Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is my absolute go-to meal.  It's easy, inexpensive, and you can make a huge batch and freeze it in single-meal servings in ziploc bags, saving even more via bulk purchasing, and allowing for super simple meal preparation later.

Because of this, the measurements I will be giving are relative, easily adjusted to the size batch you are making.  Just be aware so that you scale them appropriately.  I usually use a 3-lb container of ground beef, 6 jars of sauce, and about 4 large onions, for example.

For parents with vegetable-averse kids, it's easy to sneak in some extra veggies in this, too.  Just finely mince whatever veggies you like – carrots and bell peppers are great choices, for example, thanks to their nutrient contents – and add them midway through the browning of the onions.  By the time it's done cooking, they should be unidentifiable.

Hybridized Slovenian Style Goulash

Back when I was first learning to cook on my own, I conflated two recipes my grandmother made when trying to replicate her goulash.  It wasn't "right", but as often happens, I decided I actually liked this new hybrid recipe even better, and so it is how I have made it ever since.  It has the basis of goulash - a sauce primarily made of cooked down onion and paprika with beef - but then has the addition of some tomato, mushrooms, and peas, making it a bit more interesting to eat.

This recipe is for a large batch; we usually get several 'fresh' meals, as well as several portions to freeze, which it holds up to quite well.  

Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken

This was incredibly delicious!  It was a bit on the salty side, though.  I found a recipe for making your own ranch dressing mix, and I am planning to make my own, with much less salt.  In the meantime, I just added more sour cream and that improved the overly saltiness.

Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with Potatoes

Second only to the Slow Cooker Honey-Butter Chicken Bake, I think this is my favorite of the freezer-to-crockpot recipes I've tried so far.  There was a lot of liquid, though; next time I may try reducing the soup and ranch mix to one each, at least for 4 pork chops.

Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce

This is a simple, tasty, and extremely healthy side dish that goes well with almost anything.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Zuchini

As seems to be somewhat the theme of these freezer-to-crockpot meals, this one was a bit bland as I found it; I had to work with it to make it my own and suited to our tastes.  However, it's delightfully simple yet healthy, hearty, and delicious.  It would be easy to add in any additional vegetables that your family prefers or which are in season.

Lemon-Pesto Chicken

This recipe was inspired by my AeroGarden, as a way to use the profusion of fresh lemon basil I had on hand.  I used all three kinds of basil in the Gourmet Herbs seed kit; approximately 5 parts lemon basil, 2 parts globe basil, and one part sweet basil.



Ingredients:

• 1 c. fresh lemon basil, finely cut (or regular basil, along with the juice and zest of half a lemon)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb. chicken (tenders or boneless breasts)
• 1 lb. fresh spinach
• 2 16 oz. can of mushrooms (pieces and stems)
• 3 tbs. butter
• 3 tbs. flour
• 3 c. milk
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. dry or 1 tsp finely cut fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp. dry or 1/2 tsp finely cut fresh oregano
• 1/4 c. fresh finely cut parsley
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb. package wide egg noodles

Making a Simple Rue

The basis to many recipes, especially (but not limited to) anything with a ‘white’ or cream sauce, is a simple rue (or roux). Most simply put, it is flour, to thicken the sauce, which has been sautéed in butter to get rid of the ‘floury’ taste that it would give the food if you added it directly.
When making a rue sauce, the general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of butter (or other oil for the calorie-conscious) for every cup of liquid. This makes a fairly thick sauce, just about perfect for brown gravy. Use a higher or lower rue-to-liquid ratio as needed.