OAMC Recipes from Real Food for Real People

Once A Month Cooking Starter Recipes

The following recipes are great to begin your experiences with OAMC! You will eventually find the recipes you will use EVERY month, as well as finding recipes which your family already enjoys, which are freezer friendly. One thing to remember, is do not make recipes in bulk (more than one meal) for your freezer if you have not 'test driven' them on your family first. This will save you from having multiple meals in your freezer which your family does not want to eat. Start small, and determine by your own experience which foods your family likes and does not like when it comes to freezer meals. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family and others have.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 cup Onions -- diced
1 cup Green Bell Peppers -- diced
1/2 pound Mushrooms
1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 pound Cheddar Cheese -- shredded
2 cups Chicken -- cooked and diced
1 can Tomatoes with Green Chilis
1 clove Garlic -- minced
2 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Chicken Broth
12 Corn Tortillas -- torn into quarters

In a large pan, sauté onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms in butter, Add soups, tomatoes & chilies, garlic, chili powder, and chicken broth. Line bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with pieces of tortillas. Spread half the chicken over the tortillas and top with half of the sauce, then half of the cheese. Cover with another layer of torn corn tortillas, and repeat the chicken, sauce and cheese layers. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6

(When freezing, put in freezer after assembling casserole, and bake when ready to eat.)

Sour Cream Chocolate Muffins

5 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Baking Chocolate Squares
1/3 cup Butter or Margarine
3/4 cup Sour Cream
2/3 cup Brown Sugar - packed
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips - semi-sweet or milk

Mix semisweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and butter together, then melt carefully in microwave or over simmering water in double boiler. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Mix sour cream, sugar, corn syrup, egg and vanilla. Blend with melted chocolates. Blend flour, soda and salt, then add to the chocolate mixture and blend very well. Add the chocolate chips. Pour batter into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin tins. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and allow to cool on wire racks.

(When freezing, cool completely, then freeze in individual baggies, removing as much air as possible from each baggie before sealing.

Yield: 12 muffins

Grilled Marinated Steak

1 1/2 Pounds Steak (your choice) -- cut in three pieces
3 Tablespoons Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves -- minced
1 Freezer Zip Bag -- gallon size

Cut steak into three pieces and place into freezer zip bag. Combine marinade ingredients and add to bag with meat; freeze.

To prepare: thaw steak in bag with marinade. Barbecue or grill under oven broiler until desired doneness.

Warning! Do NOT reuse or serve marinade!

Serves 3

Mexican Corn & Eggs

1 small Onion -- chopped
3 tablespoons Butter or Margarine
2 cups Whole Kernel Corn
1/4 cup Green Pepper -- chopped
1/4 cup Black Olives -- sliced
8 Eggs -- lightly beaten
1 cup Ham or Sausage -- cooked & cubed
3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese -- shredded
***
Tortilla chips
Salsa -- fresh or preserved

In a medium skillet, sauté onion and green peppers in butter, until they are tender. Stir in corn & olives. Add eggs, and stir over medium heat until eggs just begin to set. Add ham or sausage and cheese, then cook until eggs are fully cooked and cheese is melted. Pour into a medium size greased casserole, and cool. Freeze until set, then wrap in double layers of foil, label and store in freezer until ready to use. When you are ready to serve this, thaw completely in refrigerator, then heat in oven on low heat, and serve with Tortilla chips and Salsa.

Serves 6

Magnificent Casserole

2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon Green Pepper -- minced
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Swiss Cheese -- grated
8 ounces Egg Noodles -- (package)
1 pound Cottage Cheese
1/3 cup Green Onion -- chopped
2 cups Tomato Sauce

In a large pan, cook noodles in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain & set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add onion and peppers. Set aside. Brown ground beef & drain any fat. Add tomato sauce to ground beef. Grease 9 x 13 inch cake pan or casserole dish, and arrange the following layers: Noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture - then repeat. Top with grated Swiss cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Note: If you will be freezing this casserole for later use, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of green pepper and onion which are used, as they have a tendency to get stronger over a long period of time.

Serves 8

Homemade Sloppy Joes

2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
1 medium Onion -- chopped
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Prepared Mustard
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
2 tablespoons Catsup

Brown ground beef & onion in a large skillet and drain. Add other ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve on buns or over broken bread.

This recipe freezes very well.

Serves 12

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

2 pounds Chicken -- cooked & diced
1 can Green Chiles
1 pound Colby-Jack Cheese -- shredded
1 dozen Flour Tortillas

Mix chicken, chilis & cheese, then freeze in an airtight container. When ready to serve, butter one side of all tortillas. Spoon mixture onto one tortilla, cover with one and lightly brown on each side.

Note: Flour tortillas may also be frozen separate from the chicken mixture, but stored with chicken mixture so all ingredients are on hand when you are ready to serve this meal.

Serves 6

Too-Good Baked Pork Chops

6 Boneless Pork Chops -- 1/4 pound each
Non-Stick Cooking Spray

3 cups Long-Grain Brown Rice -- cooked

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray, and lay pork chops in pan. Spread honey mustard over tops of pork chops. Cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake 20-25 minutes or until pork chops are no longer pink inside. Serve hot with rice on the side.

Serves 6

Note: This recipe can be frozen, at the stage of spreading the honey mustard on the pork chops. To cook later, thaw overnight in refrigerator, and bake according to original directions. Make rice in crockpot earlier in the day for an easy, nutritious meal.