Make-Ahead Meals

When I'm preparing a meal on a weekend, it's just as easy to double the amount and freeze a meal to eat later in the work week. Here are some great recipes that you can double up on and pull from freezer to oven on a busy day.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 green peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 lb. of ground beef or ground turkey, cooked and drained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups of cooked white rice
• 2 cans of tomato soup
• 5 Tbsp. of chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, brown meat and onion. Drain and add cooked rice, tomato soup and seasonings. Add water to produce desired consistency. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add shredded cheese, cooking only until the cheese melts. Lay six of the peppers halves flat in a baking dish. Lay the remaining six flat in a freezer container. Fill each pepper half with meat and rice mixture. To bake immediately, cover the peppers in the baking dish with aluminum foil. Cook at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes.

Freeze the remaining six stuffed peppers in a covered freezer dish. To bake, transfer frozen to a baking dish and cook at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes or until tender.

Leftover Beef Roast Pie

This pie is an excellent way to use leftover beef roast. You can make as many as you want at a time, and freeze them for later use.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. shortening
• 1-1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1-1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 cups beef cubes
• 1 can tomato soup
• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• Pastry for a 2 crust 9 inch pie

Directions

In a skillet, heat shortening, and add celery, pepper, and onions. Saute until soft and onions are clear. Stir in beef, soup and seasonings. Place entire mixture on top of one pastry shell in a 9" pie pan. Top with remaining pastry shell, pinching edges together to prevent seepage, and slash top pastry to vent. To cook immediately, bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. To freeze, place pie in a freezer container and cover. Cook frozen pie at 425 degrees for 50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Other Make Ahead Meal Ideas

You can also double soup recipes and eat one tonight, while freezing the rest for later. Soups that freeze well are split pea, bean soups, vegetable soups in a beef broth, French onion, and soups with a chicken broth. They can be frozen in gallon size freezer bags, or in covered freezer containers. Just thaw and simmer until done! One of the added health benefits of freezing soup is that any fat in the soup will rise to the top and harden, so it can be removed prior to cooking.

By Patti