Baked Ziti

There is a similar recipe on this page which I used for a base, but I upped the amount of pasta and sauce in this version to serve more people (and I just like it saucier!). 

2 lb rigatoni

2 cups ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Grill Seasoning 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

28 oz crushed tomatoes

a few fresh basil leaves, torn

salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente. Place the ricotta in a bowl and season with some grill seasoning and parmesan. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for minute or two, then stir in the tomatoes and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and toss with the cheese mixture. Add the tomato sauce and mix. Pour into 9x13 pan and top the pasta with shredded parmesan, if desired, and bake at 350 until warmed through and cheese starts to brown, about 15-20 minutes.

To freeze: cover with press-n-seal and foil, keeping close to the top of food. Thaw in refrigerator and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

 I saw this recipe from Eating Well and it sounded interesting. I altered it a bit because the ratios were off on the sauce (WAY too thick), and added more seasoning to the chicken as it was cooking. It is delicious served over some rice (or noodles or quinoa).

3 tbsp butter, divided
2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth*

1 cup whole milk

3 oz cream cheese

1-1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

3/4 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)

1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 400. Melt 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper (to taste), oregano, and minced garlic. Stir occasionally, cooking until well browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add zucchini and pepper to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. Transfer to bowl with chicken.

Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to pan. Stir in flour once it melts, stirring until flour starts to brown. Add broth and milk slowly, whisking often. Bring to a boil while whisking. Remove from heat and add cream cheese and 3/4 cup mozzarella; stir until melted. Stir in salt and pepper. Drain liquid from chicken and veggies and add to the cheese sauce. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake until the top is brown and the edges are bubbly, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To freeze: cover with press-n-seal or saran wrap, keeping it close to the top of the food; cover with foil. Thaw in refrigerator before following baking directions above.

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*Use GF chicken broth to make it a gluten free dish

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

My family LOVES buffalo chicken - wings, dip, tacos, etc. This dish is like taking the buffalo chicken dip that I make and mixing it with pasta... then baking with more cheese. Delicious!

16 oz penne pasta
12oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot sauce
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Cook the pasta, al dente, according to directions.

Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy. Add the chicken, then combine with the cooked pasta. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Put into casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.


For a freezer meal, cover with plastic wrap and then foil and do not bake. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed.

Smokey Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

I didn't have a plan for dinner one night but knew I had some ground turkey in the fridge. I searched recipes online and came across one for a meatloaf with quinoa. I tweaked the recipe to add a bit more fat for moisture and flavor, and made it like a bbq bacon burger. My family loved it! Bonus, it's super healthy and full of protein.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
few dashes hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer until water has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook until bacon is cooked and onion is softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, quinoa, onion/bacon/garlic, and rest of ingredients. Stir until well combined. Put into a greased loaf pan.

Bake until cooked through, 60-80 minutes.

(**To make as a freezer meal, you can either cook beforehand or freeze raw. Thaw and either bake to reheat or bake as directed above.)

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

This was such an easy meal to make but had great flavor. I love meals that remind me of family dinners from growing up! My kids gobbled this up. It would have been delicious served over some mashed potatoes, but we ate it with some bread and butter because it was already so creamy. This is to serve my large family of 6 with some leftovers, so halve it if you need.

12 oz wide egg noodles
8 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
10 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cream or milk
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp flour

Place noodles in large pot. Add stock and olive oil; stir. Add peas and carrots. Cover and heat over medium heat until noodles are soft, 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken and stir in cream/milk.

Mix water and flour so there are no lumps. Add gradually to the noodle mixture, stirring constantly. Heat to boiling and simmer for 5 minutes.

(This could also be frozen after it is cooked -- let cool and put into large freezer bag. Freeze flat, then thaw and reheat on stovetop.)

Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. My family loves food with Asian flavors. Although we like spicy and the recipe as is was fine, my 8-yr old daughter thought hers was a little too spicy once the glaze was on it so halve the sriracha sauce if you want to cut it back a bit. When it's done, feel free to serve either chopped cilantro or green onion on top for some extra flavor.

2-3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (8-10)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp sriracha sauce
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp corn starch

Put chicken into large ziploc bag. Add all the ingredients except corn starch to a bowl. Stir to combine. Add the corn starch and whisk until dissolved. Pour half the marinade into the bag with the chicken and save the other half. Refrigerate chicken for at least 30 minutes (or if freezing, you can freeze both the chicken and extra marinade at this point).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add chicken and its marinade into a 9x13 baking dish (thaw if frozen first), keeping it all single level. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is baking, add reserved marinade to a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat while stirring. It will thicken to a glaze. When chicken is finished baking, spread the glaze over each piece of chicken.

Southwestern Pork Chili

This would be delicious with ground pork, beef, turkey, or chicken... or even some cooked, shredded pork. A nice change from traditional chili, it was delicious with some shredded cheese, tortilla chip crumbles, and sour cream on top. Or serve with some cornbread. :)

1 lb lean ground pork
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, chopped
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Add all the ingredients to your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

If you want to freeze, put all the ingredients in a gallon freezer bag with the pork last. When ready to cook, thaw and add contents to crockpot.

