Pierside Salmon Patties with Dill Cream Sauce

(recipe makes 12 patties, or 1 1/2 4-person servings)

For salmon patties:
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 cups coarsley crushed Saltine crackers
2 tsp finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans (14.75 oz each) salmon, drained, with bones & skin removed

In a bowl, beat eggs; add the next 6 ingredients & mix well.  Add salmon; shape into twelve 3" patties.  Patties can be flash frozen at this stage, then bagged with wax paper between patties.

For dill cream sauce:
In a small ziploc bag, add
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp fresh dill (or 1/4 tsp dried, if you must!)
1/8 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/4 tsp freshley grated nutmeg

Staples needed to prepare sauce on serving day:
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
3/4 c milk (I have made this with skim milk, and it still tastes great - but milk with a higher fat content would create a richer sauce!)

To prepare:
Thaw salmon patties and place in greased baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (or, brown in a bit of oil in stovetop skillet over low heat).  Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Stir in flour mixture until smooth,  Add 3/4 cup milk and bring just to the boiling point.  Reduce heat, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.  Spoon sauce over salmon patties.

1 serving = 2 salmon patties and 1/4 of cream sauce (prepared using skim milk), 340 calories

Chicken Cordon Bleu

(1 recipe makes 4 servings)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 thin ham slices
4 thin swiss cheese slices
2/3 c flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 tsp water
2/3 cups dry bread crumbs

Assembly instructions:
Pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until 1/4" thick.  Place a slice of ham on each piece of chicken.  Place a slice of cheese on each piece of ham.  Roll up chicken & secure with toothpicks.  combine flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl.  In another bolw, lightly beat egg and water.  Place the bread crumbs in a third bowl.  Dip chicken inot the flour, coating all sides.  Shake to remove any excess flour.  Slide chicken through egg mixture.  Allow excess to drip off.  Then dip chicken into bread crumbs, coating all sides.  Flash freeze chicken on a baking sheet, then place in 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

To Serve:
Thaw completely.  Bake chicken at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  (If baking from frozen, add 30 minutes to cooking time).  Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of chicken reads 165 degrees. 

Nutritional info:
Per serving
347 calories
6g fat (16.1% calories from fat)
40g protein
31g carbohydrates
1g dietary fiber
128mg cholesterol
603 mg sodium

Chicken Empanadas

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
8 oz shreeded colby jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) pkg refrigerated pie crust
water

In a large bowl,  combine chicken & next 7 ingredients.  Unroll piecrust onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll into a 15" circle.  Cut our rounds, using a 3" cookie cutter.  Re-roll dough as needed.  Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 - 15 circles total.  Arrange one round on a clean, flat surface.  Lightly brush the edges of crust with water.  Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the cneter of the round.  Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal.  Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. 

*Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and flash frozen on trays, then placed in ziploc bags.*

To serve:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Arrange empanadas on baking sheet.  Bake from frozen 15 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.  Or, thaw in microwave and bake for 15 minutes.

Adapted from a Taste of Home recipe:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mini-chicken-empanadas

Cowboy Barbeque

This quick freezer meal is one most often requested by my 9 year old son.  (This is a kid who loves baked beans and quite often will volunteer to make beanie weenies for dinner. Hey, he's volunteering to cook... I'm not going to turn him down.)

Originally I used Grands buttermilk biscuits as the topper to this hearty meal but recently I found at my local Kroger that Grands has begun selling a Cornbread refrigerator biscuit.  What goes better with beans and BBQ than corn bread.  I was so excited to give it a try.

When prepping this dish for the freezer, start with browning the meat and onions.  Then add the remaining ingredients until well mixed.  Allow to cool completely and place in a Ziploc freezer bag or, if you like, pour in a round disposable pie plate.  Freeze until solid and cover with aluminum foil.  Slide into a Ziplock bag. (8"-9" round pie pans easily slip into a gallon size Ziploc giving the dish better protection in the freezer.)

To serve, defrost and, if not already in a pie plate, pour the thawed mixture into a round glass pan. Bake the mixture for at least 30 minutes to get it warmed through. Open the biscuits and cut each biscuit in half.

Create a ring around the dish, place the biscuit halves with the cut side down.  Over lap the halves so that they all fit into the pie plate. 

Bake until biscuits are golden brown. 

Top with cheese and return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

Cowboy BBQ

(1 recipe equals 6 servings)

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) baked beans
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerated biscuit dough (corn bread or Grands buttermilk)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onion.  Remove from heat.  Drain grease if needed. Stir in beans, BBQ sauce and brown sugar.  (Do not add biscuits until baking).  Place in ziploc bag.  Label & freeze.

To serve:
Thaw.  Pour ingredients into a round, greased baking dish.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Cut refrigerator biscuits in half.  Arrange upright (cut edge down) and slightly overlap around the edge of the baking dish.  Return to oven and bake 15 minutes.  Top with cheese and bake 5 additional minutes.

Adapted from Dinner is Ready.

Baked Mostaccioli

(1 recipe makes 9 x 13" casserole dish)

1 1/2 lbs mostaccioli (cooked)
2 lbs ricotta
1 lb mozzarella (grated)
1 qt red sauce
1/4 c parmesan or romano (grated)

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients, reserving 1/2 of mozzarella.  Place in 9 x 13" pan.  Top with remaining mozzarella, sauce, and romano if desired.  Freeze.

To serve: 
Thaw.  Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

Italian Meatloaf with Basil & Provolone

YIELD:  6 servings (serving size:  2 slices)

Ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground round
cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Preparation: 
Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft.  Drain tomatoes; finely chop.  Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (onions through beef) in a large bowl.  Add tomatoes to meat mixture.  Place beef mixture into a loaf pan and freeze at this stage.

To serve:
Thaw & shape beef mixture into a 9 x 5" loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees.  Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Cut into 12 slices.

Nutritional information:
Amount per serving
Calories:  294
Calories from fat:  27%
Fat:  8.7g
Saturated fat:  3.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.2g
Polyunsaturated fat: .07g
Protein:  24.3g
Carbohydrates:  30.8g
Fiber 2.5g
Cholesterol:  53mg
Iron: 3.9mg
Sodium:  893mg
Calcium: 149mg