Empty Nest in the Midwest

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Freezer Meals

Freezer Meals Recipe: No Boil Mac n Cheese

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We made meals for our freezer meals outreach again a few days ago. We made three different dishes, including one of the favorites, No Boil Mac n Cheese!

We make Mac n Cheese every two or three months. This one is very kid friendly and also meatless for Lent. Although this might not be the healthiest dish in the world. 🙂 But these meals are for people who are stressed and need a little extra love. So sometimes we provide that in the form of Mac n Cheese.

For the record, when I first saw this recipe I didn’t think the noodles would be tender without boiling them first. So I made this for my family without freezing it. And yes, the noodles do cook. You just need to stir it up before serving; This really is a great meal to keep in our outreach freezer, especially for when somebody comes by to pick up meals for a family with kids.

No Boil Mac n Cheese Recipe

  • 2 small disposable pans with lids (something like these)
  • 4 cups of milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 16 oz macaroni
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt butter and whisk in flour. Add milk, salt, and pepper
  2. Put macaroni in pans. (Divide all ingredients between both pans.)
  3. Add cheeses over macaroni.
  4. Pour milk mixture over macaroni, submerging noodles.
  5. Write directions (below) on the lids. Place lids on pans and seal.
  6. Freeze immediately

Directions (Written on lids)

  • Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
  • Leave cover on. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Freezer Meals – Bubble Up Pepperoni Pizza

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A group of us got together last night and assembled more meals for our Freezer Meal Outreach, for parishioners to pick up and give to family and friends who need a little care. This is a new recipe we are adding to our rotation. We try to keep some “kid-friendly” meals in the freezer for recipients who have small children.

Bubble Up Pepperoni Pizza Freezer Meal Recipe

Makes about 8 small pans – about 2 or 3 servings per pan

Ingredients:

  • 8 small disposable pans with lids (something like these)
  • 6oz package pepperoni
  • 2 package Pillsbury frozen biscuits (20 biscuits per package)
  • 60 oz pizza sauce
  • 8 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

  1. Let biscuits thaw slightly and cut into 6 pieces each.
  2. Mix together biscuits, pizza sauce, and 4 cups of cheese.
  3. Spray the pans with cooking oil.
  4. Divide biscuit mixture between pans.
  5. Top with pizza sauce and cheese.
  6. Layer pepperoni on top.

Directions (Written on lids)

  • Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until biscuits are cooked through.

Freezer Meals Recipe: Meatloaf

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I was asked for some of our recipes for our freezer meals outreach, so here is one we made this last cook night. It is a favorite and we make this at least every two months because it gets grabbed out of the freezer pretty quickly.

Usually we say each pan is about 3 servings. If we are sending the meal to a larger family, we send two pans. We also keep some steam-in-bag vegetables and some frozen rolls in the freezer. So I usually send some of those with the meatloaf to make a complete meal. And, sometimes we even have frozen cookie dough which I will also send, especially if the recipients of the meal have kids.

Freezer Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 small disposable pans with lids (something like these)
  • 6 lbs. lean ground beef
  • 2 cup finely diced onion
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoon dried thyme or other seasoning
  • about 2 cup ketchup

Preparation

  1. Prepare the pans with cooking spray.
  2. Gently mix ingredients except ketchup in a large bowl. Just be careful not to over-mix, or the meat will be tough.
  3. Shape beef mixture into 6 loaves and place in the prepared pans. Leave a little space around the sides of the pan.
  4. Spread a thin layer of ketchup over the top of each meatloaf.
  5. Write directions (below) on the lids. Place lids on pans and seal.
  6. Freeze immediately

Directions (Written on lids)

  • Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
  • Remove cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked through. (Increase the baking time if the meat is still partially frozen)
  • Slice and serve.

Freezer Meals Outreach

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We had a freezer meals cook night last night. What is that? Well about 10 of us got together and made meals and froze them. Then when anyone from the parish knows somebody who needs a little care – somebody going through cancer treatment, or just had a death in the family, or a mom of little ones whose husband is out of town, or somebody who just had a baby, or the elderly shut-in neighbor – they can come by and get a meal and deliver it to them.

The freezer is in our garage. Our parish is short on space. So when we first proposed the idea, our pastor was all for it but his question was “Where? Can somebody put the freezer in their garage?” As an empty nester who was in the process of getting rid of baseball equipment and bikes and other kid things, I thought that we could make room for it. And of course, when I talked to The Husband about it, he said “Yes” because he is a generous soul.

So once a month, a group of us get together and assemble the meals. This in itself is a lot of fun. I love that it is a mix of people from our parish. Young and old. Singles and married. With kids or without. We make meals and we get to socialize, meet new friends, drink a little wine, and help our neighbors out. When the meals are all made, we say a blessing over them, asking the Lord to let the recipients know that they are loved and that God is with them.

I bring the meals home and put them in the freezer in our garage. Then I advertise to our parish, in the bulletin and on social media. Anyone who knows somebody who needs a meal just contacts me. Then they come by and pick it up. No reason is too big or too small. Everyone need to know that they are loved and cared for.

People thank me for the meals, but I always thank the people who contact me to pick them up. They are as essential, if not more, than me with the freezer in my garage or those of us who cook the meals. For me, this is community. We are all doing something beautiful together which we could not do on our own.