Santa Fe Grilled Chicken

This chicken is delicious to use for fajitas or just eat on its own. The marinade was also good on steak, which we used for fajitas.

4 boneless chicken breasts, ~2 lbs
1 cup water
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients into a gallon ziploc bag. Marinate for at least two hours (this also freezes well). Remove the chicken and grill on an indoor or outdoor grill until no longer pink in the center. If using for fajitas, let rest then slice thinly.

Spinach & Provolone Chicken Pinwheels

These were so easy to make and SO good! A little cheese oozes out and browns up, yum. The garlic butter sauce is delicious over top -- I made rice to go along with it, and topped it with the sauce as well. This would be easy to freeze too, either by placing in a foil pan or flash freezing the pinwheels and putting in a ziploc after.

6 thin cut chicken breasts (I used 3 large breasts, slicing them thinly into thirds while on their side)
salt and pepper
6 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
1-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Lay the chicken flat and season with salt and pepper. Place two half-slices of provolone onto each chicken. Top with about 1/4 cup spinach. Roll up chicken and secure with toothpick.

Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Make garlic butter sauce by melting butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add parsley and remove from heat. Top cooked chicken with the sauce before serving.

Asian Flank Steak

So easy and super delicious. My 18-month old has been picky about her meats lately, but she kept asking for more of this!

1.5-2 lbs flank steak
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil

Combine all the marinade ingredients together. Place steak in a freezer bag and pour marinade over. Marinate overnight or at least four hours.

Grill steak over medium heat to desired doneness (it cooked well in a grill pan on the stove as well). Cut crosswise into thin slices.

To freeze: Freeze steak and marinade in freezer bag. Thaw in refrigerator before grilling.

Five Spice Cream Cheese Chicken

This was another dish I received via freezer meal swap - thanks, Elizabeth! My whole family devoured it and my husband and I fought over leftovers the next day!

2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless/skinless
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp mustard seed, ground
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

Season chicken with spices and salt. Combine the cream, milk, and cream cheese.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cream sauce. Stir occasionally and let the sauce thicken for three minutes or so. Serve the chicken with the sauce over the top.

To freeze: Combine chicken with spices and salt in a freezer bag. Combine cream, milk, and cream cheese in a quart bag. Thaw in fridge before following cooking directions above. (Note: The cream sauce may seem a little curdled, but just whisk it.)

Chile Rellenos Casserole

This sounded delicious when I saw the recipe. I altered it a bit for easy prep and to make it large enough for my family. I'm glad I did, because there was hardly any left! The chilies do add a bit of spice so cut back to one can if you're afraid of that (my kids all ate it with the two cans).

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-7 oz cans diced green chilies
3 cups cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375. Cook ground beef and onion. Drain, then add cumin, salt, pepper, and chilies.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put in meat mixture. Top with cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk, then add flour and mix well. Pour mixture over cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To freeze: Once assembled, cover with press-n-seal and foil; freeze before baking. Thaw in refrigerator and follow baking directions above - you might have to add 10 minutes or so to the cooking time.

Irish Potato Leek Soup

I've made both potato soup with bacon and cheese, and potato leek soup -- this recipe sort of combines both of those and is delicious! It helps to have an immersion blender, but a regular blender or food processor will definitely work to puree this -- just be sure to let it cool slightly first.

8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1 onion, diced
3 leeks, halved & sliced
4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
48 oz chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup real bacon pieces
1 cup cheddar cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onions and stir to coat; season with a little salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes; cover and cook another 15 minutes. Stir in broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir in the bacon and cheese.

To freeze: Allow soup to cool completely. Put in gallon freezer bag and freeze flat. Thaw, then reheat on stovetop until warmed through.


**For gluten free, be sure to have gf chicken broth

Chicken Club Casserole

This was delicious and you could easily change it to suit your family's tastes (a couple of my kids grumbled at the tomatoes and spinach!). This would be wonderful with ham, broccoli, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes... so much! It completely fills a 9x13 baking dish, so if you have a smaller family you could divide it into two 8x8 pans.

1 lb rotini pasta, cooked a little less than al dente
2 lbs chicken breast, cubed and cooked
2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup real bacon pieces
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 cups colby-jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the shredded cheese. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To freeze: Once in baking dish freeze. Thaw, or mostly thaw, before following baking instructions above. You will probably have to add 15-20 minutes to baking time.

Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros

We love gyros, but lamb can be expensive so I thought I'd give chicken gyros a try. This smelled amazing as it cooked!! I suggest topping them with tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta, and tomato. This will make 10-12 pitas, depending on how much chicken you like on yours.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Before serving, shred and let sit in juice for 10 minutes or so.

To freeze: Put all ingredients in freezer bag and squish to mix. Lay flat to freeze. Thaw in refrigerator then empty bag into slow cooker.

Citrus Herb Chicken Thighs

Super easy to throw together and very family friendly. I used about 4 lbs of chicken thighs and didn't need to make more marinade -- one thing I love about marinades/dump freezer meal recipes! I suggest removing some of the skin to maximize the flavor, but the skin that is left crisps up so nicely in the oven.

