 T butter
– 2 bell peppers, diced
– 1 onion, diced
– 1 4 oz. can green chiles
– 1 8 oz. package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
– 1 10-oz. can cream of chicken soup
– 1/2 C sour cream
– 2 tsp. chili powder
– 1 tsp. ground cumin
– 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
– Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
– Prepare pasta and set aside.
– Lightly coat 13 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
– Melt butter in large sauce pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
– Saute onion and bell pepper approximately 3 minutes.
– Add meat and cook through until it becomes crumbles.
– Stir in chiles and cheese product.
– Stir constantly until cheese melts.
– Stir in soup, sour cream, chili powder and cumin.
– Fold in cooked pasta until well-coated.
– Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top.
– Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese begins to brown.
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
– 1/4 C sliced almonds
– 2 6 oz. boxes fast-cooking long grain and wild rice mix
– 1/4 C butter
– 6 ribs celery, finely chopped
– 2 onions, diced
– 2 lb. cooked chicken, chopped
– 2 10 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
– 1 8 oz. container sour cream
– 1 C milk
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1 tsp. pepper
– 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
– 4 C shredded cheddar cheese
– 1 C breadcrumbs
Instructions:
– Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
– Lightly coat 13 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
– Spread almonds in single layer in a shallow pan and bake 3 minutes. Stir and toast an additional 3 minutes.
– Prepare rice according to package instructions.
– Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
– Saute celery and onions for 10 minutes or until tender.
– Stir in chicken, soup, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, rice and 3 cups of cheese.
– Spoon mixture into baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.
– Bake for 35 minutes.
– Sprinkle with remaining cheese and almonds.
– Bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Southwest Lasagna
Ingredients:
– 1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef
– 1 onion, diced
– 2 large bell peppers, diced
– 1 8-oz. package low fat cream cheese
– 1 tsp. chili powder
– 1 8-oz. can enchilada sauce
– 8 8-inch flour tortillas
– 1 C shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
– Sour cream and salsa for serving
Instructions:
– Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
– Coat 13 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
– Cook meat, onion, and peppers over medium heat until meat is cooked through.
– Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.
– Pour enchilada sauce into wide, shallow bowl or dish.
– Dip tortillas in sauce until coated.
– Layer tortillas, two at a time, then meat mixture, then cheese in baking dish.
– Bake 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
– Allow dish to stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.
– Serve with sour cream and salsa.
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