Chicken Pot Pie

While I know it is summer, this is still a favorite of ours to make year round.  Especially when I need a quick go to from my freezer.  You can either make the crust from scratch or when in a pinch use a pre-made refrigerated crust.  My kids gobble this up so there is little to no leftovers usually.  The filling often will make enough for 2 pot pie's, so be prepared to either make 2, or freeze half of the filling to use next time.  This recipe freezes amazing!  Hope you enjoy it!

2 C. diced peeled potatoes
1 3/4 C. sliced carrots
2/3 C. chopped Onion
4 C. cooked chicken
1 C. frozen peas
1 C. frozen corn
1 C. butter, cubed
1 C. flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. pepper
3 C. Chicken broth
1 1/2 C. milk
2 refrigerated or homemade Pie crusts 

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; drain.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture; remove from heat.
3. Unroll a pastry sheet into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. 

Often when making this I have leftover filling, and so I'll either make a second pot pie with additional crusts, or I'll freeze the filling in the shape of my pie tin in a ziploc bag to use later.  It makes for a quick meal on a night I haven't thought much about dinner in advance.

For the freezer method, cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425°. Place pies on baking sheets; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

Vegetable Chowder

The Autum Air makes me want to make Soup, and this is a great one to make using all of your fresh vegetables from the season, and it freezes great so you can enjoy it all winter long!

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced (2 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups milk
• 4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 8 ears corn, kernels removed (about 4 cups)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
• Hot pepper sauce, for serving (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven or 5-quart pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add milk, potatoes, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in corn, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until corn is tender, about 3 minutes.
4. With a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups of the solids to a blender; puree until smooth. Return to pot; add green beans. Bring to a simmer; cook until beans are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season again with salt; serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

**If you slightly undercook the veggies they will still have a little big of a "fresh crunch" to them if you freeze them and then defrost and cook them. **

French Onion Soup

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE French onion soup! Did I mention that I love it, and when I found this recipe for a freezer version I fell in love with it! What better way to enjoy the soup season that with a recipe like this you can freeze in individual sizes and warm up whenever you like.

• 10 medium yellow onions (about 4 1/2 pounds) , halved, peeled, and thinly sliced

**Note: To cut onion slices, halve through the root end; peel back skin. Place halves, cut sides down, on cutting board. Trim both ends; thinly slice onion lengthwise. To slice onions quickly, use a food processor fitted with a slicing blade (instead of a knife).

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup dry red wine or chicken broth
  
• FOR CHEESE TOAST (OPTIONAL)
• 4 slices toasted multigrain bread
• 4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss together onions, oil, sugar, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover tightly with foil; cook until steamed, about 30 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.
2. Transfer onion mixture to a large saucepan (reserve roasting pan); stir in broth and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, deglaze the roasting pan with wine: Place the pan over medium heat; add wine. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or scraper to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour liquid (and browned bits) into soup. Season with salt and pepper. (If freezing, let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch at top.)
4. If desired, make the cheese toast: Heat broiler. Place bread on a baking sheet; top with Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut each slice into four triangles.
5. To serve, divide soup among bowls; garnish each with two triangles of cheese toast, if desired. Or go for the traditional toast crouton and parmesean/asiago cheese to top it off.

Mac & Cheese

• 1 pound short pasta, such as cavatappi or macaroni
• Coarse salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups shredded (12 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup finely grated (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and 2 teaspoons salt; bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in cheeses until smooth. Pour over pasta; toss to coat. Divide among baking dishes.
3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over pasta. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; freeze up to 3 months.
4. To cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen dishes on a baking sheet; remove plastic. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, 60 to 70 minutes for large dishes, 40 to 50 minutes for small. Remove foil; continue baking until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Pesto

I had never tried Pesto until 2 summers ago when I grew fresh basil, and ever since then I love Pesto sauces. Here is one that I have done, and Love it!

• 1 cup walnuts or pine nuts
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels.
3. In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze. To freeze, spoon pesto into an ice-cube tray (2 tablespoons per cube); cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight, then transfer cubes to a resealable plastic bag; keep up to 6 months. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes (or at 30-second intervals in the microwave). Mash with a fork before using in recipes.

** I have also made this and added some parmesan cheese to the mix, and it tastes awesome!

Lasagna Primavera

This meal is one you can make ahead of time and freeze to use on a night you just don't feel like cooking! I feel like that is the mode I am in right now. Hope you enjoy it!

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
• 1/2 pound carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 large egg
• 1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 to 16 noodles)
• 1 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• 1 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach, peas, and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Set sauce aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper.
3. In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.
4. Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Manicotti

Cook 1 Box of Manicotti noodles 1/2 way

Cook 1 pound Hamburger along with 1 medium onion in a skillet until browned and cooked thru.

In a bowl mix:
3 1/2 C. Small curd Cottage Cheese
1 1/2 C. mozzarella (Reserve some extra)
1/4 C. Fresh Parmesan
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
Hamburger and Onion

Spoon 1/2 C. of the mixture into the manicotti shells, then place the shells into an 8x8 pan. Cover with a jar of Spaghetti sauce spread on top of shells and beneath the shells in the pan. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

* Makes 2 8x8 pans or 1 9x13 pan. I usually cook one 8x8 and freeze 1 8x8 pan for another night.