2.5 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

With a sharp knife, pierce a small hole in the chicken skin so marinade can soak through. Place the chicken in a gallon freezer bag. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix around. Allow chicken to marinade for 2 hours, then place in baking dish with marinade. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear.


To freeze: Once chicken is in marinade, lay flat to freeze. Thaw in refrigerator and bake as directed above.

Curried Coconut Chicken Soup

I love curries and love soups in the winter. I thought I'd give this one a try and it was delicious! I served it over basmati rice, which really just added rice to the soup. ;) Next time, I might omit some of the chicken broth to make it a creamier soup, but it is delicious as is.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
3 stalks lemongrass, crushed**
1 tsp salt
2 lbs diced, cooked chicken
14-oz can coconut milk
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add and saute onions, carrots and pepper until they begin to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook a minute more until fragrant. Pour in the broth and add salt and lemongrass. Bring to a boil then add to the crockpot with the chicken. Cook for 3-4 hours on low. At the end of cooking time remove the lemongrass, then mix coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, and brown sugar in a small bowl and add to the soup. Cook for 15-30 more minutes. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.


To freeze: Cook as directed above, reserve cilantro for serving day.Cool soup and store in freezer bags. Thaw and reheat soup; stir in cilantro leaves.


**This was my first time working with lemongrass so I'll pass on the info I learned. These are long stalks, and inexpensive from my normal grocery store. You'll want to trim off the bulb end and the majority of the stalk, leaving you with only a 4-5" stalk left. Peel off the outer leaves (they come off easily) then crush with a knife or rolling pin, like you would a clove of garlic. Throw in whole like this when making a soup. (You can mince or chop for other dishes).


Just a note: If making gluten free, be sure to get gf soy sauce and chicken broth.

Chorizo & Sweet Potato Enchiladas

We're big on mexican food in this house. I saw a recipe for these enchiladas and was highly intrigued. Since I have a lot of sweet potatoes from my in-laws' garden, I was happy to find something new to use them. Even if you're not a fan of sweet potatoes, they take on such a different flavor because of the chorizo. Just a warning... Poblano peppers are not usually too spicy, but the one I used had quite a bit of kick to it. My kids can handle spicy food, but it was a bit too spicy for two of them. I altered the recipe a bit because there was not nearly enough filling. I like to top enchiladas with sour cream and sliced green onions.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
20 oz Mexican chorizo (this is the soft, fresh meat -- not the Spanish cured)
10 (8") flour tortillas
1 recipe red enchilada sauce
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the sweet potato and poblano and saute for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potato begins to soften. Add the garlic and chorizo, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Cook about 10 minutes.

Fill each tortilla with some of the filling. Roll and place seam-side down into the baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce on top of them evenly and top with shredded cheese. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly.


To freeze: Assemble but do not bake. Cover with wrap and foil. At least partially thaw and follow directions above, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Alabama White BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This a delicious swap for the traditional BBQ chicken sandwiches. My 10-yr old loved them so much he had two large sandwiches! I'm not a fan of horseradish, so it can easily be left out of the sauce and it still fantastic. Thanks, Tori, for introducing me to these! (Original recipe here)

2.5 lbs bone-in chicken breasts, or 2 lbs boneless
14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 tbsp liquid smoke
1 tsp seasoned salt

White Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp jarred horseradish
1 tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth and liquid smoke. Cover and cook on low 5 hours. Remove chicken, pull off skin, remove bones, then shred the meat. Sprinkle seasoned salt over the meat and mix it in using your hands.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Pour half the sauce on the chicken and toss. Put the chicken on toasted rolls and top with more sauce. Top with pickles, if desired.


To freeze: Put chicken, broth, and liquid smoke in large freezer bag. Mix sauce together and put in small bowl or small freezer bag. Thaw and follow directions above.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Taquitos

This is another meal I received as part of a monthly meal-swap. They were fantastic! My whole family scarfed them down. Serve them with the pineapple salsa and ranch dressing, or just eat plain. Thanks for bringing these into my recipe rotation, Bobbi! (Recipe from here)

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tbsp liquid smoke
16 taco-sized soft tortillas (corn or flour)
1-1.5 cups shredded mexican-style cheese

Pineapple Salsa:
1 cup diced pineapple
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder

In a small bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, garlic powder, pineapple juice, and liquid smoke until smooth. Place chicken breasts in bottom of your crockpot. Pour bbq sauce mixture over chicken. Cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours. About 20-30 minutes before serving, shred chicken in crockpot and stir so chicken soaks up remaining juices.

Preheat oven to broil and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay tortillas on a flat surface. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of shredded cheese in a line down the middle of each tortilla. Top cheese with 3-4 tbsp shredded chicken. Tightly roll up tortillas and place them on prepared baking sheet 1" apart. Spray rolled taquitos heavily with cooking spray. Cook in the oven (on high broil) for 5- minutes or until cheese is melty and tortillas are crisp.

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.


To freeze: Make and roll taquitos. Flash freeze on cookie sheets and place in large freezer bag. Bake at 400 for ~20-30 minutes (do not thaw completely or they will lose shape) Make and freeze salsa in small freezer bag.